clam grades

[swims withthe fishes]

can someone explain to me the "grade scale for clams"

thanks,
chris

 

[Barry N.]

Grading is a marketing tool that supplier, dealers use when selling their clams. The more vibrent the color and pattern the more it cost.

Maximas are graded as Ultra, teardrop, gold and first grade. First grade being the less expensive.

Croceas are graded as Electric sometime called super and 1st grade. Electric or super being more expensive.

Hope this helps.

 

[mbbuna]

the more brightly colored and vibrant the clam the higher the grade will be. there is also a fair amount of marketing involved

 

[mbbuna]

jix Barry

 

[Barry N.]

Chris, I guess we were posting the same time.

 

[mbbuna]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6971390#post6971390 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Barry N.
Chris, I guess we were posting the same time.

 

[swims withthe fishes]

that helps, thanks guys

 

[delta410]

So, is there a standard for grading them?

 

[The steven liu]

I never get this whole grading thing: gold, 1st, 2nd, etc.... I mean, we never "grade" clams we sale in the store. I don't understand why they should be "graded" It's not like an exam or test or a competition that can be graded. Each clam has its own charactor and color patterns. To me, there is no ugly clams out there. What separates clams is how they are being cared. Web retailers grade clams to set traps for people to spend more money. Personally I think they should just label them by whatever color they come from instead of "grading" them. Sorry if this sound racist but you cannot grade clams by their color pattern just like you cannot grade people by their skin color.

 

[Barry N.]

Web retailers grade clams to set traps for people to spend more money

Sorry but I must disagree with the above, Web etailers have nothing to do with this. It starts with the overseas suppliers, they are the ones that grade the clams for vibrent colors and pattern and charge the wholesalers more for them and then the wholesalers charge the dealers/LFS/online dealers bases on what they were charge. Can you see where I am going with this?

Let me assure you that the US market does not get the best clams that are available, they go to Asia and Europe because the hobbyist will pay $$$ and we won't.

 

[critterkeeper]

Amen Barry! Just like the whole blue squamosa thing. They aren't rare folks - we just don't get many here in the US.

BTW - there are some rather unattractive clams out there - we just don't get them either. Many are solid brown with essentially no other coloration, and they end up in restaurants in Asia rather than at your LFS.

FYI - the brown color is not from being under-illuminated either, as these come from the same parents as colorful clams, and are raised on farms under identical conditions.

 

[swims withthe fishes]

I agree this is a good way for me to understand what i am ordering from my distribuutor as i never get to see any of it before it hits the airport...

 

[T1adler]

Let me assure you that the US market does not get the best clams that are available, they go to Asia and Europe because the hobbyist will pay $$$ and we won't.

Barry,

Are you saying you can't get anyone to wholesale the best ones to you or is that you can get them, but you just can't get the money back out of them when you go to resale them?

Tim