It all depends on the zoa
Some are cheap, nicer ones are not

For the same Zoanthid, Ron99??

It's like that with all corals I can buy a fist sized acro with beautiful colors for $60 yet I can also buy a 1/2" frag for $100 of something someone else may consider ugly lol

I can buy a colonie of zoas at the store for $40 I may think they are sweet , I can also pay that for a single polyp of something else that i think is sweet , for me size does not matter its can i buy it now , for me if I want something now and not have to wait for it I'll pay the extra As things grow.

Something's are only worth what you will pay for them , as a consumer there's always the option to pass and buy later or something completely different.

Even wholesales are selling zoas by the polyp now , it's Large circle not just the hobbyists .

I know it's not easy, I'm more involved than most hobbyists in the ordering and scoping out suppliers. But the pics sent never, or almost never represent what is shipped. Not even same species.
I see you have amazing stuff, as do the other sponsors, but I can't believe you order 30 boxes and keep the one good piece from each box and toss the rest :)

I have unpacked a box here and there that had nice stuff, but it's tough to get repeat shipments

Yup, for the same zoas. Maybe they didn't have all have the fancy names then but they sure look the same to me.

We certainly don't toss the rest but they do get picked over pretty quickly because, as you say, superior pieces don't always come in.

That said, Wild Colonies and MariCultured colonies are still a risk. Wild colonies always come in so faded and can wipe out overnight…even months later. MariCultured, if they come in colourful, often lose that colour a little later and may take months to come back…..and many times a lot different looking.

When we do find a keeper piece we grow it out under optimum aquarium conditions and that takes a little time but we are there with many pieces.

Here is an example…… Red Diablo

The original Colony in Sept. 2012 (Pic saturated)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps111b4647.jpg

Our frag from THAT original colony taken in 2012 (under T5s)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps51f6ba7d.jpg

1 year later (Under T5s)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps659f0288.jpg

2 years later (Pic taken under purple plus/and Blue Plus T5s)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...pscda116e7.jpg

...all the while Frags were taken many many times while we grew this out.

Pic of OUR Frag (Taken under 250w 14k Phoenix)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...pseb51b737.jpg

My point is the process takes time to get great truly healthy pieces out there. At least this way you get something that has kept/improved its colour over time all the while growing in an actual aquarium environment much like your own.

……another example of SPS in CANADA

RR Wolverine

The original mother colony we received our frag from.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...psfb92e3d6.png

Our frag 2012/2013
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...pse422c6f0.jpg

Our colony today grown from that original frag (Pic taken under T5s July 2014)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...psf57a7175.jpg

Closeup of todays colony at IA (Pic taken under T5s July 2014)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps3ed13851.jpg

And my point is that you don't want them anyway. I think you will get a better SPS coral, a lot closer to what you expect, by buying one that has actually coloured up IN captivity and more so GROWN in captivity.

My 2 cents. :)

I agree, the best SPS, IMO comes from your neighbours tank.

I my short time in the hobby I've noticed smaller colonies with higher price tags. I was taking with lfs on weekend about the bland acros always being the same every order. He stated that he found a new supplier with amazing pieces but retail will be $300(his cost $80) who's going to buy a $300 acro