killerbubbles
In Memoriam
is there a reference website for all the different goofy names people have given btas? ie: starburst, rainbow, bicolor, tequila sunrise, kryptonite, sunkist, lemon drop, etc etc etc.....
online resource for different btas
- Thread starter killerbubbles
- Start date
killerbubbles
In Memoriam
Most of us can't buy wholesale.
2Addicted
New member
I think he was just letting you know that most sellers buy them wholesale for $15 - $50 and then slap a fancy name on them and then sell them for an excessive profit.
bradleym
Premium Member
+1
There's a lfs here that is a little pricey, but at least it's an honest approach. Anything that's not green is labeled a "rose bta" and sold for $75. I've seen some in there that would be on ebay as a "tequila sunrise bta" or something similar for $200 easy.
killerbubbles
In Memoriam
That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.
I agree with the statement, but that's how most retail businesses work, no?
killerbubbles
In Memoriam
I also see those ebay auctions, which is why i started this thread. I'm not sure if there is a standard for a 'strawberry' or 'tequila sunrise.'. I remember when a rbta was a rbta, unless it was a gbta!!! Now everyone has to name them. It's even crazier in the coral world.
phender
Active member
Standard practice for most LFSs is to sell live animals for double the wholesale price. I don't have a problem with some going 3x more, but when individuals start to charge 10-20x more, I have a problem with that. Wholesalers and collectors are on the internet too. When they see common anemones going for $300 on ebay or cherry picker sites, they jack up their prices and then everybody has to pay $300 for a BTA that was $80 a month ago.
BayouCorals
Member
I don't believe $600 for a Sexy Coral BTA is worth the price, but I did pay $300 plus shipping for an 8" Colorado Sunburst. I bought it through the colorado club forum. The reason this BTA was worth it to me was for two reasons. This particular BTA has been traded through propagation and natural splits for many years. It would be hard to find a BTA with more traceable history of being tank raised for multiple generations than this one. The second reason is that the colors are hard to find. Where I live you can't hardly find a RBTA period in a LFS. Almost all nicely colored corals must be bought online. The Colorado sunbursts has green, red, and strong yellow tips. I also have a "Sherman BTA". It is really just a nicely colored red BTA that is traded in the Dallas/Fort Worth area club. It is also a proven hardy BTA that has naturally split many times. It's source can be traced many years though the local club forums. The reason I took the time to share this is I do believe there is value in traceability of some really nice propagated corals through naming. I don't think wild caught corals should be named just to triple the normal retail price. Oh and if you can find a green BTA with yellow tips , aka "Lemon Drop", let me know because every forum I know of has at least one wanted to buy thread for that coloration with most follow up post asking for one also. Basically any BTA with yellow tips are hard to find whatever you call it, and all other colors are fairly common IMO. eBay probably has some of the best deals on the Internet for different colored BTAs. Most days you can buy a green BTA for $30 and different colorations of RBTAs for $50 plus shipping.
