Selling Frags??

pallidamors · #1 10/25/2007, 07:46 PM

Just wondering if any of you guys sell coral frags to the LFS or ebay or something like that. Seems like a decent and simple way to make a little side money or is it more complicated that that?

MalHavoc · #2 10/25/2007, 07:49 PM

Yes, people do it. Shipping corals isn't something you can just jump into, though - it helps to see it done before you attempt it. And it goes without saying that we don't allow links to ebay auctions on RC, and if you want to sell frags you need to do so in the for sale forums, not just anywhere on the site. No commercial ventures, please.

(sorry if I'm being harsh - I want to quell any potential uprisings before they get underway

scrmbld33 · #3 10/25/2007, 07:49 PM

some sell to lfs for credit or money, ebay too. or my favorite sell them on RC here http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumd...?s=&forumid=98 a whole forum for selling

tanks2u · #4 10/25/2007, 07:51 PM

I know my LFS does sell frags from certain customers, but I think they have to really like what you have. I've looked at frags on ebay, but have yet to buy any from there. a lot of the regulars at my LFS trade/sell frags between one another all the time. when someone new, or existing, starts a new tank then a lot of people will donate frags as well.

pallidamors · #5 10/25/2007, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MalHavoc
Yes, people do it. Shipping corals isn't something you can just jump into, though - it helps to see it done before you attempt it. And it goes without saying that we don't allow links to ebay auctions on RC, and if you want to sell frags you need to do so in the for sale forums, not just anywhere on the site. No commercial ventures, please.

(sorry if I'm being harsh - I want to quell any potential uprisings before they get underway

Im sorry if I broke any of the forum rules by posting this...it was not my intent to do so. I am just getting started with corals and the idea came to me. Just seeing if anyone else had any success selling them.

Thanks for the info

Fizz71 · #6 10/26/2007, 01:47 PM

Oddly enough my biggest seller to my LFS was Macro Algea and Xenia....Yep...the stuff I would normally have to through away.

Xenia doesn't ship well so getting it from locals is always better for an LFS and for some reason macro is expensive!

Anyway...I'm planning on setting up a prop area in my new tank and looking to sell mostly at frag swaps. Shipping stuff sucks.

--Fizz

Thinslis · #7 10/26/2007, 02:18 PM

The local reef club in my area has a forum here and there are always people selling frags to other club members. Good way to sell and avoid shipping or getting less then a good price from the LFS. Also you can trade to get a better varity of corals.

rickh · #8 10/26/2007, 03:02 PM

Selling them on a local reef form is the way to go. Ebay or RC is a pain because of the shipping--the frags are no longer cheap when you pay to ship them.
The LFS will usually give you something, not much. I realize they have overhead, but when they give me $5 credit for something they will sell for $30 and still charge me full price for the item I purchase with the credit it PMO. I have spent thousands of $$ at this LFS.

bellusangel3 · #9 10/26/2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickh
Selling them on a local reef form is the way to go. Ebay or RC is a pain because of the shipping--the frags are no longer cheap when you pay to ship them.
The LFS will usually give you something, not much. I realize they have overhead, but when they give me $5 credit for something they will sell for $30 and still charge me full price for the item I purchase with the credit it PMO. I have spent thousands of $$ at this LFS.

Yeah my LFS only gave me $15 credit for several xenia frags, then turned around and sold them for $19 a frag. They won't give me any credit for macroalgae. They have given me some free stuff...so I guess that makes up for some thing. IME its just better to trade with some one you know or just sell the corals yourself.

Thinslis · #10 10/26/2007, 03:33 PM

Very true. A LFS wants to turn a profit everytime you walk through the doors. I don't care what LFS it is, their goal is to make money. So they are going to give you minimal $$ for your frags.

It might take you longer to sell them on your own, but you'll be further ahead then trading them to the LFS.

rickh · #11 10/26/2007, 03:46 PM

The problem with selling them yourself is time. You have to photograph frags, submit a post, answer messages and wait for the person to pick them up. You take them to the LFS and they are out of your hair.
I really don't want to make money sell frags, I just to promote the hobby and help out people whose wife would kill them if they payed $50 for a stupid purple rock

bellusangel3 · #12 10/26/2007, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickh
The problem with selling them yourself is time. You have to photograph frags, submit a post, answer messages and wait for the person to pick them up. You take them to the LFS and they are out of your hair.
I really don't want to make money sell frags, I just to promote the hobby and help out people whose wife would kill them if they payed $50 for a stupid purple rock

lol stupid purple rock..hey I wish we had someone like you here. I need some of those stupid purple rocks.

rickh · #13 10/26/2007, 04:01 PM

I have actually reduced the lighting on my tanks to discourage growth. I want the coral to thrive, but I was always fragging or moving coral because it had grown too large.
My arm was in the tank so much I was starting to smell like I worked at a fish market

reefshadow · #14 10/26/2007, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Yeah my LFS only gave me $15 credit for several xenia frags, then turned around and sold them for $19 a frag.

Actually this is an outstanding amount of credit. Most LFS's that I travel to in order to trade frags give around 1/3rd of what they will then retail it for. The typical price they would charge for a normal size frag is around 25-30 bucks (unless it is something rare). This means I average 7-10 bucks a frag. Doesn't seem like much but considering if I make only a few trips a year I can bring in 25 frags, it adds up.

Another great advertising route is Craigslist, it's free and easy to place ads with pics.

Personally unless this is going to be a larger venture or you are growing out some fairly rare corals, I wouldn't bother with shipping. You can really get burned on the costs, then often people expect you to make guarantees, ect... not worth it IMO.