Craziest LFS prices

[Montanareefer]

What some people consider a reasonable mark-up is relative- it depends on how much money they make, how expendable their income is, and how much they are willing to pay for certain services.

Don't know if I buy into that comment completely. We can beat our heads against the wall but it will not change anything.

If I got some extra money and I feel great that day and I go to the LFS and see something that strikes me in a way that I want it no matter what then it will come home with me regardless of price.

How many of us have bought a coral, fish, etc that was a bit to high in price and knowing other obligations should be taken care of first but went ahead and purchase the item anyways. More of us than we would like to admit.

LFS are going to test the consumer and they know alot of people buy on impulse and to some degree addiction in this hobby! If they sell it great for them and if people don't think that happens well wake up to the real world. Believe me been there done that!

Once your in this hobby awhile and you start to get it right and start doing alot of research on critters and understanding what their requirements are, you start being more selective and you don't shell out the money like you once did.

I know my LFS owner really well and talk with him alot and I know at times I will buy a product or livestock from him at a little higher price but I also know he has given me some very nice deals as well. So for me, it is nice knowing him as a person, friend, and believe it or not he has learned from me as well and I have seen some prices come down some but not all of them.

He knows when I ask him where he got this critter and he tells me the price and I say "that's nice" and leaves it at that because he knows I won't buy it for that.

Ok I could go on and on but running out of space!

 

[SaltyQueen]

Originally posted by Montanareefer
Don't know if I buy into that comment completely. We can beat our heads against the wall but it will not change anything.

If I got some extra money and I feel great that day and I go to the LFS and see something that strikes me in a way that I want it no matter what then it will come home with me regardless of price.

so whether or not you will pay the higher price at the LFS is relative to whether or not you have extra money, what your mood is that day, and how badly you want the item- that's pretty much what i was trying to say...

 

[reefrunner]

I think this thread is getting a little off. The subject was craziest LFS prices, whether you want to admit it or not, some LFS owners/managers are smoking crack when they price some of their stuff. I do know how much that stuff goes for at the wholesalers on average and some is just outrageous in some isolated instances, like some of the previous posts. If there are several LFSs in the area, and most price a mag 7 pump at 59.99 and one prices it at 109.00 there is no doubt that the one LFS is just whacked.

I bought about 30 Purple Tangs from Seagrest farms one day. All of them were between 5-7" and I paid 5.00 per for the fish. The reason they were so cheap? The had HLLE, mild cases. We sold each and every one of those fish for 29.99 each and did it within 3 days. Why...cause it was about 1/2 what the LFS across town was tring to charge for the exact same fish, from the same batch of HLLE tangs. He got greedy, while 60.00 was the going rate for a 4" purple tang, with no HLLE, why would anyone want a blemished fish for the same price? We made 600% mark up on those fish and the customers were happy.

 

[SaltyQueen]

Originally posted by reefrunner
I think this thread is getting a little off. The subject was craziest LFS prices, whether you want to admit it or not, some LFS owners/managers are smoking crack when they price some of their stuff.

Thank you- couldn't have said it better- this thread is supposed to be about outrageous prices people have seen out there, not how much it costs to run a LFS.

Back on topic, there is a Conspicuous Angel on liveaquaria.com that is $1500.00!!! Is this a completely ridiculous price, or are these fish really that rare??? Anyone know someone who's paid that much for an ultra-rare fish?

 

[JennM]

$1500 for a Conspic is pretty good -- hope it lives for whoever buys it. Yes it's expensive, but not a bad price for that fish, they are rare in the trade.

$3K for a Clarion Angel is a lot of money too - but people are willing to pay it if that's the specimen they want. I've seen one come up since I opened. I put it out there to my customers when the wholesaler offered up to me - none of my customers bit, but somebody somewhere did. The wholesaler sold it.

Jenn

 

[addict]

I went into one of my local LFS yesterday afternoon and almost wet my pants when I saw what they wanted for premium* Fiji rock... $11.95/lb.

(*premium=base rock with a couple coralline spots starting to grow and a couple of small button polyps on each rock.)

This same store had a small (about 2" tall) 4-head icy-white-blue caulastrea (candy coral) that they wanted $30 for (which I guess isn't too bad)... but I ended up purchasing a 4" diameter red encrusting montipora at the other LFS in town for $50.

Like Montanareefer said, it's mostly if I feel like paying the price they're asking at the time, for the particular specimen in question. The montipora was my first SPS, and was a good sized specimen (rather than a 1" diameter frag for $20 or so online) so it was worth it to me to pay $50... the miniscule caulastrea on the other hand was priced too highly for my tastes... if it had been $19 rather than $29 then they would've had my money as well.
I buy live stuff online occasionally if the price is right (including shipping) or if it's a rare specimen that I just can't find in my area... but for the most part I've bought my livestock locally (enough so that I'm known by name at all the LFS in town).
I do find it hard to justify buying dry goods locally when the LFS tries to charge $59 for a MJ-1200 powerhead (I bought 6 for my tank for $103 online).
I'm also an econ student... so I'm probably the most stingey, penny-pinching skinflint you'll ever meet...

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Hey,

Just to really throw this thread off track, got a very nice 6" - 8" Green BTA from my LFS for $29. There is no way I could have gotten such a beautiful specimen on-line for that price including shipping.


:smirk: