How to pick at the swap

northbay-reefer

northbay-reefer

New member
For newbies who never go to the big regional swap. I am not a pro but I've done enough to be able to share my experience with the newbies.

What, how to make your selection in the first couple of rounds? The swap is fun in general so just being there is a win already but if you can walk away with a couple of rare frags then that will make it even better.

Please feel free to share your secrets lol

From my experience this is how I pick. (Make sure to bring a blue led flash light so you can look at the coraks you are picking) and don't panic, you have plenty of time.

Depending on my picking position. I always go for the hard corals first. Since I like sps, the first couple of rounds I usually go for rare sps frags. Sps usually are the first corals that get taken so go for them early or they will be gone. if you found what you like then pick up the container hold it in your hand and keep looking until you find something better then do a switcheroo before time runs out:D this will ensure that you will always have a coral in your hand when time runs out.

After the sps I will go for lps such as cool colorful gornipora, acans and such. Don't take any lps that have brown jelly around the flesh because that is how lps show infections.

Zoas tend to closed up during the swap because the containers gets moved around constantly so unless I got a sneak peak and know what the containers looks like, I wouln't go for Zoas until later rounds.

The raffle at the swap are generally filled with awesome donations from lps so make sure to buy raffle tickets.

Good luck and have fun at the next swap. Bring back something cool, grow it out and share with the club down the road.
 
Typical SPS guy sayinng he won't go for zoas until later rounds;)

Great thread Tom and I think it has some really helpful tips for our newbies that might attend the MARS swap.

My experience with the bonus and ultra rounds is that it's a big toss up and I haven't come away with anything that I was really excited about. But that's not to say there aren't some really nice corals in those rounds. Some of the nicest corals I have gotten at swaps have come from containers that were labeled as "no name zoa" or just with a color description. I'm a big fan of the mystery ones haha!

Bringing a small LED light is a great idea bc it really helps with making a final decision.


I love going to swaps for the raffles and it sounds like the MAR's swap is going to have some really nice prizes.

Who is coming with us to the MARs swap?
 
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Containers???

A newbie here went to the last one held at Benecia all stocks were in their/vendors' tanks. I don't see any containers?

And it's not a SWAP! Everyone was paying with cash.

Sounds like I need to check out the MAR one.

SWAP = i put my container down and pick other's container(s) on the table??
 
I got the impression the swap in Benecia was more of a craigslist meet up to sell coral.

In a club swap your supposed to bring three qualifying corals(at a lot of swaps you cant bring GSP, clove polyps, and few others) in individual containers. They should be clear so you can see the coral and they should be labeled on the top with the kind of coral, your name(RC handle), and what light you had it under.

Generally you pick a letter/number/color out of a hat when you arrive to place you a picking group. Each group has about 3 mins to make a choice before they have to leave the swap area. There are generally 4-6 or more rounds. The corals are also placed on tables according to type. For ex. there's zoa, SPS, LPS, and other tables.
 
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Colin, yes I am an sps guy but I also love zoas but zoas are hard to tell from the name alone because people don't always name it correctly.

SWbeginer, the Benicia swap has anything to do with ... uhmmmmm Di---ablo by anychance? They run things differently

SWAP mean you bring the minimum number of qualifying coral frags in containers put all the containers on the swap table. There might also be a buy in because the club usually buy a bunch of corals to add to the swap. After you are assigned the picking order, wait until your turn and go pick out corals until all the corals are gone. MAR swap is pretty awesome. BAR also got a great swap. Winecountry reefer WCR swap is for members only and have been great fun the last two years.
 
haha just messing with ya Tom;). I've been burned more than once at swaps with people miss labeling corals. Actually at the last MAR's swap I grabbed a zoa listed as Blonde Blue eyed B's but it was actually eagle eye's. Kind of wonder if some people do that to get qualifying corals into the bonus rounds?
 
I just create extra labels with common names on them. On my first pick I just start putting my labels on all the cool corals I want. That way when people look at it and see a common name they put it down. Ha ha ha
 
I's go with the blue.
I was talking with Dragon and maybe I can meet you guys somewhere along the way? l'd be coming from Martinez.
 
Before the swap.
Keep upto date on all corals and names. Determine what you like. Read the coral list in the swap which may or may no have higher end or bonus rounds. Know your fellow reefers or the group at the swap. Will the swap be heavy sps, zoas, lps or softies? Read the forums and know what people intend to bring and remember the reefers handle and names of those corals that interest you.

Game time
Read fast. If you are not 100% positive on your coral selection but very interested, remember the label/color ink/reefer name/type of container (ie urine sample cup, styrofoam cup). It's almost like the the memory card game called concentration mixed in with some matching. Beware that other reefers pick up the cups and placed them back in different places. In keeping with the memory concept look for reefers names that can provide some credibility and quality.

In large swaps, high end or rare corals without a reefer name on the label is a gamble. Someone may be doing something "fishy" by putting a different coral from the label or it could be just a very generous person trying to anonymous. Smaller swaps where practically everyone knows each other, the the risk is less.
 
Great thread. Very informative to a newbie to the swaps. It's crazy that I've been reefing for this long and never knew there was this awesome other side of it. Or at least never looked into it =)..

I'm bummed I can't attend the Mars swap my wife is going to Vegas with her family and I have my daughter. Sucks cause my babysitter is going to Vegas too lol.. I would have loved to go.

On a side note I contacted some random dude on Craigslist with a boatload of sps frags (acros, millies etc..) for cheap in the south bay. I'm going to see what he has and I should be picking some up this weekend. I'll get doubles and add it to the club gene pool if there is some good ones. Pics look good so we will see =)..
 
Dragonvale said:
I just create extra labels with common names on them. On my first pick I just start putting my labels on all the cool corals I want. That way when people look at it and see a common name they put it down. Ha ha ha
Click to expand...

Great idea mister Prez ... Lol aren't you supposed to be setting an example? J/k
 
Or pick up the nicer corals and start moving them to the softie mushroom table and pick them up in the later rounds. ;)
 
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