NCPARS April Frag Swap - Tips for first timer ;)

[andythorntonjr]

So since the April swap is right here in Williamsport, I figured barring sickness I'll be heading to take part. Any tips or suggestions from those with lots of experience? I know the basic 'get there early & stay late' bit. Figure I'll be looking mostly for some nice frags of soft, polyp & mushrooms (for my primary tank; sea horse tank in the making). Got a few frags already (thanks be to another reefer on here!) that are doing good, but plenty of room for a few extras.

Any good places to get a decent idea on 'what is a good price/what is overpriced' on frags? Anything else to bring besides a wad of cash and good shoes?

 

[Suki]

These events are great, I personally enjoy looking for a common coral in each tank and seeing the differences in growth patterns, color, and most importantly health!!!! bright colors don't always mean healthy. Also compare any corals to ones I currently have.
Try to support these guys. There is a lot of time and energy that goes into the event and each stand.
Spend the time meeting people and talking shop. The ideas, available knowledge, and insight is what makes these events priceless!
last but not least spread the word! encourage others to visit or participate. Attendance is key to the momentum of the clubs growth and ability to make each swap better than the last.

 

[rickyfins]

These events are great, I personally enjoy looking for a common coral in each tank and seeing the differences in growth patterns, color, and most importantly health!!!! bright colors don't always mean healthy. Also compare any corals to ones I currently have.
Try to support these guys. There is a lot of time and energy that goes into the event and each stand.
Spend the time meeting people and talking shop. The ideas, available knowledge, and insight is what makes these events priceless!
last but not least spread the word! encourage others to visit or participate. Attendance is key to the momentum of the clubs growth and ability to make each swap better than the last.

VERY well stated Suki!!! Spreading the word and bringing others is very important to the success of a swap. If you frequent shops or deal with certain online retailers it is also good to let them you which societies you support. This can help determine donations from vendors to a society sometimes. Thanking vendors who donated afterwards is also a good thing to do.

As with that, fragswapper is an important too to preview the upcoming swap frags from some hobbyists, vendors, etc. Check it out, you can compare pictures, sizes, and descriptions of things added by those who use the site most of the time. It is also a way to get to know those who are selling frags. You can use the email portion to ask questions, strike deals, and make trades prior to the swap. In a sense it can sometimes be like an early admission pass to the swap... (sometimes good frags can be gone before some of our events because they were reserved prior to the swap.)

Upon entrance of the swap... Talk with someone who is on the board or assisting with swap setup and function!!! Sometimes they can point you in the direction of someone who is already there or give you an idea of where things are at the event. (bathrooms, food, etc.)

If all else fails... If you can track me down or find me... Stop and say Hi... HAHA

 

[somethingphishy]

go on fragswapper.com and you can get an idea who is going and what they are bringing