Fish pricing is out of control

Ryan · #1 04-12-2021, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaster

Being out of the hobby for 6 years i was thinking fish prices now are crazy.Is this a result of covid?People could sell there stuff for whatever price they want.Is someone wants it bad enough they will buy it overpriced or not

It started with the indo ban, prices went up. Then covid made the animals hard to go out and collect, now its hard to get air space for fish and when they do get the space the airlines are charging a premium. I don't mind paying higher prices for quality livestock, my issue is an increase in prices and a lack of quality in the stores. J&L is probably the one I trust the most when it comes to buying high end fish. I don't trust any brick and mortar retail store in Southern Alberta at this point except maybe Ocean Creation. The rest don't seem to give a darn about the fish or the quality going out.

Ontop of that, there is western influence. The collectors in these areas have realized what they were collecting for pennies was selling for hundred of dollars. Now they have caught onto the rare fish and bright coral game. We are also seeing alot less wild coral being collected and more mariculture, and aquaculture corals. Even then I remember when red coral would sell colonies for $50 on the boxing day pre order then were $60 or $70 each when in the store.

Ryan · #2 04-12-2021, 01:45 AM

I have been thinking of something else that could be why prices are so high. Liquid income. Anyone who has been in this hobby for more than 6 months knows how easy it is to make money off your tank and how quickly you can make it.

With my old tank it was nothing to sell $1000 worth of frags a month in 1 maybe 2 trips to Calgary. Thats $12,000 a year to spend on my tank and I would guess $1000 of that is supplies and $2400 in New inventory. That leaves $6600 a year to spend on new fish, new gear, or in my case I would spend it on my family.

My point is when you have thousands of dollars in liquid cash burning a hole in your pocket, who cares if the tank is $400; if you want it, buy it.