Do you think this frag is worth $200?

[coralnut99]

those zoos are cool i like them. at first look before reading all the comments i would have paid 200 dollars for that frag. but after reading all the comments it has opened my eyes to how dumb i can be sometimes and how by paying big money for a name brand coral just jacks up prices for everyone else.

I need to state emphatically that there is absolutely no disrespect to andrew9 intended here; but I think this is the first time I've actually seen the term "name brand coral" used anywhere. I had to re-read this post a couple of times. If there was ever a phrase used that sums up how some people coming into the hobby perceive corals, maybe this is it. It really made me step back a bit and think; more so than the LE, Jason Fox, Reefkoi, titles.

 

[coralnut99]

Since I've contributed to getting this thread totally off track, no I wouldn't pay $200 for that frag. Beautiful color morph for sure, and if I saw it for sale I wouldn't have to think very long about paying $50 for it especially since it's grown out on the plug and not a single "naked polyp" glued down by a grain of aragonite..

 

[rudyretama]

there is absolutely no reason to pay 200 dollars for this, why, you may ask?

well for one that is absolutely rediculous over pricing..

second, I JUST PICKED UP A 2 POLYP FRAG OF UTTER CHAOS FOR 30$!!!!!
yes, you heard right,... infact they're acclimating as i type! so excited
:bounce1::bounce2::bounce1::bounce2::bounce1::bounce2:::bounce1:

 

[mydeck07]

I think they are pretty awesome. If u average it per polyp u are at like 15. If it was a smaller piece i dont think all these people would be getting so worked up about it. 3 polyps for 45 sounds alot better. When it comes to palys and zoos that are nice you will pay 10-20 each. Guy above the deal you got on utter chaos is unheard of and will probobly not happen again until everyone has them so your post is hard to add to this list. Great steal on those. Those are going from 100 - 80 elsewhere per polyp.

 

[rudyretama]

i know... not trying to highjack the thread but these look more like the Pure Chaos Palythoa then they do the Utter Chaos Palythoa
pure chaos is a morph between utter chaos and darth mauls.. i have both the pure and utter chaos, but i haveto say i love the pure chaos much more because utter chaos are orange with a "bleached like" spackling, as seen im my avatar.
ive seen pure chaos go for 50 pp so its not a bad deal

 

[turok]

it about supply and demand...
I don't like at pay 10 for a polyp, but if I want it, it's mine. ebay...

 

[650-IS350]

supply and demand...

usual excuse by those who sell for arm n a leg. Not saying your excuse but what I see from those that I see a lot selling high $$$$ frags then come here and use that excuse that it's S&D. This is not directed at you.

 

[650-IS350]

Oops DP

 

[coralnut99]

You can call it supply and demand, you can call it sales hype, you can call it collector's syndrome. It really doesn't matter. In the end, if my wife ever caught me paying $200 for a square inch of ANYTHING that I put in my tanks, I would have much bigger problems than deciding if I overpaid per polyp. And I think I'd have to agree with her reaction. I just pass on the silly prices and laugh at the names, leaving it all to folks that have the money to actually pay that price for those palys, whatever they get called.

 

[650-IS350]

LOL so true.....

 

[paulyboy18]

How come everyone acts like a Detective these days? The Moderator said nothing so YOU, probably shouldn't worry about it then eh...

I'm not making any accusations or saying the OP is breaking any rules, but thinking out loud......

This is my 1st time here, and I read this sticky 1st:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1829557

Now it dawned on me (as a work around), couldn't a potential seller of a frag simply say: "I found this frag being sold by a "friend" and was wondering what it was worth"?

...again, not saying that this is what the OP is doing, but after reading the sticky and immediatley seeing this post, the skepticl in me couldn't help but locate the loophole in the aformentioned sticky (and at risk of tainting a possible totally innocent post)

 

[bretcummings]

Its inly worth what your willing to pay.

 

[bretcummings]

Its only worth what your willing to pay, and feel comfortable paying. Prices seem to go up and down with fancy names, but if you wont regret it in the future its always worth the jump.

 

[KafudaFish]

How come everyone acts like a Detective these days? The Moderator said nothing so YOU, probably shouldn't worry about it then eh...

Because history tends to repeat itself. Again not saying anyone on this thread is doing it and unless you check prices on every reefing website and business website on a regular basis and keep track then it can be difficult to "know" what something is "worth" (notice I did not say what someone would pay).

As far as history yes in fact people do come on the board and "post a question" to generate interest in a sale that he/she or someone else they know is conducting.

Also vendors will look through these and see what is hot and what the amount can be set at in order to make a profit.

As someone said, there is no kelly blue book for corals.

 

[TropTrea]

I think the big issue comes from different sellers with completely different outlooks on what they should be charging.

You have first the pure hobbyist that is in it for simply the pleasure of growing corals and occasionally selling or trading them to get something new. The only thing he might care about is occasionally making a few dollars to help reduce the overhead on his hobby.

Secondly you have the individuals that are trying to start a home business with something that they enjoy. They have limited resources in corals but need to at the minimum cover there expenses. It is both a hobby and a business for them and they do do not want to loose money at it but it is not there lively hood and basically only want to expand. If they are smart they try building up business by keeping prices as low as possible they have sales volume enough to stay in business period. Very often these are people who got into the hobby loved it but expanded to the point that they can no longer afford it and do not want to give it up. for many of them there hobby has expanded beyond there pocket book. Yet there love for the hobby is enough that they hope to eventually want to move to the next category.

Then you have those that do it for there livelihood. This is there primary form of income. If they do not make enough profit they loose money and actually cannot feed there families. These are the people that watch the supply and demand for everything and only stock what they know sells at prices they know they make a profit at. Often they love the hobby but are caught in the grip that they have to make the decision of making a bigger profit or getting out of it to survive.

Finally there is the opportunists. They are basically in it to make a quick dollar and then move on to something else. These are the people that will buy a common frag for $15 at the local pet store, photograph it with special lighting then photo shop it and give it a crazy name as they ask $150.00 for it on line. This is the same guy that would sell you the Brooklyn bridge if you are dumb enough. Very fortunately they are the minority, but they are out there and buyer needs to aware.