Reef gallery grand opening...

[HowdyDoody216]

Half Dead, Bleached out, Over priced are fair Characterizations. Saw a Potters angel today at one of the competitors for $149. Loudest I've ever laughed in an LFS.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Saw a Potters angel today at one of the competitors for $149. Loudest I've ever laughed in an LFS.

They are $100 + 29 shipping at live aquaria. I don't really see how $149 is 'laughable" considering the overhead an LFS has to cover.

Moreover, take into account:

• the club discount
• wiggle room on the price
• convenience of the LFS and the ability to SEE the specifmen first hand
• The convenience of having the LFS ensure the fish is healthy and eating

$149 vs $129 shipped is certainly nothing to laugh at. If another LFS is willing to sell the fish at or below wholesale, good for them. They can't do that with everything or they will cease to exist.

 

[HowdyDoody216]

Get those fish all day in Cleveland for $80. Stop making excuses for sup par stores. $149 is laughable because no store is paying live aquaria prices at wholesale. Elmers isn't paying $129 for a fish. Thats probably a $40 fish at wholesale. Price gouging on hard goods is one thing. But fish and no name coral, Stop it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Get those fish all day in Cleveland for $80. Stop making excuses for sup par stores. $149 is laughable because no store is paying live aquaria prices at wholesale. Elmers isn't paying $129 for a fish. Thats probably a $40 fish at wholesale. Price gouging on hard goods is one thing. But fish and no name coral, Stop it.

I never mentioned wholesale prices as they were not relevant to the point being made. The point was that the LFS price of $149 that you balked at was directly in-line, all things considered, with the price of the online standard bearer for marine fish.

Furthermore, it was pointed out that for a store to stay in business, some items will be marked up higher than others, so that a profit may be derived. Clearly, the margin will vary by item based on store location, demographics, clientele, demand, and other market factors.

"Price Gouging" - I would ask you to read the definition of the term, both in the pejorative sense and the legal sense. The $149 Potters Angel being sold in Pittsburgh PA fits neither by a longshot.

You are fully entitled to your opinion of any store and free to assign value in any manner you wish, as is anybody following along. That said, don't be shocked when somebody disagrees with that opinion. Would I pay $149 for that fish at the store in question? Maybe, maybe not. It would depend on what value I derive in other ways from patronizing that store.

So, in the end, I am not making excuses for any store. I am just countering a publically posted pinion that I happen to disagree with.

 

[hybridazn]

Get those fish all day in Cleveland for $80. Stop making excuses for sup par stores. $149 is laughable because no store is paying live aquaria prices at wholesale. Elmers isn't paying $129 for a fish. Thats probably a $40 fish at wholesale. Price gouging on hard goods is one thing. But fish and no name coral, Stop it.

What does wholesale have to do with anything? But since you brought it up, let's say wholesale price is 40. Then add shipping fees (which are outrageous on the retail side) then add up the overhead costs of running a storefront. So in the end if any complaining about "price gouging" should be aimed at the online vendors more so than the lfs. Less overhead and like you said they buy more volume so get better wholesale rates.

 

[zelie_dad]

Half Dead, Bleached out, Over priced are fair Characterizations. Saw a Potters angel today at one of the competitors for $149. Loudest I've ever laughed in an LFS.

G8 b8 m8

 

[HowdyDoody216]

:rollface:

 

[jerrylawrence]

Costs

Costs

Im not sure if you realize that when you own a store that there are losses that happen that you have to figure into pricing fish and corals. For example a 40.00 fish wholesale if you buy 3 and one dies is now a 60.00 fish wholesale. So when you figure the $1000.00's in each month in the actual cost to run a business looking to get 149.00 out of this fish isn't that crazy. Its not like there high volume fish. Think about it how many stores can you walk into and find 2-3 of them if any ? So if you sit on it for 60 days feed it pay electric and other costs and the tank space to house that one fish it now that is a 90.00 fish wholesale. That's how the real world works.

 

[BeanAnimal]

There are numerous factors in the real world that folks like howdy never consider before beating up on an LFS.

Ask your local LFS what happens when the airline lets a 5K overnight order sit on the ramp for 2 days in the sun... Livestock loss claims take months to resolve and most are outright denied and never get settled. Now consider that the wholesaler already has the LFS' money and is not responsible either. It happens often and can force an LFS to raise prices across the board to cover the loss, if not put them underwater (no pun).

 

[krshlln300]

I am not sure how any admins feel or would monitor this- but this was just a thread to get a opinion on a store- that store having been visited by many in the area has received very nice reviews from the early stages- time will tell ultimately what will happen to this store in years to come.
I for one have been all over many of the stores in the area- there are off days and good days in all livestock arenas and in all stores. It is ultimately the responsibility of the Hobbyist to decide if a fish or livestock item they are interested in is healthy enough to take a risk on- not to mention their own parameters once they get the organism home and acclimated.

As I value everyone's opinions and reasoning for whatever the issue may be- I would suggest we all value the opinions shared and agree that just like anything else in the world of retail- nothing is perfect- just like produce when you go to Giant eagle or walmart- sometimes you geta good batch sometimes you don't. I think we all need to take a step back and get back to the root of what this forum is about- that is the support, fun and FRIENDLY sharing and distribution/collaboration of information and hobby related subject matter. We all enjoy and love this hobby- where we source or get our livestock, how we use our equipment- etc, is very much like nature itself- there is no necessary right or wrong- there just is the existence of the hobby- there are as many ways to raise these wonderful organisms as there are diverse species within the hobby itself.

I think we need to close this thread and get on with what we all love- reefing and leave it at that.

 

[MondoBongo]

Yes. Please lock this.

 

[Misled]

I don't see where this has happened. The stores being bashed were sponsor stores, not reef gallery. He may be the best store out there, I have no idea, haven't been there yet. I will go sooner or later, but him coming in on the sly and promoting the store does turn me off. People coming on and saying it's great sounds good, but I'll make my own opinion.

I don't see a reason to close this. Some comments were uncalled for, but I've seen worse. Some though need to curb their enthusiasm.

 

[MondoBongo]

Look no further than the last aqua world thread. That's where it happened. The original post was just some glib and sarcastic advice to reef gallery. Had they been a sponsor, I feel there's a good chance negative posts would have been removed.

I edited that post because I thought better of it after I posted. Mainly I'm just tired of seeing this thread popping up in my tap a talk feed. I wish I could remove it, but I can't. So every time more petulant in fighting about fish prices or who has a better store are added, it's first on my list.

 

[Misled]

This is what derailed this thread.

Wow I wish they would have opened this place a long time ago. Its about time we have a real saltwater store in the Pittsburgh area.

I know there are other places in pittsburgh that sell saltwater, but its nice to see one that is dedicated to saltwater. As far as the other stores you mentioned, yes they have saltwater but i definitely wouldn't call their selection extensive. Half dead and bleached out maybe.

Then:

Half Dead, Bleached out, Over priced are fair Characterizations. Saw a Potters angel today at one of the competitors for $149. Loudest I've ever laughed in an LFS.

All negative about other stores. None removed.

This isn't the Aqua-world thread you may be talking about. It won't be closed. Stop responding and it may just go away.

 

[MondoBongo]

Yeah it doesn't just go away. I've tried. . And I know this isn't the thread I referenced before. That's why I edited my original post. It was a shot that didn't need to me taken. But it's out there now, so whatever.

And that's precisely my point that those posts weren't removed. But if those posts HAD been referencing a sponsor or other club associated party, there is a history of removing posts like that.

 

[BeanAnimal]

. But if those posts HAD been referencing a sponsor or other club associated party, there is a history of removing posts like that.

The issue here has nothing to do with suppressing feedback about sponsor or non sponsor stores, it has to do with a particular store slyly shilling itself and using what appears to be other likely shills to beat up other area stores in the process. It has NOTHING to do with the club, so why drag the club in, especially if you wish this stuff stop?

 

[MondoBongo]

The issue here has nothing to do with suppressing feedback about sponsor or non sponsor stores, it has to do with a particular store slyly shilling itself and using what appears to be other likely shills to beat up other area stores in the process. It has NOTHING to do with the club, so why drag the club in, especially if you wish this stuff stop?

just to reiterate:

i edited the original post to remove those statements. they were ever so kindly brought back from the grave by Misled, so i don't know? ask him why he revived the comment. evidently he felt it added some value or needed addressed in some manner. so given that it was brought back, i wanted to add clarification to the statement.

again, i have been doing a good job ignoring the circus in this sub forum. my frustration got the better of me, and i posted something that was needlessly provocative, given a few minutes (about 30 if you check the time stamps) to cool off i thought better of my initial reaction and removed it, precisely to avoid this kind of fruitless debate. then it was drug back out in to the light of day for unknown reasons.

obviously you wouldn't see any parallels here. that's fine. i don't expect us to agree on much at this point.

 

[MondoBongo]

so why drag the club in, especially if you wish this stuff stop?

just to be 100% crystal clear here:

original post was made: 02/19/2016, 05:10 PM
post was edited to its current state: 02/19/2016 at 05:47 PM

zombie post quoted: 02/19/2016, 05:56 PM

so i don't know, you tell me?

 

[Misled]

You really need to stop. You made the quoted post. It was 5 something in the afternoon. I may have quoted it and started typing but had to go to the kitchen to get dinner, or take care of an emergency for work, or even visit the bathroom. I don't really remember, but I quoted it from "YOUR POST". You can call it a zombie post if you wish. I will edit it from my post so this can stop. Let it go.

 

[BeanAnimal]

again, i have been doing a good job ignoring the circus in this sub forum. my frustration got the better of me, and i posted something that was needlessly provocative,

I am going to put this as kindly as I possibly can. You are still being needlessly provocative.

I joined PMASI sometime in 2004 after being invited on 2-3 different occasions while shopping at Elmer's. I have enjoyed the club, mostly because of the people involved. I volunteered for a board position in 2005 and served on the board ever since, with the exception of last year. The vast majority of the club members and board members have been a pleasure to work with and spend time with. It has been an honor to donate time to the club and help other local hobbyists and help and learn from others along they way.

In all of that time (10+years), there have been very few dust-ups or altercations but, sadly, as the years pass the frequency of these incidents has increased at an alarming rate. With few exceptions, most of these incidents involve non-members and most are the result of trumped up nonsense. I took a year off to get away from this nonsense, and other board members have simply walked away from the club for similar reasons. Dealing with this ever increasing crap is exhausting, to say the least.

"Ignoring the circus"? From this seat, you certainly appear to be at center ring wearing a top hat and red coat. You talk about being frustrated? Kindly responding to nonsense like that which was posted in this thread, setting ridiculous posts straight and walking back unfounded accusations, mostly all stemming from the same small group of malcontents is getting old rather quickly. The "circus" in this sub-forum is your (plural) making, not mine and not the club's. The club is nothing more than an ever changing group of local people with varied interests, goals, and personalities that share a common interest in aquariums. If you really want an end to this strife, then please stop stirring it up.