Ridiculously marked up coral

[Saltydrip]

A few weeks ago I was at the LFS and a guy brought in a 5 gal bucket of a green stag horn coral that he broke apart to make room. He GAVE it to the LFS.. Didn't ask for anything in return. The pieces are in there today 4-5 inch mini colonies for $100. There must be 5-6 really good pieces in there. Plus he just stuck them under his new LEDs with no aclimation and they are bleaching... Of corse he won't make budge on the price... GRRRR!!!! And he actually asked me if i was going to harvest any cheto that he could have in stead of trashing it... I know he is in it to make money but its just frustrating knowing he got the coral for free and wouldn't cut me a deal and followed up by asking me to give him something do he can sell it.. I plan to harvest some cheato on Monday and ill bring it to him anyway since I'm a nice guy and maybe one day he will return the favor.

It almost seems like the LFS that we depend on to keep our little worlds growing are our enemy in some aspects.. Lol

 

[Dr. Reef]

i would stop going to such business. u wouldnt catch me twice in a business that dont respect me.

 

[Chihuahua6]

I plan to harvest some cheato on Monday and ill bring it to him anyway since I'm a nice guy and maybe one day he will return the favor.

Then don't complain. Seriously why would you give it to him for free when you were just complaining that he was selling something else he got for free?
And why should he give you a deal? I don't get it. It's business, that's all, and good business for him to make money on something that he got for free.

 

[Saltydrip]

I usually bring him my cheato when I harvest. Giving it away is getter than tossing it. I was just venting. I know he needs to make money. I just figure $50 would be fair for the pieces. This ties in with a post that was going a while back talking about how frags have gotten so expensive. It's frustrating seeing what some of this stuff goes for.

 

[SinisterReefer]

Sometimes mom and pop lfs stores barely make enough to stay in business. Why dont you call him out on it or mention that the corals need rescuing. It might help to let them know how you feel.

 

[footballdude2k3]

Don't cry about it unless you are going to do something about it, either give him the chaeto when you harvest it, or don't, either call him out, or don't. Either way, you're probably right, I am sure that after the extensive amount of time you spent looking at his books that he is probably making huge amounts of profit, that is why there are so many chain saltwater shops that do things the right way...oh wait

 

[usmc121581]

I see that more and more nowadays. No store I know of ill give you anything if you bring in frags or fish. I have seen people bring in fish to a lFS I helped out at for free jut so the owner to turn around and sell it as if you ordered and had shipped to him. This is why I am not turning in my 8" tang. I would rather give him away free to a responsible reefer then a store.

 

[FlyinByan]

I see no problem with what the LFS did. They've got to make money in order to stay open. We often make the mistake the LFS store owe us anything. I brought my LFS a couple of RBTA's and didn't even blink an eye on it. I want them making money and a lot of it..so that they stay open. On the flip side..my guy gives me a lot of time and advice that help me be a better aquarist..something he can't put a price on.

 

[sirreal63]

It could be the guy giving him the stag feels like he owes the LFS guy, there could be things that happened before that you don't know about, such as helping him with a problem that he really needed, and this was his way of paying him back.

 

[PAnanoguy]

yeah I would have been chasing down the guy that just donated that coral...lol

 

[kissman]

sell him the cheto for $100, lol!

 

[grcforce327]

I see no problem with what the LFS did. They've got to make money in order to stay open. We often make the mistake the LFS store owe us anything. I brought my LFS a couple of RBTA's and didn't even blink an eye on it. I want them making money and a lot of it..so that they stay open. On the flip side..my guy gives me a lot of time and advice that help me be a better aquarist..something he can't put a price on.

This^^^^^^^^^

It could be the guy giving him the stag feels like he owes the LFS guy, there could be things that happened before that you don't know about, such as helping him with a problem that he really needed, and this was his way of paying him back.

And this^^^^^^^^^

 

[Anemone]

No store I know of ill give you anything if you bring in frags or fish.

Really? Every store I've ever dealt with will at least give store credit for any frags/coral/fish that are brought in, and I've shopped at a bunch.

Kevin

 

[reefer91]

I see that more and more nowadays. No store I know of ill give you anything if you bring in frags or fish. I have seen people bring in fish to a lFS I helped out at for free jut so the owner to turn around and sell it as if you ordered and had shipped to him. This is why I am not turning in my 8" tang. I would rather give him away free to a responsible reefer then a store.

I know of only one store that I deal with that will work with me on something like this. He is a nice guy and have dealt with him for years. He is a hobbyist himself, despite running a store as his number one priority.

The store that is closest to me is the most irritating. I'm offering to bring you stuff that is at least twice as nice as anything you ever have in your store and you won't give me a bit of store credit? Lol, no thanks. I don' even care about LE or overpriced frags...

I honestly believe that we don't need LFS anymore. Frozen food and RODI must be the only thing keeping most people from buying from local stores.

If they have the selection, prices are through the roof. If they don't have the selection, they are worthless anyways. You just can't beat the online vendors for anything. As far as LFS specific items, I believe that you didn't plan well enough to *have* to go to them.

 

[reefer91]

Really? Every store I've ever dealt with will at least give store credit for any frags/coral/fish that are brought in, and I've shopped at a bunch.

Kevin

Cali is likely different. Stores are plentiful and generally of quality, no?

I'm not saying I don't live in a major city, but it is no saltwater oasis that many members speak of.

 

[Saltydrip]

The LFS's in my area are all small mom and pop shops. I have ThatFishPlace about an hour away and I love going there but it's just too far out of the way. I remember ten years ago I looked into doing a reef tank but just didn't have the money for a setup. Livestock wasn't any more expensive that the FW stuff I was ordering in and corals were large pieces for the same price as frags are today. That's the basis of my frustration. The shipping, customes and harvesting fees that lfs need to pay are the driver for the increase in the livestock price. I understand this and that he has to make a buck to survive. I was just taken by suprize by what he was asking for the corals.

 

[puleski]

your giving them something there making money on. Doesn't hurt to ask them to cut you a deal in return.

 

[SSprince]

My LFS always gave me a store credit when I brought something in..........

 

[Reef Frog]

I wouldn't worry what he paid or didn't pay for his merchandise. It's either a good value worth purchasing at that price or it isn't. Sounds like it is not a good value bc of the bleaching. Think of the corals he's lost over the years, or the ones he's sold
below cost bc they didn't sell. No mercy from the market there. And he has lots of overhead to cover too. So some bluebird flies thru his window once in a while...good for him. I understand the OPs point but this is the counter point.

 

[Flame_Angel]

Really? Every store I've ever dealt with will at least give store credit for any frags/coral/fish that are brought in, and I've shopped at a bunch.

Kevin

Unless the specimen is of exceptional quality and/or size, I don't typically offer anything for animals brought into my fish room. I simply don't pay enough for things to be able to offer people nearly what they think it's worth in store credit. People who try and get $5 per Xenia frag don't quite get it.

It's a business, and he's in it to make money; if he can readily get that much money per frag, then why is it bad for him to do so? Is it something you want to buy, and just can't afford it? If not, why does it matter to you? We make so little of a profit margin as it is, it only makes sense for us to try to maximize profits where we can.