Online vs. LFS
- Thread starter b0bab0ey
- Start date
saltwater4life1
Member
I buy just about all of my equipment online, but i rarely buy livestock online other then order frags from members here. I would buy more livestock online if i had the money to order enough stuff to get free shipping, or a good enough deal.
seapug
Premium Member
I use both but spend way more at my LFS, especially when it comes to livestock. I personally prefer being able to browse and pick things out over dealing with the uncertainty of shipping. Plus I like supporting local businesses. After a few years of being a good customer (i.e. take responsibility for my purchases, don't "expect" discounts, respect them as a business, etc.) I'm on a first name basis with the LFS and they give me deals when possible and are generous with store credit when I bring in frags and cuttings from my tank.
Sure, you can save some money shopping online, but when you consider shipping costs (especially when it comes to livestock) the price often isn't much different and the long term benefits of having a personal relationship with a brick and mortar store far outweigh saving a few dollars on a fish or coral purchased online.
Sure, you can save some money shopping online, but when you consider shipping costs (especially when it comes to livestock) the price often isn't much different and the long term benefits of having a personal relationship with a brick and mortar store far outweigh saving a few dollars on a fish or coral purchased online.
T Diddy
Happy to be here
My LFS carries a good bit of online stuff in the way of corals, bulbs, skimmers, pumps, etc. I do have to make a special request every once in a while, but the prices are just as good as on-line...no shipping charges either. There have been some livestock items that I saw on-line and really wanted, but haven't been desparate enough to take the plunge.
reefgeezer
Active member
I try to patronize local stores where I can. We've got a couple of good ones. Food, parts, odds and ends like filter bags, veggie clips, etc... That's really where their margin is anyway. I'll buy livestock or equipment from them if they have what I want when I want it. Otherwise, it's internet orders.
DeePDiSHeD
Member
Depends on the pricing of the LFS. It's almost always cheaper for me to buy equipment online. And its usually cheaper to buy fish from the LFS - no expensive shipping cost.
agreeive?fish
New member
it just depends because i live in a smaller town with 2 lfs,
one is cluless aout saltwater fish/corals ect but think they know everything there is to know about saltwater and i avoid the place like the plague
the other is a good lfs that i deal with or at least visit weekly but their selection is limited both in dry goods/equipment and live stock they basicly carry the common stuff and have basicly the same thing week after week after month after month after year after year bt will special order somethings if you request it but i figure since they only order once a week if i need to have something ordered i can order it myself and get it cheaper and sooner by doing it myself rather than waiting for their weekly order that comes in a week later..cold be up to 2 weeks or more before yo get it depending on what day you ask them to order it for you
one is cluless aout saltwater fish/corals ect but think they know everything there is to know about saltwater and i avoid the place like the plague
the other is a good lfs that i deal with or at least visit weekly but their selection is limited both in dry goods/equipment and live stock they basicly carry the common stuff and have basicly the same thing week after week after month after month after year after year bt will special order somethings if you request it but i figure since they only order once a week if i need to have something ordered i can order it myself and get it cheaper and sooner by doing it myself rather than waiting for their weekly order that comes in a week later..cold be up to 2 weeks or more before yo get it depending on what day you ask them to order it for you
I would say that most people are opportunistic and realistic with their purchases.
We don't have too many choices for a LFS here.
I just ordered my tanks/stands/sumps from them. I would say I probably spent 20% more than I would have from another source, but he is doing quite a few things for me that I would not have otherwise gotten done.
I am new to the area, so I am a brand new customer for him. I was upfront with him and told him that asside from the items above, I was very comfortable with two on-line vendors for dry goods, but I would rather give him the business if he could compete. One example were the pumps. He wanted $700 each when I could have gotten them for $560 delivered from one of my on-line vendors. I told him I would buy them from him if he could do $575 and he matched that. The one thing I do not like though is that he made it sound like HE was doing ME a favor by "helping me out" with that price match. I wonder which part of "I can get the same pump delivered to my door for less" he doesn't understand. Based on what I have seen though, I will probably have to order my dry-goods on-line. He is a good 30% above them and doesn't carry bulk.
His fish prices look reasonable for most things and I like to see their health, so I will probably get those from him. Most of his coral prices are outrageous though, so I will probably get most of those elswhere. I told him exactly that, so we'll see if he does anything. His ORA prices are over $100 per frag.
We don't have too many choices for a LFS here.
I just ordered my tanks/stands/sumps from them. I would say I probably spent 20% more than I would have from another source, but he is doing quite a few things for me that I would not have otherwise gotten done.
I am new to the area, so I am a brand new customer for him. I was upfront with him and told him that asside from the items above, I was very comfortable with two on-line vendors for dry goods, but I would rather give him the business if he could compete. One example were the pumps. He wanted $700 each when I could have gotten them for $560 delivered from one of my on-line vendors. I told him I would buy them from him if he could do $575 and he matched that. The one thing I do not like though is that he made it sound like HE was doing ME a favor by "helping me out" with that price match. I wonder which part of "I can get the same pump delivered to my door for less" he doesn't understand. Based on what I have seen though, I will probably have to order my dry-goods on-line. He is a good 30% above them and doesn't carry bulk.
His fish prices look reasonable for most things and I like to see their health, so I will probably get those from him. Most of his coral prices are outrageous though, so I will probably get most of those elswhere. I told him exactly that, so we'll see if he does anything. His ORA prices are over $100 per frag.
kbinkerd@verizon.net
New member
It has been my experience that the really colorful corals are just not available through wholesalers, which means most LFS won't have them unless someone local is propigating coral for them. I have an aquarium service buis. so I can order fish from wholesalers, and the great colors just aren't available from the wholesalers. I've found that to get the really nice colorful corals you have to go to online places like ebay and some other specialty shops that have a wysiwyg type set up. The prices are high but you get beautiful colors. you generally have to start with frags unless you are willing to pay big bucks for an actual colony 3 or 4 inches in size.
You need better wholesalers or talk to them and learn how to play the game. My LFS gets some crazy looking stuff wholesale. :eek1:
d0ughb0y
Active member
maybe when you are starting out, a local fish store may be able to help you more. but that depends on the lfs, as we've all heard about clueless lfs or lfs that gives bad advice. but once you are familiar with what you are doing, go online. for one thing, you are going to get fresh stock on items you get from big online retaileters. I highly doubt that LFS can move merchandise as fast as marine depot or DFS.
Toomnymods
New member
i love shopping online for stuff, and usually when i buy i'll splurge 300-400 at a time to get the free shipping 
but i also like visiting the local stores for items i must have immediatly..
anyone know any good stores in the dallas/ft. worth area?? so far only one i have found is called true percula, while thier fish and dry goods and equipment is nice thier prices are double what i could get it online for.
but i also like visiting the local stores for items i must have immediatly..anyone know any good stores in the dallas/ft. worth area?? so far only one i have found is called true percula, while thier fish and dry goods and equipment is nice thier prices are double what i could get it online for.
Floowid
New member
I'm lucky to have many good LFS within easy driving distance. I like to use them whenever their price is within reason.
A few months ago I needed some new MH bulbs. Found what I wanted for $59 each online, local store wanted over $90 a piece. I bought online.
Generally though, I like to keep the local retailers in business, because it is really nice to have them local and available.
A few months ago I needed some new MH bulbs. Found what I wanted for $59 each online, local store wanted over $90 a piece. I bought online.
Generally though, I like to keep the local retailers in business, because it is really nice to have them local and available.
jeff@zina.com
New member
The stuff I buy online is usually not stocked by any LFS near me or is a specific item that I can save a lot on. But I regularly hit most LFS within a three hour drive, so I have a huge variety available.
I also don't buy online when I have to pay high shipping fees. I'm lucky that a lot of the online vendors located in Florida will do $15 overnight FedEx, but I still need to buy $100 worth of frags to make it significantly cheaper than the LFS. Plus, there's a frag swap every few months somewhere near me that the same vendors will have a booth at.
The LFS is handy for quick buys. I bought a test kit, a PC bulb and a Hydor Flo from several different LFS in the last few weeks, all of which would have been 10-50% less online. But I could pick each item up, take it home and use it. That convenience was worth the extra cost.
On the other hand, I bought BRS rock instead of that from my LFS, even though the price was similar, because I liked the BRS rock better. So it really depends, I purchase based on price sometimes, convenience others and just plain personal preference some other times.
Jeff
I also don't buy online when I have to pay high shipping fees. I'm lucky that a lot of the online vendors located in Florida will do $15 overnight FedEx, but I still need to buy $100 worth of frags to make it significantly cheaper than the LFS. Plus, there's a frag swap every few months somewhere near me that the same vendors will have a booth at.
The LFS is handy for quick buys. I bought a test kit, a PC bulb and a Hydor Flo from several different LFS in the last few weeks, all of which would have been 10-50% less online. But I could pick each item up, take it home and use it. That convenience was worth the extra cost.
On the other hand, I bought BRS rock instead of that from my LFS, even though the price was similar, because I liked the BRS rock better. So it really depends, I purchase based on price sometimes, convenience others and just plain personal preference some other times.
Jeff
I mostly do live goods at my LFS and I try to look to them for the dry goods before I buy. I usually use the internet to research the item(s) that I am looking for as well as price shop them out on line then I go to my LFS to see what they carry. If their price is reasonably priced in compairison to the total including shipping to the online pricing then I buy from them. If they don't stock it but their distributor does and they can get it in a day or two I will also go with them. BUT if they have to order it the same as I do from an online sorce or the manufacturer I will just do that myself and save the money.
I order my additives, test kits, and most dry goods online just for the availability and convenience. My favorite LFS will price match equipment for me and save me shipping, so I get my bulbs and some stuff through them, as well as my frozen food and the majority of my livestock. I did order corals online a couple of times when buying several at once, but I typically am not buying large enough quantities to qualify for free shipping.
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