I never have to pay full price

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AMANIQU77

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Nov 18, 2005
Messages
288
Location
Montgomery County MD
everytime I buy corals from Tropical Fish Store (Gaithersburg, MD), I never buy full price. I get about $7 credit on each frag (1/3 selling price instant credit). I usually bring 4 - 5 frags. I don't need to guarantee that the frag sticks to the rock. I can bring them ASAP after rubberbanding them. I usually get 60 - 80% off my purchases due to the store credit, in a way.

Other fish stores do not give credits for frags(Congressional Aquarium, Rockville, MD) or demand rediculous wait time (Aquatic Creations, Ijamsville, MD).

Aquatic Creations require me to detach the xenia frags from the rock, properly place them on smaller rocks, wait a week until they attach, then bring them over there for another one week waiting time. He thinks that xenias do not hold value so the credit is still contingent upon it getting bought. So it actually may take a month. And he gives 50% selling price credit after all that wait. Bull c r a p. Tropical Fish Store gives me instantaneous credit! And since I always end up with 3 - 4 more frags a month, I never have to pay full price ever again.

This guy is the moneymaker right there:
tank_04_27_06_005_481.jpg
 
dang! lucky! any way you can move that fish store down the street from me over here in az? haha
 
Hehehe. You know, sometimes you just have to determine the LFS in your immediate area, make friends with the owners, make yourself visible in the store a lot, and before you know it, they will allow you partial credit. Most likely there will be a straight up LFS owner who appreciates the value of "free frags". And he will appreciate it enough to give you partial credit. I had to scour the area for the ones that give.

I think it is just common sense, in my opinion. I mean, these LFS pay a frag of xenia for no more than $10 - $12 a frag. And they have to wait. Here comes a guy or two who will sell their xenias for less than wholesale with virtually no outgoing cash from the store. It's just wise. It's just that some LFS may feel a sense of ego or what not, and there are a lot out there. Who I deal with right now is a marine biologist who owns a fish store. The thing is, when someone really knows what they're doing like this LFS owner, there won't be any insecurity whatsoever. And they don't take to offense hobbyists who bring, for example, specimen that look very good, if not, better than what they currently have.
 
I don't blame them for wanting mounted frags. Makes them easier to sell. I used to trade xenia frags but the area I am in is almost flooded now. You can't give it way ;)

Enjoy it while it lasts :)
 
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