[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11563792#post11563792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by juniormc8704 [/i]
[B]And in regards to my reputation, go take a peek around Michigan Reefers. Having never sold a single piece of coral, I have however given away DOZENS of frags to people I've met in this hobby. Not everyone is in this hobby to make money. [/B][/QUOTE]


:thumbsup: Club donor program.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11563809#post11563809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by juniormc8704 [/i]
[B]Clint owns "the captive reef"

of which, I've never purchased from, and my opinions are simply a matter of principles. [/B][/QUOTE]

Thanks.

Clint doesn't own the captive reef.....some mike guy does...

it was my understanding clint did...sorry for the confusion...

Mike owns the captive reef

Clint owns diamonds in the reef

sufunk --

OMG. I searched for about an hour. I finally found that thread you were talking about. Now I remember why I don't recall that thread. Do you know how many times I posted in that 10 page thread? Once. I said a total of 4 words, "I don't have any". That was it, and I never came back.

[url]http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1154603&perpage=25&pagenumber=3[/url]

I don't have the time right now to read that thread completely but I will tomorrow.

Geez, that thread was like 6 months ago. I posted one time in there, 4 words. And you make it out as though I was "conveniently" forgetting it. That thread was like a pebble in my walk of life.

I can see that this Aussie Acan craze price deal is really bothering you. You were at it then, and you're still at it now.

This thread is like a bad horror movie, it just wont die.

I am having a hard time understanding why the attorney guy -- I forget his name -- sorry -- I am confused as to why you think this will hurt the hobby. In every hobby there are items that out of reach of your pocket but there are plenty that are. I settled for only a simple two color acan (although the red in the middle is getting more vibrant -- plus my camera isn't very good) and a single color scoly that i bought from my LFS -- both together cost me $430 and the Acan probably has 50 heads. I am not going to frag it. Do people say anything when I post pictures? Nope. But I love them ...


[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/131354Newones.jpg[/IMG]

Just for the record, my beef isnt just with Clint, he just happened to be the guy everyone was talking about in the other thread. I know nothing about him other than the RIDICULOUS prices that he was charging. I think ALL the vendors doing what he is are shady. And yes, Tyree falls in the same boat. It takes pretty big stones to charge 10x the regular amount for the exact same coral just because it has your name on it.

My pink lemonade chalice cost me $40 for a piece larger then a half dollar. It looks EXACTLY the same as any tyree pink lemonade. I guess i should let him borrow it for a few months so i could sell it for $250 a millimeter:rolleyes:

If you dont think there is something wrong with vendors charging 50X what they paid for something, then there really is no point arguing. As far as how this hurts the hobby, ask anyone who collected baseball cards or comic books what overpriced special limited edition one of a kind crazes did to those hobbies

p.s.- Junior, how exactly is it that Clint now has COLONIES for under $200 when 6 months ago he was selling HEADS for $250 apiece if prices on aussie acans have not and will not go down and in fact as you guys try to convince everyone, will soon skyrocket????? The answer is simple, prices have plummeted but all the vendors, their buddies and "investors" are desperate to convince the rest of us that prices will soon skyrocket to protect their considerable investment;)

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11550764#post11550764 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by otiso777 [/i]
[B]The demand is higher for the rainbow acans so the price is higher. If people didn't pay that high price for them, then the price would go down. That's how our economy works. I don't understand what the argument is about. [/B][/QUOTE]

Agreed.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism]Capitalism[/URL]

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand]Supply, demand[/URL]

I think the prices are ridiculous as well. I also feel that Bang & Olufsen isn't worth the price. I own neither.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11566158#post11566158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sufunk [/i]
[B]
My pink lemonade chalice cost me $40 for a piece larger then a half dollar. :rolleyes: [/B][/QUOTE]

You didn't buy the same thing for much, much more? It almost appears as though you have some choice as to what you buy and how much you spend.

[quote][b]
As far as how this hurts the hobby, ask anyone who collected baseball cards or comic books what overpriced special limited edition one of a kind crazes did to those hobbies
[/B][/QUOTE]

Basically, it made me unwilling and unable to buy overpriced special limited edition one of a kind crazes.

Your right ryansholl, we do have a choice and i make the choice not to get reamed by the online vendors. However, when 90% of the people come in here and say the price is fine and justified and they have no problem with it, the vendors have ZERO incentive to make their prices even remotely reasonable.

As a matter of fact, some of these vendors are participating in this thread. They must be laughing their #$#$% off that not only have people not caught on to how bad they are getting screwed but they are actually on here thanking the vendors for screwing them.

As for the people ridiculously claiming they have never seen or heard of $100 a head aussie acans, everyones buddy has them on his website RIGHT now for well over that. He right now has acan lords for $150, $275, $350 and even $600 a polyp. Yep, thats right, $600 a head for a aussie acan:eek1: Anyone who is trying to claim he isnt making about 5000% profit by charging $600 a head, PLEASE get me some of what you are smoking!

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11566158#post11566158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sufunk [/i]
[B]
p.s.- Junior, how exactly is it that Clint now has COLONIES for under $200 when 6 months ago he was selling HEADS for $250 apiece if prices on aussie acans have not and will not go down and in fact as you guys try to convince everyone, will soon skyrocket????? The answer is simple, prices have plummeted but all the vendors, their buddies and "investors" are desperate to convince the rest of us that prices will soon skyrocket to protect their considerable investment;) [/B][/QUOTE]
^^^ I would love to hear a response to this.....more so, i've been hearing from lots of folks, including some vendors, that the aussie coral export market will close very soon......contrast that with what I heard through a friend about some aussie supplier he deals with - that he can provide steady aussie shipments indefinitely....lol!!! who do we believe? heck, why should we even care!


I've been following your posts and I know what you mean - and I agree with you, to a certain extent.........i've had my fair share of arguments up in Canada re: vendors going waaay beyond acceptable norms when it comes to pricing corals, let alone these spectacular aussie pieces. It's no secret what the wholesale prices are for corals, especially prices direct from australian sources (ie. not LAX transhippers) but what some vendors are doing just reeks of greed (IMO!!!).

and FWIW, the "greed" I witness is waaaay more prevalent in US coral chop shops.

[b]BUT[/b], as lots of people noted....it's supply and demand...if there is some poor sap willing to pay it, then why stop him? and so what if the vendor charges a 100x or 500x markup....it's their business, and more importantly, their [b]RIGHT[/b] to do so....capitalism at it's best.

The most we can do is try to form some meaningful dialogue to help gain context on the situation - that's why I love threads like this :)

Zach.

PS...love the title of the thread ...lol

Zach your such a trouble maker! LOL! :D

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11566733#post11566733 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sufunk [/i]
[B]
As for the people ridiculously claiming they have never seen or heard of $100 a head aussie acans, everyones buddy has them on his website RIGHT now for well over that. He right now has acan lords for $150, $275, $350 and even $600 a polyp. Yep, thats right, $600 a head for a aussie acan:eek1: Anyone who is trying to claim he isnt making about 5000% profit by charging $600 a head, PLEASE get me some of what you are smoking! [/B][/QUOTE]

yeah gimme some of whatever he's smoking too! LOL

seriously though, I think that $600/polyp one you are talking about is Japanese - and we know the story about Jap corals.......IIRC, that is/was a famous piece first offered by Jendub years back (she had it on her hall of fame page I think)...correct me if i'm wrong.

Zach

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11566901#post11566901 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RevHtree [/i]
[B]Zach your such a trouble maker! LOL! :D [/B][/QUOTE]

I love skirting the line between crazy and nutty! :) plus i'm on a wicked caffeine high right now woohoo for ceylon tea! :)

Zach

Total outsider here: I'm good with lps and would like an acan---just because they're pretty. But I have my price limit, which is not even on the horizon of these prices.

Seems to me that skill in fragging plays a certain part here, too. Any novice can frag a 'headed' coral or an acropora.

Takes a bit more skill to frag a wall coral. Can do, no problem, if I know the species.

Acans and brain, etc, are a bit dicier, and their very expense prevents people experimenting around, I'll bet. Who wants to take a whack at a 350.00 coral with the near certainty of losing a couple of polyps? Not too many, likely.

So long as the price stays high, there won't be much fragging and in-tank propagation. So long as there isn't much in-tank propagation, the price will stay high.

Just my opinion.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11566733#post11566733 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sufunk [/i]
[B]Your right ryansholl, we do have a choice and i make the choice not to get reamed by the online vendors. However, when 90% of the people come in here and say the price is fine and justified and they have no problem with it, the vendors have ZERO incentive to make their prices even remotely reasonable.

As a matter of fact, some of these vendors are participating in this thread. They must be laughing their #$#$% off that not only have people not caught on to how bad they are getting screwed but they are actually on here thanking the vendors for screwing them.

As for the people ridiculously claiming they have never seen or heard of $100 a head aussie acans, everyones buddy has them on his website RIGHT now for well over that. He right now has acan lords for $150, $275, $350 and even $600 a polyp. Yep, thats right, $600 a head for a aussie acan:eek1: Anyone who is trying to claim he isnt making about 5000% profit by charging $600 a head, PLEASE get me some of what you are smoking! [/B][/QUOTE]

Your having a very hard time understanding ecominics 101. Are you just upset because you can't afford them? Their must be a market for these prices, or they would not sell. Vendors prices are determined by what people will pay or the vendor makes no money selling them. I really love people like you. All you do is complain about how much people are making. Either don't buy them, or do something about it. Start your own frag business and under cut them.( I am sure you would not take the risk).

Some would say $500/hr for a laywer is a real ream job. I am sure you beg to differ.

Get over it!

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11567436#post11567436 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scotmc [/i]
[B]Your having a very hard time understanding ecominics 101. Are you just upset because you can't afford them? Their must be a market for these prices, or they would not sell. Vendors prices are determined by what people will pay or the vendor makes no money selling them. I really love people like you. All you do is complain about how much people are making. Either don't buy them, or do something about it. Start your own frag business and under cut them.( I am sure you would not take the risk).

Some would say $500/hr for a laywer is a real ream job. I am sure you beg to differ.

Get over it! [/B][/QUOTE]

Yep, thats it, i cant afford them. A quick check of my posts and corals will show you i have no problem spending money on my tank. However, i dont get screwed over paying obscene prices. Apparently, some people enjoy that??? Maybe you should go back to economice 101? Seems pretty simple, i buy a 60-100 head colony for $500 and sell it for $600 a head. After selling a few heads to total saps, then sell off the rest in chunks for semi reasonable prices to my regulars who will plaster their pics all over here saying how prices will soon skyrocket and then spend the rest of the day counting my profit. If this isnt hurting the hobby, please explain to me how selling $250, $350 and $600 a head acans are helping our hobby?

$500 an hour for an attorney is obscene and completely wrong which is why i started my own practice and do undercut everyone else so dont tell me about taking risks. I dont have to spend 1 cent on advertising because i provide great service at a great price and my clients spread my name around and get me all the business i can handle. I could screw over every one of my clients and charge them more than i'm worth considering i'm usually keeeping them out of jail/prison, unlike online vendors though, i dont think screwing people over is good business. Also,I dont have to photoshop my services under special lighting to convince people to hire me;)

Oh well, i guess noone should say anything about it. We'll all just stick our heads in our live sand and say "oh well, thats economics".

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11566158#post11566158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sufunk [/i]
[B]
My pink lemonade chalice cost me $40 for a piece larger then a half dollar. It looks EXACTLY the same as any tyree pink lemonade. I guess i should let him borrow it for a few months so i could sell it for $250 a millimeter:rolleyes: [/B][/QUOTE]

Well see we're not even talking about the same pink lemonade. The one I'm talking about is an sps acro, not a chalice. The acro pink lemonade is the one everyone was/is crazy about.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11568469#post11568469 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by All Delight [/i]
[B]Well see we're not even talking about the same pink lemonade. The one I'm talking about is an sps acro, not a chalice. The acro pink lemonade is the one everyone was/is crazy about. [/B][/QUOTE]

Yup different pink lemonade. Plus you know that the original person who picked up that chalice probably got a 6x6ish piece for like 60 bucks wholesale. Talk about a mark up. Sufunk, so you are the one supporting bad practices for our hobby. lol. Oh the irony.

Sufunk -- I don't think I am burying my head in the sand. I just don't pay those prices. Last time I checked, the law says caveat emptor. Or how about -- there's a sucker born every minute. So -- here's a question -- what do you want to do? What are you looking for from the people on this forum?

Tagging along...

I have heard the rumour of Aussie closing exporting but unless I heard more I will still say it is a rumour....a supplier say they are not shipping... why? his quota is up, not shipping for 07, not shipping till mid 08.... nothing specific so......

Best way to drive up pricing on a hot item is saying they won't be available anymore....

Have anyone of you people that are complaining ever owned a Retail Fish/coral store before?? If not please don't comment on something you have no idea of. You guys have no idea of the amount of losses LFS and online vendors take. This month alone my losses total more then what most people have into there tanks.

I would NEVER rip someone off but just because someone pays $5000 for something the other person only bought for $10 that doesn't make you a crook. What makes you a crook is telling someone who has standard NO flourecent lighting that an Acropora will live and thrive in there tank. Selling something for the most you can get is called Business, yes it makes it hard for the people with little or less money but hey we all can't Drive Bentley's and own 10,000 sq ft. homes!

Have you ever met any of these people Like Steve,Clint or Mike? I have met Steve and Clint and believe me they don't drive Bentleys and live in Multi Million dollar homes, none of them are getting Rich!! Most of the time if we get in an exceptionally nice or possible rare coral we are going to mark it up as high as we can in order to pay for the 100 crappy corals that we have to sell for cost! Heck I even go from hobbiest to hobbiest at times and pay full retail price for frags so I have no choice but to charge more in order to keep my doors open!

Try putting yourself in someone elses shoes before you speak and you may be amazed at what happens. Yes there are crooks out there but getting top dollar for a product does not make you a crook or a bad person for that fact.

Instead of bashing the business man try asking the people who shell out that kind of dough why they do it and if it bothers them! Besides if 90% of the people think it's OK what right do you have being in the 10% to talk trash?