<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14696044#post14696044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chandlerpelhams
Unfortunately, that's not how economics work. As demand increases, price increases as well. Supply should eventually increase and lower the prices, but there is a lag time for cultured corals. For example PRPE's used to be like 80-90/ polyp, but now you can find them fairly easily at around 30 / polyp from a vendor if you aren't lucky enough to have a strong reefing community in your area.
I do agree that any coral can look sweet if a macro shot is taken under actinics which can distort the look of a coral, but then shouldn't this thread be titled, "The 'infamous' high quality macro shots"? The influx of cheaper digital SLR's is what has created such a high demand for zoanthids as they look absolutely stunning and seem to be much larger than they actually are when you receive them, making people more willing to pay higher prices/polyp.
If you read the beginning of this thread, it actually is talking about the infamous NAMES of zoanthids, not the stunning pictures. Your argument about photo misrepresentation supports the idea that named corals are ideal as they can easily be googled for various pictures under different lighting, giving the buyer a more realistic idea of what they are receiving.
The naming of polyps is similar to franchises - People won't be as willing to go to joe blow's burger joint over mcdonalds because they don't know what they will get. A big mac is a big mac no matter where you are, and purple hornets are the same no matter where you are so you can avoid clever lighting and fancy photography tricking you into purchasing something that won't look nearly as nice in your tank.
I agree with this paragraph.
I wished to post other thoughts I have here too...
In my opinion, education is needed on vendor marketing for newcomers to the zoa world. This is needed. I'm hugely in favor of educating zoa newcomers to these things. This is education on being a good consumer. So that people can make their own, more educated choices. If they choose to pay more than is normal, than so be it. We can't MAKE that same person purchase it cheaper, nor can we make people want to purchase it cheaper.
All we can do is offer folks the information. By making all options
known to them. This helps. It foes. And it's called "helping" or teaching. Which.....is a different way to OFFSET intentional vendor scamming.
Then, there is a seperate issue than vendors who aren't intentionally scamming, who are simply doing it that way because that's the way it's usually been done. Following blindly. Following blindly is not necessarily the right thing. But it's presenting of options that throws some light on the darkness.
Presenting of options have to be done with some sense of organization. I think of educating as a road, not a shotgun blast in the face at the entrance. If I consider who I'm trying to educate, and must consider who my audience is than we must ask ourselves is; Who do we want to educate? The purposeful, scamming vendor? Or the potential buyer of that vendor?
Does the vendor know the difference?
If it's a blindly following vendor person, than No, I don't believe that person knows the diff, and must be taught or educated.
It's WORK to teach VARIOUS people VARIOUS options.
And it's an ONGOING, thankless task.
And it has to be done within some semblance of ORGANIZATION. Or it's doomed to FAIL.
It should not be done with a blast of info imo. Newer readers do not respond to a blast, because they are not prepared for it. Either they will run in the opposite direction, or run up and blast back. Those are the two natural responses, whether we like it or not.
So, having a thread for the ridiculous zoa costs topic makes newcomers perhaps curious about it and look in occasionally when they are already here becuase of looking at pics.
They will not be interested if it's force fed to them out of the gate.
Get a thread, and title it what you'd like it to be called, and then start posting. People will become involved.
Others who are looking for "rare/cool/highly colored" zoas, be it the names of or pics of or whatever, can go to those types of threads which will be here by all accounts.
If any such "current zoa costs are unnecessary" thread, or whatever it's going to be called is up top than perhaps some forum members will peruse the thread. And perhaps he or she will post that they weren't aware of these price issues, and that they learned something.
They will not run, nor will anyone get all argumentative. They will be educated about the unnecessary cost of zoas.
That is what is wanted, yes?
Do you think a scammer is going to come into a seperate thread like the one described above and pimp their expensive stuff?
No, I don't think they would. So you would have a better way, a "one stop shop" if you will for anti-price gouging information.
I think it's important to think about resolution of some of this stuff via this seperate thread idea. I think something like that would go a long way.
