Travelin': Group buy / Frag swap?

[kevin95695]

I'll be in Tucson AZ next week. I thought it would be fun to lurk their local RC forum to find out if there are any reefin' must see sights there.

It occurred to me there are often species common to one group of reefers, and rare to the next... So I put out an advance call through RC to an LFS owner there and the local club members that frequent his shop. He has some interest in this, and I think it would be fun to broker such a deal. To be fair, I've asked him to cut us a discount -- Both on anything the group buys, as well as what I can cherry pick as well. Don't worry, I'm not ready for the sweet stuff anyway. I'm mostly interested in dry goods etc. However, I would guess the bigger the buy we can put together, the more willing he might be to work with us on price. I'll be there Tuesday evening and if he will permit it, I'll post pictures of stock that MARS members are interested in...

This is some information from PM traffic regarding what he has:

"I have 2 picasso clowns coming in tomorrow. Been on an ORA list for 3 months for those. I also will have 7 of their frags . Marshall island fuzzy yellow acropora, tri color marshall, Miami orchid staghorn, Pink Birds nest, Blue Tort, Turquoise stag, tri color stag. Other then that I get a lot of florida ric's, frogspawn, LPS, and a ton of sweet cultured zoas."

What he's looking for:

"Mishrooms, zoas, GSP, Xenia, sps, always welcome."

Usual group buy disclaimers. Cut me some slack, I'm trying to help and have fun while I'm doing it. Also, upon deciding you want live goods, I expect payment to my paypal account before I'm on the hook for pricey items.

I will be returning on the evening of Sunday March 25th and it will be your responsibility to arrange shipping or have a representative at the airport upon my arrival to claim your prizes. Unclaimed items will be dealt with at my discretion with humane outcomes being highest priority, refunds lowest.

He doesn't have a website per se, but it is Rob from Southwest Saltwater in Tucson. RC user 'SWSaltwater'. Thanks go to RC user 'SahuaritaMike' for putting us in touch.

Thanks everybody. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

 

[kevin95695]

p.s. -- I've done some trades and deals with MARS RCers and can provide references that will cite I'm not a flake on this type of thing. Never burned, never been burned.

 

[Justin74]

Just wondering why you would want to worry bout getting the stuff from AZ to here alive when all the sweet stuff comes from here in the first place?

I know of 4 ways to get the hook up per se, well five if you count coppin em off Karl or Tim But thats L. A, the Bay, cherry picken through a LFS transhipment, or e-tailers. Theres still a few stores around here that would gladly barter for you xenia.

I agree bout the "whats common here, is rare elsewhere" But that reference is usually towards us cali's bitzhen bout our gsp, shrooms, and xenia :lol: Not the other way around! Unless referenced from here to L.A

Not tryin to bag on your idea by no means, just seems like a lil more work.

-Justin

 

[dots]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9489327#post9489327 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Justin74
Just wondering why you would want to worry bout getting the stuff from AZ to here alive when all the sweet stuff comes from here in the first place?

-Justin

Amen!!!!! We live in the sweet spot my friends, what is readily available for us here is next to nothing back east or in the desert..........Just look at Reeffarmers site and start poking around and read the background where all the "LE" frags, came from.........The Bay Area!!!!!

That ORA stuff he is talking about, I saw in San Mateo last weekend..........and is pretty much the standard for the rest of the country.

I really doubt you would be able to find there what you couldn't here or have connections to.

But not to discourage you at all........I just don't think you understand how good we have it yet.......especially for SPS.

But who knows, I could be wrong......I would take a rare/exotic list with you just to see if they have access to it and to check the scene.......

Or better yet, take some stuff down and make some cash for the trip!!!!

 

[kevin95695]

Either way: I'm gunna be there. I'm gunna check out LFS. I'm gunna try to see some reefer's tanks.

You know that there's stuff we breed big time but might be hard to find somewhere else and that flips the other way easy...

If I stumble on to some stuff that's abundant here/rare there, and vice/versa -- We (and reefs all over) benefit. Simple. Plus it just sounded like fun. Don't p*ss on my cookies. I'm trying to help.

 

[dots]

Lets make an exotic shopping list just for fun, and to see what the market is down there......

Sorry man, I know your excited and trying to help, not in any way trying to be a killjoy!!!!.............I trip WAY out that this stuff is all around us and these people that you here about that the pieces that are named after them. John at Yourreef just had a piece listed on Tyrees site, Karl has a piece named after him, Pam, Tim, Karl and many others have very high quality and high end collections that contain the best of the best, and we won't even talk about the combined knowledge base or history of the hobby they know of .........heck, there are people who are dying for Pink Lemonade frags back east and can't find em, let alone buy them........and I have two!!!!! But am nowhere near the level of success these others have had and doing my best to catch up/contribute. And I havn't even mentioned the Bay Area yet!!!!

I am just trying to illustrate that you should be proud and fortunate to be in such an area, and at very least have an oppurtunity to line up some sweet trades for yourself with what is at your disposal. I for one am very proud, and think this is one of the reasons and opportunities to make/show the MARS club/Sacramento/Bay Area are still/is the place for passionate, professional & knowledgeable reefkeepers.........but thats my "go team" speech for the year...........

But check it out and please let us know what the scene is like down there, I know I would!!!!

 

[kevin95695]

Hit me... I'm gonna be there either way. I'm going to NW Arkansas in June, too. Who knows... We might just find some weird pocket of stuff they are crazy about and breed/prop/grow-out easily...

Make yer list. All yer coral are belong to us.

 

[kevin95695]

Elitists.

Then look at it this way: It's a market like any other. We have the leverage if we have THE GOODS. If you've got something rare, extremely desirable and/or hard to come by outside of NorCal what would you bargain for...??? I'm your man in the field.

 

[pbetito]

YOUR IDEAS SUCK LOSER!!!!!!! (Rolling on the floor laughing and obviously kidding)
In all seriousness Kevin, I hear in AZ they have mermaids so if you could find me one that cooks and cleans....

Good luck on your trip!!!!!!

 

[dots]

That was the point of my original statement and I believe Justins, but not putting words in anybodys mouth.

I would really be suprised if they did, but thats why I am interested in the availbility and pricing of the stuff down there. Thats why I was suggesting people post there wildest wants that they find hard to find around here......who knows like you said there could be a pocket of people growing the stink out of PPEs, Montipora Setosas, Tyree Purple Monsters, breeding onyx clowns by the thousands.......but am more curious of what the have available or what is the rage there.......but I suppose I could find and lurk on the other club sites..........

Im just so happy with the MARS crew that I could never think of going off and cohorting with a strange club!!!!

But seriously, most of the stuff I have is sensitve for the trip and is WAY small.......in fact I am coining a new frag size "cnarly".......which is a contraction for "can hardly see it" which is what I have.....finding it is one thing, growing it is another.....I expect to be fragging by ohhhhhhh 2010.

But size isn't everything right, and I am very fortunate for what I have.

 

[kevin95695]

Just trying to do the right thing and possibly pay it forward... What might be odd here might be common there. Keep it open. pbetito: Whatever dude. I know what you're up to... And us workin' men gotta stick together. Good on ya'. I hope yer summer funds yer winter.

Just askin' that we keep eyes'n'minds open. Might be shocked. I've got time, need to travel, and interest. If it sloshes both ways: Even better. Just keep your focus on the positive. Life is too short for anything less.

PLEASE: Keep focus. I'm not workin' a hustle. I'm tryin' to make good. Wanna help?

 

[kevin95695]

Also...

dots: You remarked that the stuff you want/have is 'sensitive for the trip'. Have you ever ordered frags by shipment? How were they delivered? Have you ever had your frags personally delivered in a matter of hours? By aircraft? ...In the hands of an aware/semi-knowledgeable/respectful/caring agent who has a vested interest in the results?

Plus, I go to San Diego and L.A. a few times/year and will go to Hawaii in 2008. May try this on one of those trips if it works.

 

[GreshamH]

:lol: AZ has some TOP NOTCH collectors there. More micros there then SAC, and the BA, I'll tell yah that. The community in AZ is just as connected as all you, some far more so. Trust me, I'm friends with many of them

 

[sagitariuscbc]

hey where did kevin95695 go?~) did he just get banned?~)

!~)

 

[Reefugee]

I think it was this thread that got him banned. Too bad because Kevin was contributing a lot to this forum.

Minh

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9491987#post9491987 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sagitariuscbc
hey where did kevin95695 go?~) did he just get banned?~)

!~)

 

[GreshamH]

Yah, that will get you banned on pretty much every forum I belong to!

 

[Justin74]

Ouch!

Ya, that would surely do it


-Justin

 

[JahReefster]

From what's left of that thread it must have been a doozy.
:eek1: :eek2: :eek1:

 

[pbetito]

I REALLY like Kevin a lot...but.... Time to get new bulbs....If you know what I mean

 

[Sparkss]

just read that thread... and WOW... was that whole thread just off the hook or what ? A couple of people jumped into that fray... I am surprised that more were not banned.