Now, I'm not the world's leading authority on anything related to reef keeping, but I do have an opinion, and I'm thinking that I'm the most qualified person in the world to voice MY opinion!
Okay, yeah, whatever. This is gonna be one of those days. Setting myself up. I can tell. Seems as good a day as any to stir up a Hornet's nest...
I’m basing this "rant" on a recent experience and voicing an opinion…and I need your help in understanding the whole phenomenon behind this.
Here's something that is puzzling me. When you purchase or trade for a frag of a supposedly "high end" or "rare" frag, such as seems to be all the rage on Facebook and such, the apparent definition of frag is "a minuscule piece of the tip of said Acropora..."
I mean, what gives here? Yes, there is no "International Committee on Size Standards For Coral Frags", but when did 7/16" become a "frag" in hobby circles? How can you enjoy a 7/16" frag. What's more, how strong is a "frag" of this size? I mean, it's barely an axial corallite, plus a tiny bit of skeleton to put the (fresh) glue on. Is that fun? Does that feel good? Is that "value?"
"Check out my new microscope to see my latest frags!"
Are we really THIS pathetic? Do we as hobbyists have such collective greed and desire to make a fast buck that we simply snip the very tip off of a "high end" (don't get me started here on that definition/topic...) Acro or whatever and offer that as a..."frag." Oh, sure, it's definitely a "fragment" in the strictest sense, but what a terrible joke for the hobbyist who purchases or trades for it, IMHO.
Why do we have micro frags as the standard in "rare" or "high end" corals? I'll give you my two cents worth (or would that be $300...?):
People that have these so-called "high end" corals for sale have no patience. They see a trend, they have a coral that they probably bought as a 1" piece for $700, "waited" until it grew out to 1.75"-2", and decided that it was now a "colony", ready to start fragging and making them the big bucks. Easy Street.
And fools like us perpetuate this joke of a practice by buying into the hype and plunking down our dollars to support this ridiculousness.
Yeah, why is it that, with few and notable exceptions, these so-called "high end" reefers never seem to have a darned legitimate mother colony of ANY of these corals? Why are almost every one of these types of frags offered as “cut to order” or “fresh cut?” Could it be because there’ s so little material to work with, and the owners are impatient to actually grow them out to a decent size before trying to make the big bucks? Could it be?
Look, I'm NOT trying to bash everyone that sells and trades "high end" coral. I'm not saying that every coral frag has to be 1" or more, or whatever...I'm just questioning how this sad standard developed. I mean, by this token, a 2-inch "colony" of one of these corals could be valued at what- thousands of dollars? I mean, really?
It's our fault. Yeah, ours. Or, those among us who support this.
Again, I love Capitalism. I agree that everyone has the right to conduct business in a manner that they are comfortable with. If someone wants to buy a 7/16" frag for $300-$400 and that makes them happy, so be it. I just find the whole practice amusing and distasteful. No doubt many people find our selling 1"-1.5" frags of corals distasteful. I get it. I sell coral frags. Some can be really expensive. I’m not doubting that. I like to think that we price fairly, as do most legitimate coral vendors.
It would be hypocritical of me to say that there is only one way to sell frags. I'm expressing my personal dismay and opinion on a topic that has me scratching my head. I just think there is a level of absurdity that is very funny to me. If I insult some of you, I'm sorry. This is my forum, and I’m discussing a rather touchy topic that’s in my head today. I realize that there will be many different opinions. I realize that some of you will brand me as a pedestal-perching hypocrite who is happy to toss stones from his glass tower at “the rest of the industry” or whatever…I’ve heard it all before almost every time I bring up topics like this. Thick skin comes with the territory.
Let’s just have a darned conversation without the personal attacks that we’re all so used to seeing on forums whenever emotionally charged reefing topics come up, ok? Let’s try to understand this. That’s what I’m looking for…understanding.
Perhaps someone could explain why it's so cool to buy and trade microchips of corals with values that take your breath away. Oh, is it the thrill of the hunt? The kill...the excitement of acquisition? I get that. I really do. I just can't understand why the pricing is what it is. Yes, I took economics as a business student in college, know of supply and demand…and didn't sleep through all of Micro/Macro Economics, Intermediate Price Theory, etc. (notice I said, "didn't sleep through all...?" Hey I'm being honest.). I grew up with a CPA in the house (my dad), so I heard regularly about economics and all that stuff. I’m not completely ignorant. I'm not a Rhodes Scholar, either. Just an opinionated, oft-times cranky reefer who loves to question stuff that bothers him!
Here’s an example of a high-priced coral that offers at least some explanation:
Recently, we've been offering up some frags of Solomon Islands "Purple Monster" Acros from the colonies that Jake Adams collected on his expedition to that region a number of months ago. This was a coral that was essentially lost from the hobby over the past decade or so. These colonies were literally collected by hand with permission from a specific locality, legally exported to us in the US, and were very labor intensive corals. Jake cut himself up so badly collecting these corals that he contracted a staph infection. He and Tim Kelly arrived shortly after the corals, physically and emotionally exhausted. Collecting rare corals from a remote region is not an easy process...not for the faint of heart.
These frags have been offered between $85 to as much as $300 for larger pieces. And you know what? There was a small part of me that felt guilty about asking such a price...until I considered what transpired to get the corals to us at UC, and then the recovery, acclimation, feeding, fragging and grow out that needed to take place before we ever even considered putting them up for sale. Yeah, pat us on the back, whatever.
The point is not to point out how cool we are, okay? Stay on topic...
This is a coral that is still rare in the hobby. Legitimately, truly rare. It’s simply not available- not because it’s from single Acropora tenuis that happened to hold it's cool newly imported color, was found in a maricultured Acro shipment from Bali, which someone then isolated a small piece of, named, photographed and hyped up, before quickly distributing as breathtakingly expensive microchips on eBay. Nope, it’s a rather scarce coral from a remote part of the world, painstakingly retrieved and carefully fragged and healed, that has been absent in any quantity from the hobby for a long time. If there were ever a coral that could justify such a crazy price, this would be a strong candidate.
I’m not telling the PM story to put Jake, Tim or UC or anyone else up on a pedestal. I’m offering it up to show one side of why one coral might be able to justify its expensive price. And our definition of “expensive” in this context is far different than “expensive” as it relates to the microchip phenomenon.
And I hope the "fool and his money" theory that no doubt will be offered up is not the best explanation for this phenomenon. There must be more to it.
Okay, I’ve ranted long enough; probably starting to sounds absurd (“STARTING TO? Fellman?” ).
Why do I do bring up these kinds of topics? Well, someone has to start the discussion.
Stay clean. Stay on topic. Stay nice.
Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Okay, yeah, whatever. This is gonna be one of those days. Setting myself up. I can tell. Seems as good a day as any to stir up a Hornet's nest...
I’m basing this "rant" on a recent experience and voicing an opinion…and I need your help in understanding the whole phenomenon behind this.
Here's something that is puzzling me. When you purchase or trade for a frag of a supposedly "high end" or "rare" frag, such as seems to be all the rage on Facebook and such, the apparent definition of frag is "a minuscule piece of the tip of said Acropora..."
I mean, what gives here? Yes, there is no "International Committee on Size Standards For Coral Frags", but when did 7/16" become a "frag" in hobby circles? How can you enjoy a 7/16" frag. What's more, how strong is a "frag" of this size? I mean, it's barely an axial corallite, plus a tiny bit of skeleton to put the (fresh) glue on. Is that fun? Does that feel good? Is that "value?"
"Check out my new microscope to see my latest frags!"
Are we really THIS pathetic? Do we as hobbyists have such collective greed and desire to make a fast buck that we simply snip the very tip off of a "high end" (don't get me started here on that definition/topic...) Acro or whatever and offer that as a..."frag." Oh, sure, it's definitely a "fragment" in the strictest sense, but what a terrible joke for the hobbyist who purchases or trades for it, IMHO.
Why do we have micro frags as the standard in "rare" or "high end" corals? I'll give you my two cents worth (or would that be $300...?):
People that have these so-called "high end" corals for sale have no patience. They see a trend, they have a coral that they probably bought as a 1" piece for $700, "waited" until it grew out to 1.75"-2", and decided that it was now a "colony", ready to start fragging and making them the big bucks. Easy Street.
And fools like us perpetuate this joke of a practice by buying into the hype and plunking down our dollars to support this ridiculousness.
Yeah, why is it that, with few and notable exceptions, these so-called "high end" reefers never seem to have a darned legitimate mother colony of ANY of these corals? Why are almost every one of these types of frags offered as “cut to order” or “fresh cut?” Could it be because there’ s so little material to work with, and the owners are impatient to actually grow them out to a decent size before trying to make the big bucks? Could it be?
Look, I'm NOT trying to bash everyone that sells and trades "high end" coral. I'm not saying that every coral frag has to be 1" or more, or whatever...I'm just questioning how this sad standard developed. I mean, by this token, a 2-inch "colony" of one of these corals could be valued at what- thousands of dollars? I mean, really?
It's our fault. Yeah, ours. Or, those among us who support this.
Again, I love Capitalism. I agree that everyone has the right to conduct business in a manner that they are comfortable with. If someone wants to buy a 7/16" frag for $300-$400 and that makes them happy, so be it. I just find the whole practice amusing and distasteful. No doubt many people find our selling 1"-1.5" frags of corals distasteful. I get it. I sell coral frags. Some can be really expensive. I’m not doubting that. I like to think that we price fairly, as do most legitimate coral vendors.
It would be hypocritical of me to say that there is only one way to sell frags. I'm expressing my personal dismay and opinion on a topic that has me scratching my head. I just think there is a level of absurdity that is very funny to me. If I insult some of you, I'm sorry. This is my forum, and I’m discussing a rather touchy topic that’s in my head today. I realize that there will be many different opinions. I realize that some of you will brand me as a pedestal-perching hypocrite who is happy to toss stones from his glass tower at “the rest of the industry” or whatever…I’ve heard it all before almost every time I bring up topics like this. Thick skin comes with the territory.
Let’s just have a darned conversation without the personal attacks that we’re all so used to seeing on forums whenever emotionally charged reefing topics come up, ok? Let’s try to understand this. That’s what I’m looking for…understanding.
Perhaps someone could explain why it's so cool to buy and trade microchips of corals with values that take your breath away. Oh, is it the thrill of the hunt? The kill...the excitement of acquisition? I get that. I really do. I just can't understand why the pricing is what it is. Yes, I took economics as a business student in college, know of supply and demand…and didn't sleep through all of Micro/Macro Economics, Intermediate Price Theory, etc. (notice I said, "didn't sleep through all...?" Hey I'm being honest.). I grew up with a CPA in the house (my dad), so I heard regularly about economics and all that stuff. I’m not completely ignorant. I'm not a Rhodes Scholar, either. Just an opinionated, oft-times cranky reefer who loves to question stuff that bothers him!
Here’s an example of a high-priced coral that offers at least some explanation:
Recently, we've been offering up some frags of Solomon Islands "Purple Monster" Acros from the colonies that Jake Adams collected on his expedition to that region a number of months ago. This was a coral that was essentially lost from the hobby over the past decade or so. These colonies were literally collected by hand with permission from a specific locality, legally exported to us in the US, and were very labor intensive corals. Jake cut himself up so badly collecting these corals that he contracted a staph infection. He and Tim Kelly arrived shortly after the corals, physically and emotionally exhausted. Collecting rare corals from a remote region is not an easy process...not for the faint of heart.
These frags have been offered between $85 to as much as $300 for larger pieces. And you know what? There was a small part of me that felt guilty about asking such a price...until I considered what transpired to get the corals to us at UC, and then the recovery, acclimation, feeding, fragging and grow out that needed to take place before we ever even considered putting them up for sale. Yeah, pat us on the back, whatever.
The point is not to point out how cool we are, okay? Stay on topic...
This is a coral that is still rare in the hobby. Legitimately, truly rare. It’s simply not available- not because it’s from single Acropora tenuis that happened to hold it's cool newly imported color, was found in a maricultured Acro shipment from Bali, which someone then isolated a small piece of, named, photographed and hyped up, before quickly distributing as breathtakingly expensive microchips on eBay. Nope, it’s a rather scarce coral from a remote part of the world, painstakingly retrieved and carefully fragged and healed, that has been absent in any quantity from the hobby for a long time. If there were ever a coral that could justify such a crazy price, this would be a strong candidate.
I’m not telling the PM story to put Jake, Tim or UC or anyone else up on a pedestal. I’m offering it up to show one side of why one coral might be able to justify its expensive price. And our definition of “expensive” in this context is far different than “expensive” as it relates to the microchip phenomenon.
And I hope the "fool and his money" theory that no doubt will be offered up is not the best explanation for this phenomenon. There must be more to it.
Okay, I’ve ranted long enough; probably starting to sounds absurd (“STARTING TO? Fellman?” ).
Why do I do bring up these kinds of topics? Well, someone has to start the discussion.
Stay clean. Stay on topic. Stay nice.
Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
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