Just to play devil's advocate, Think about the cost to run a reef business. They have to rent a space, buy the initial equipment to setup, their utility bills are through the roof, I'm sure they lose livestock, and the list goes on. Plus, without the people selling coral where would we, as hobbyists, get our livestock from. I'm sure most people selling reef livestock take at least a year to break even, if they have a good business. I would also guess that many of them end up failing. So if they see an opportunity to sell a coral for a few hundred bucks, that is not greed that is just business. It is easy romanticize about the purity of something and the love of it, but at the end of day these kind of hobbies exist because there is a business behind them that drives the hobby.
For example, I worked in the the fine dining restaurant business, and I can tell you it is a tough business. Many times we lose money on food specials and we barely make money on those 50 dollar steaks. Like I mean a few dollars. Plus, our utility bills are insane. The one thing that keeps the business going is wine. Yeah at the local liquor store you can buy the chardonnay for 9.99 a bottle, we sell for 7 dollars a glass. that's a HUGE markup, but people accept it because they like the restaurant, and they want it to exist.
(I am a consumer and I in no way have any business relation to any one selling coral, and I have never sold a coral, other than for credit at a LSF.)
Nothing......absolutely nothing you mentioned above was a determining factor which lead to these silly names and sky high prices in 04/05. It wasn't the economy, it wasn't supply and demand and it wasn't a sudden increase cost of running a business. I know, because I and many who have posted in this thread against gouging were here as well. It was price gouging, lies and opportunistic greed. Explain to me how one guy can sell 2 polyps for $ 800 and swear it's rare and the going rate, and another is selling it for $100 and still a third guy is selling them for even less? My gosh people, if you're new to the hobby, stop believing these lies the pimps are telling you and ask someone who's been reefing for 20 + years.
I grow zoanthids like grass in my sleep and have given many of these same polyps away that you are paying hundreds for.
MUCHO