Robert4025
Member
Oh oh...shot fired..lol
Does Neptune Aquatics buy / give credit for frags?
- Thread starter alazo1
- Start date
Oh oh...shot fired..lol
Lordhelmet
Active member
I know this is a dead horse beating here, but I think if there was some sort of price policy that would be great.
I for one got $60 for this huge acro colony a few years back, it left a sour taste in my mouth because it was known this colony had to go that day. To see 9 70$ frags plus countless $10 frags from this colony later that week was very tough.
Take some time and sell them here and there, you'll get more for it.
I for one got $60 for this huge acro colony a few years back, it left a sour taste in my mouth because it was known this colony had to go that day. To see 9 70$ frags plus countless $10 frags from this colony later that week was very tough.
Take some time and sell them here and there, you'll get more for it.
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Robert4025
Member
Yes, I remember that piece. In fact, I still have half of it til yesterday. After almost two years of getting it from you, it finally died yesterday. I still have its corps, if you want to see it. I was trying to sell that for $90 for since you dropped it off and no one wanted it. The branch was so thick that people shy away from it. I hope you understand. I am alway fair.
Stevenahammer
New member
Robert has always been great with me! Always nice walking in and chatting. I wouldn't expect much credit for trade ins as he has access to wholesale. Generally a trade in would be riskier than a trusted wholesaler. Many places would not take trade ins due to the sensitive nature of coral.
xCry0x
Active member
Hey now, you guys by far have the best store in the bay area. I haven't been since you moved from milpitas but always loved stopping by the milpitas store on the way home from work. Too many other stores stock up on overpriced generic junk.
As someone that appreciates $5/$10 racks with the occasional splurge on more expensive stuff, always loved how many different types of value frags you always had.
Wish San Jose wasn't such a haul now!
It just sounds like the haggling dilemma is a bit self inflicted.
Sounds like the issue is haggling over junk -- still want a deal on a piece you need =) Should go start a history channel reality series, coral pawn stars.
As someone that appreciates $5/$10 racks with the occasional splurge on more expensive stuff, always loved how many different types of value frags you always had.
Wish San Jose wasn't such a haul now!
It just sounds like the haggling dilemma is a bit self inflicted.
Sounds like the issue is haggling over junk -- still want a deal on a piece you need =) Should go start a history channel reality series, coral pawn stars.
Psionicdragon
New member
I forgot an additional 0!
Robert4025
Member
So, you got it for $20.0?
fcmatt
Member
Wooo.. I hope people here complaining about a local fish store one day own their own business. It is tough. The amount of stress this owner goes through to make a living... well most cannot handle it. They would break.
And a LFS is a hard biz to make work based on my conversations with owners here in New England area. And yes my wife and I own a biz as well but not a fish store.
You want to know why fish stores, some, stopped sponsoring clubs? When basement growers start hitting these clubs up with cheap frags, don't pay taxes, don't have rent, don't pay a huge water and electric bill, don't have employees, etc.. and etc... and then expect that local fish store owner to be there seven days a week for some 8 dollar part they need urgently to save their tank.
I feel for you man. Seriously.
And a LFS is a hard biz to make work based on my conversations with owners here in New England area. And yes my wife and I own a biz as well but not a fish store.
You want to know why fish stores, some, stopped sponsoring clubs? When basement growers start hitting these clubs up with cheap frags, don't pay taxes, don't have rent, don't pay a huge water and electric bill, don't have employees, etc.. and etc... and then expect that local fish store owner to be there seven days a week for some 8 dollar part they need urgently to save their tank.
I feel for you man. Seriously.
Lordhelmet
Active member
Haha Robert, that was a bunch of BS there from you. One, I didn't trade to you, your employee would only give me that amount because you went to lunch and as he said couldn't be bothered at lunch, and I could wait the 2 hours he said you would take. So we never talked about it face to face. Next it was cut up and placed in the 70$ frag rack, 9 of them by my count a few days later, I could tell it was the coral because there were several large branches cut and broken up sitting in one of your recovery tanks, very much the acro I brought in. All very large 3-4 inch multiple branch frags, great color. And around 20-25 1 to 2 inch single stick frags, freshly glued.blooked great, over the next 2 months they were all gone. You never kept that acro in its whole state. Never tried to sell it, whole. I've been back many times and it has all been gone for a very long time.you made a lot of money on that coral, as well you should have, you are not a charity, you are a business. But in response to the question of do you give fair store credit, my dealing was a huge no.
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fcmatt
Member
I normally don't defend people but the stuff local fish store owners go through bugs me. I don't know why. Probably because I have known some for 10 plus years.
They essentially chop.up a large coral because that is what sells. And if it is in premium shape they ask a premium price. But if that coral sits there for weeks, heck yea, they will take 10 or 20 bucks. Don't blame them for asking a premium price on a healthy frag. They surely want 10 bucks then to see it die because keeping their conditions super healthy is a major challenge year after year. They are only human. Have a wife, kids, and maybe even a life besides being an owner!
Also if you are a long time customer, buy from them, talk with them, let them know you appreciate them staying in business for you.. you get treated differently. Just a tiny bit of understanding goes a long ways with a store owner.
And yes.. the owner deserves a lunch. Chances are he rarely gets one and God bless him if he gets one daily. Wish my wife actually did.
I am not really replying to you directly... more just saying give the guy a break. Right now he is probably trying to enjoy his Saturday night but really thinking about work and all the stuff he has to get done tomorrow and next week. Your coral is not that important. He deals with that stuff daily and once sold he knows his market.
I had an extra 40 gallon breeder in my basement. I just gave it to my local fish store to sell for 20 or 30 bucks. Whatever he could get. I don't want credit. Just make a few bucks and remember me when I want a special order for something unique. Maybe I will never ask but he knows me and knows I care that he works hard so I have a place to visit.
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Did you make a appointment or did you just show up ?
How did you know the frags didn't just die?
Is what you sold a name sps with some lineage ?
Come on , Robert is running a business with a lot of overhead. He certainly not making a killing by taking and selling you coral. He doing you a favor since it most likely out grown your tank.
Have you seen some of the stuff he sells for $9.99?
Reefers in other areas would kill for some of this stuff.
I just don't think you are being fair.
If I was him I would take any more trade in. Who needs to be bash .
Psionicdragon
New member
As shocking as it is, out of the 173 frags I got in the last year and a half, the frags that I got from Neptunes are the ones that are doing the best. Don't get me wrong, I like the other stores that I get the frags too because each store has different types.
But for whatever reason, the ones from the other stores don't make it past a few months and just die, which is a pain in the ***. I am thinking because I use led and Neptune uses ld vs the other stores that use halide and t5, they seem to adapt better.
Robert4025
Member
First of all...I truely am sorry but I think I've mistaken you for someone else that also brought in similar shape and size coral in about the same time frame. If you say you've been a regular customer of mine, then you surely know how many customers and how much corals move through the shop so you don't honestly think I don't make mistake, right? I am human, and yes, I do take lunch sometime. I didn't mean to get you upset. My previous comment was based on the only picture you provided in your previous post and it only showed your coral, not your face. So, automatically, I assumed you for someone else based on nothing but the picture of your coral. In addition, I really do have another piece of coral that just died several days ago, that look almost like half of the piece in your picture. Again, that piece also came in as trade-in couple years ago, before the shop relocation. As I mentioned, I still have a fresh corps to prove it. It's honestly a case of misunderstanding.
Second...I am really sorry if you got the bad end of the deal. Would you rather I take the bad end then? How would that be fair to me as a shop owner? You said it yourself, you didn't deal with me at the time because I was at lunch. So, you made the decision to take that deal with my staff. That was ALL YOUR decision. If you didn't like it, why didn't you say NO or take your coral back home? I am sure my staff didn't point a gun to your head, right? In addition, you could've still come to me directly at a later date and ask for more credit or something if you didn't like what my staff gave you. You didn't give me a chance to address your concern so you sat on it til it becomes sour and now you took it out on me, here. You know I've always been fair. You been my customer for a long time and you surely notice how my shop pricing reflect my fair price practices. If you don't think so, then you wouldn't been a returning customer, right? Bottom line is that how can you come here and bash me for this? I didn't do anything to you other than being the best LFS owner I can be. After all these years of being my customer, why would you want to burn bridge with me this way? Has my shop been that terrible to you all those years? Come on and cut me some slack, dude.
Finally...please keep in mind what I am trying to do. I own a business and as business, it needs to make reasonable profit in order for it to survive. It's that simple. To that end, I do what I had to do to maximize that profit, that's including buying low from you and selling it high. I don't lose sleep over it because I know I run an honest business. So, please, please don't come here and question my method of how my deal with you should've went down. It doesn't work that way.
Grant W
New member
My two cents. You guys don't realize how lucky you are to have places like Neptunes to buy corals from. Robert has always been reasonable and fair doing business and has some great sticks to choose from. Up here in the North bay it's like a desert. We don't have anything like his place so be happy. Grant
Lordhelmet
Active member
I don't feel you should have gotten the bad end of the deal, a good transaction is for all to get a good deal. You had to have know it was a great deal when you saw a 10" huge acro colony in your store for that amount. The short story was it was known that the coral had no home to go back to, your employee knew that, wouldn't contact you at lunch. (I get you take lunches, you should take them as often as you need) It was very much take it or leave it, and I know you can't leave it.
I should have set something up beforehand, That bad part was on me, I was taking this coral in for a friend and it was one of those "I need a favor right now".
I didnt think about it really until this thread asked, I'm not bitter about it, the original poster wanted to know what kind of store credit he could expect. So please please don't come on here and question someone's experience with your shop. That is what the original propose of what this thread was about. That's what this forum is for.
As for the quality of your shop it truly is top notch, coral are healthy, fish are vibrant. It is one of the best in the Bay Area of not the best.
I should have set something up beforehand, That bad part was on me, I was taking this coral in for a friend and it was one of those "I need a favor right now".
I didnt think about it really until this thread asked, I'm not bitter about it, the original poster wanted to know what kind of store credit he could expect. So please please don't come on here and question someone's experience with your shop. That is what the original propose of what this thread was about. That's what this forum is for.
As for the quality of your shop it truly is top notch, coral are healthy, fish are vibrant. It is one of the best in the Bay Area of not the best.
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xCry0x
Active member
Hey now.
Aquarium concepts had some red monti cap frags the other week... at $20/frag :mad2: Can't believe people pay their prices.
Neptunes, california reef co and aquatic collection are the three I have been to that had the best selections across the price ranges. Generic coral is $5/$10, then you get some rarer stuff that goes up in price. Neptunes definitely had the largest selection.
erichatesmice
Member
I think this sums it up nicely. Neptune Aquatics is an awesome store, but Robert won't sacrifice his dollar to help you out, nor should he. He is a prudent businessman and that is why he is able to keep his shop afloat.
