Reef-A-Palooza returns to California October 10 & 11!
- Thread starter gcarroll
- Start date
mannyhernz
Member
Yea bought some tickets from a hot chick that was yellin out " raffle tickets"..
Hard not to miss that.
CoralsAddiction
Active member
I didn't feel that way because I was the first wave to walk through the doors and was out in less than 90 mins but I am not surprised to hear this. The weather was pretty hot and I think there were quite a few sporting events happening too.
m0nkie
Well-known member
I was surprised everyone packed up at 4pm on Sunday. I thought I could show at 4 to get some deals till 6. parking and entrance was free at 3pm..
I didn't feel it was less people. Saturday was crowded as heck. I keep getting cut off by folks who like to stick their head under the lights while I'm talking to a vendor on coral. good thing I wasn't fighting for those $20 frags with them.
I didn't feel it was less people. Saturday was crowded as heck. I keep getting cut off by folks who like to stick their head under the lights while I'm talking to a vendor on coral. good thing I wasn't fighting for those $20 frags with them.
USAFReefer
Premium Member
My significant other and I had a great time on Sunday. Only thing she was bummed about is she wanted a picture with ATM and they (Brett and Wade) left the show right as we arrived at 12pm Sunday because they had to fly to Atlanta for a job. I had to hear about it on the 4 hour drive home. I was slightly bummed to see there wasn't an Ecotech return pump in any raffle on Sunday. I was planning on dumping all my tickets into that because a good DC pump is what I needed most right now for my next tank, but I went for the corals primarily so it wasn't a big deal to me.
Seemed to be the same size crowd as I experienced in years past, only difference to me is it seems more people are now going for raffles and freebies than in previous years. Seen a lot of vendor frag tanks still almost full being packed away at the end so I wonder if vendors did as well as they have done in previous years. Just an observation.
Coral vendors, wow, talk about a range in prices. Never seen such a huge range for the same coral, ie. booth 1: $20, booth 2: $200 for the same coral and same size. I also never seen so many out of state vendors. There were many booths with frag tanks that simply said 'Ask' on them for prices. I avoided every one of those (1. don't like that, especially when there is only 1 person at the booth and 10 people asking 'how much is this and that', and 2. if I have to ask, more than likely I am not going to like the price so I won't bother wasting either of our time). We picked up quite a few $5 frags at the end of the show from the hobbyist tables.
Seriously.... a $6000 'bubble mushroom'? Someone else has a colony rock with some rainbow looking zoas and wanted 'several thousand' for it (best answer on price I could get out of the 3 employees when I asked). Obviously they were corals the vendors didn't want to sell and just wanted them as talking points to get people at their booth. Just couldn't help but laugh as soon as I heard the price tag on that mushroom in the back corner.
In the end, came home with 18 frags for about $100. Spent another $80 on raffle tickets (gf won a frag of zoas in the raffle), $20 on a shirt, and another $100 on gas/parking/entry/food, so about a $300 day for me.
All in all I thought it was a good show and can't wait till next years. Thanks again to everyone that participated and especially the SCMAS crew for organizing it all!
Seemed to be the same size crowd as I experienced in years past, only difference to me is it seems more people are now going for raffles and freebies than in previous years. Seen a lot of vendor frag tanks still almost full being packed away at the end so I wonder if vendors did as well as they have done in previous years. Just an observation.
Coral vendors, wow, talk about a range in prices. Never seen such a huge range for the same coral, ie. booth 1: $20, booth 2: $200 for the same coral and same size. I also never seen so many out of state vendors. There were many booths with frag tanks that simply said 'Ask' on them for prices. I avoided every one of those (1. don't like that, especially when there is only 1 person at the booth and 10 people asking 'how much is this and that', and 2. if I have to ask, more than likely I am not going to like the price so I won't bother wasting either of our time). We picked up quite a few $5 frags at the end of the show from the hobbyist tables.
Seriously.... a $6000 'bubble mushroom'? Someone else has a colony rock with some rainbow looking zoas and wanted 'several thousand' for it (best answer on price I could get out of the 3 employees when I asked). Obviously they were corals the vendors didn't want to sell and just wanted them as talking points to get people at their booth. Just couldn't help but laugh as soon as I heard the price tag on that mushroom in the back corner.
In the end, came home with 18 frags for about $100. Spent another $80 on raffle tickets (gf won a frag of zoas in the raffle), $20 on a shirt, and another $100 on gas/parking/entry/food, so about a $300 day for me.
All in all I thought it was a good show and can't wait till next years. Thanks again to everyone that participated and especially the SCMAS crew for organizing it all!
Mr. Brooks
MASVC Member
I'll say I'm noticing a trend. Frags are getting smaller and prices are getting larger.
WayneL333
New member
lol...ok...well here are my issues:
1) well it's mostly with all the lying and deception involved in the hobby now. It's amazing to see people's integrity for sale at such a cheap price
2) prior hobbyists who are now garage vendors who I used to give free frags to trying to make money off of me now
3) blogs that are secretly paid informercials - you can't even go to a club event without hearing an infomercial from the 'speaker'
4) I can't even tell you how many times I heard from different vendors describing browned out, dull acros as 'it's lost some of it's color being transported here to the show but when it's fully colored up, it's looks freakin AMAZING!'
5) vendors who try to pass off similar looking corals as the original and charging the same respective price (see #4)
Did I ruffle enough feathers? Honestly I don't care. I did buy some corals, mostly because Scott got me all primed up with beer. And I do enjoy all the shows, but it's mostly because it's like a yearly reunion with fellow hobbyists.
laverda
Well-known member
It used to be you could get a rock covered in assorted Zoas for $20.not that same rock gets cut into a bunch of tiny pieces with one, two or three zoas, which are then sold for $20-50 each with some silly name. The crazy thing is people here are buying them!
The same is true of SPS, LPS and even Mushrooms now.
I could care less what the name of a piece is. How does that make it more valuable? It doesn't!!!!!! The name just make a sucker out of the person paying a premium for it.
Who cares where it came from and it linage! What load of CR****. They all came form the ocean. No human that I know gave birth to any coral or fish! I could be wrong.
Stop paying the silly prices, forget the names, relax and just enjoy the hobby!
Excuse my rant!
I enjoyed RAP and bought way more corals then I intended to. Don't ask me their names though! I am glad to hear most enjoyed the show!
The same is true of SPS, LPS and even Mushrooms now.
I could care less what the name of a piece is. How does that make it more valuable? It doesn't!!!!!! The name just make a sucker out of the person paying a premium for it.
Who cares where it came from and it linage! What load of CR****. They all came form the ocean. No human that I know gave birth to any coral or fish! I could be wrong.
Stop paying the silly prices, forget the names, relax and just enjoy the hobby!
Excuse my rant!
I enjoyed RAP and bought way more corals then I intended to. Don't ask me their names though! I am glad to hear most enjoyed the show!
BeanMachine
Active member
Valid points Wayne, but these are related to the hobby and what it has evolved to the last few years. Not Reef-A-Palooza.
WayneL333
New member
You're right and I'm not blaming RAP. It's just most evident there because it's geared towards hobbyists and brings most of those players there.
m0nkie
Well-known member
very good point. way too many people blame transportation. I have had SPS frags shipped from east coast and it arrived very colorful. The seller is a member here and those SPS were taken care of in his tank. Not some 3" mother colony that's been hacked 10 times within a month.
I guess it's a bad time to join the hobby? lol.. I started 2 years ago and people warned me about SPS pricing.
Mr. Brooks
MASVC Member
As Cody mentioned, none of this has anything to do with Reefapalooza. They have no control over vendor integrity or the prices they charge.
This is a fine time to join the hobby. Lots of vendors were selling coral at very reasonable prices.
My only observation was that I saw a lot of really tiny frags. And some of the prices were ridiculous, as is usually the case with the next big thing. I just nod my head and move along.
I thought the turnout was really good personally. Best show in Southern California. If you play your cards right you can score some awesome stuff without breaking the bank.
This is a fine time to join the hobby. Lots of vendors were selling coral at very reasonable prices.
My only observation was that I saw a lot of really tiny frags. And some of the prices were ridiculous, as is usually the case with the next big thing. I just nod my head and move along.
I thought the turnout was really good personally. Best show in Southern California. If you play your cards right you can score some awesome stuff without breaking the bank.
dodgerblew
Team RC
I agree with this 100%. RAP has no responsibility in anything other then dedicating hours upon hours of their time brainstorming, planning and then making it happen and giving an opportunity for hobbyists to see what's new and an opportunity for one stop shopping which you do extremely well and should be commended for. I didn't go. My tank isn't up to snuff right now to go sticking multiple corals in and because I wasn't sure of raffles I didn't drive the 110 miles. I will say that I did miss visiting with friends, having a cold one and just relaxing.
WayneL333
New member
Ok to be clear...my rant has NOTHING TO DO with RAP. I had a great time at RAP and kudos too all involved for pulling off another great show!
My rant is more of an indictment on the state of our hobby right now.
dodgerblew
Team RC
Ivan, your nightmare has made its way to reefs.com
wishntoboutside
professional snow flake
So much greed in corals from the "fancy wholesalers on down". At this rate all of the divers should be driving with all of the risk and hard work they do collect them.
All in all the event was fun. As usual I gave more corals to people to keep the chain on going in case the crash happens. It was very nice to see so many and all in good spirits too.
I really don't mind the truly rare and hard to find corals with ultra high prices, it's the only way collectors are going to travel to the remotest corners of the world to find and bring back specimens. I did see a lot of what I would consider more common corals tagged with overpriced numbers, but there were some great deals to be had also, especially at the club booths. I saw a lot of those vendors with the overpriced corals packing them up at the end of the event, so I suspect that with a lot more hobbyists selling their corals at reasonable prices there is going to be a downturn in the cost of the more common corals.
Warner Marine
New member
great show, like always!!
High prices go along with the hobby... although in some respects you can buy better quality equipment today vs. 10 years ago for a lower price.
And regarding outrageous coral prices... I can understand it to a degree. An importer must bring in 10 ugly scolies to get one gem and 100 average chalices to get 1 nice one.
No importer is opening a single box of coral from Australia with 3 or 4 named "ultra-dollar" corals without buying 10 cases of leather corals and somewhat colorful hard corals.
But great show, the gourmet food trucks were A+++
High prices go along with the hobby... although in some respects you can buy better quality equipment today vs. 10 years ago for a lower price.
And regarding outrageous coral prices... I can understand it to a degree. An importer must bring in 10 ugly scolies to get one gem and 100 average chalices to get 1 nice one.
No importer is opening a single box of coral from Australia with 3 or 4 named "ultra-dollar" corals without buying 10 cases of leather corals and somewhat colorful hard corals.
But great show, the gourmet food trucks were A+++
Similar threads
