How many people fall for the "deluxe" frags?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

Why would you sell something for less than market value?

Because I'm fragging it to prevent contact with the adjacent coral, and I get to help a fellow hobbyist obtain something they might otherwise not have access to and when I need a frag back of something, the favor is almost always returned. It's called karma and works out really well for me almost all the time.

removed

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by nc208082

removed.

Don't even go there! We are not discussing him, any reference to that site in this thread will be removed.

[don.ald]

^^^^
hey! i was just making the popcorn.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by don.ald

^^^^
hey! i was just making the popcorn.

Sorry, we're just not doing that again

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Because I'm fragging it to prevent contact with the adjacent coral, and I get to help a fellow hobbyist obtain something they might otherwise not have access to and when I need a frag back of something, the favor is almost always returned. It's called karma and works out really well for me almost all the time.

It also devalues the product over the span of the local market in the short term and possibly beyond in the long.

Makes for a great buyers market, but stymies the profitability and resulting development of the businesses that assume the time and risk to import these animals in the first place.

Why would I, assuming I sold corals, spend the countless hours and dollars needed to do all the import/export processes to bring in a lineaged coral from the States when its profitability is destined to be undermined within the year? What incentives do I have to not just sell more of the same stuff that I'm already selling?

[Aquattro]

Albert, I work within the 2nd phase of the market (the used car people ), and sell only to those that otherwise wouldn't buy your product to begin with. The only way I, or others, will ever own those pieces is by buying from other hobbyists that feel as I do.

So for your efforts you will still have the customers that purchased the original pieces wanting your newly imported special of the month. That market segment will always exist and will always pay your asking price. I will not, so I'm not a part of your market scope. Your business goes on with or without me, with so little impact from my part that it isn't worth considering.

To add, I'm also not able to bring any of my product to market in the first year, so short term is not something I participate in, and long term shows us new product where my items are now old news. Keep inmind, I'm not buying a piece to turn around and frag in 3 months, I'm fragging excess growth, which I won't realize for at least a year.

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Albert, I work within the 2nd phase of the market (the used car people ), and sell only to those that otherwise wouldn't buy your product to begin with. The only way I, or others, will ever own those pieces is by buying from other hobbyists that feel as I do.

So for your efforts you will still have the customers that purchased the original pieces wanting your newly imported special of the month. That market segment will always exist and will always pay your asking price. I will not, so I'm not a part of your market scope. Your business goes on with or without me, with so little impact from my part that it isn't worth considering.

To add, I'm also not able to bring any of my product to market in the first year, so short term is not something I participate in, and long term shows us new product where my items are now old news. Keep inmind, I'm not buying a piece to turn around and frag in 3 months, I'm fragging excess growth, which I won't realize for at least a year.

Fair enough.

Not that my product (love and peace for the common man) depreciates in value

[lorenz0]

When I first started selling red planet I was able to sell frags for $120 and they were decent sized frags. over the term of a year, prices dropped due to other hobbiests selling frags for a lower price. In the end I dropped my price down to $40 and than I got a whole bunch of interest. Fragged it a few more times, than said screw it. I just let it grow to the point where I was busting tips off cleaning the glass. I must say, that colony funded my hobby while being in school.

Point of the story is albert is right. You will never see purple monster drop in price, it seems like it is such a slow growing coral. Wicked Frags had a small colony at one point and I think he had a nub frag for sale

[Haloreef]

If I can ever get this bleeping Purple Monster to grow out the top of my tank iI will be happy, and, also it seems, long dead! That stupid thing is slow.
I could probably take a frag off of it now but I would be so freaked of loosing it i'd probably have a stroke while cutting it. So... unless something changes and this thing goes nuts and starts growing, I think it will be a long time before frags hit the market!
From me any way.
Keith.