Curious question about frags

[maveri9720]

washowi;29803 wrote: See - right there I don't agree with.....you don't want to support your local fish store? Man. I could never do that.....

Imagine Ocean has come to my help and aid more than once..I know I can always count on Jennifer for help if I needed it....

But that's me.....to each his own

That's fine you don't agree. I would love to support my LFS more, but I don't have the money to do that. I can buy 2 - 3 times more coral from local reefers than I can from LFS. If I had the money, it would be great and I would be all about it, but I don't.

Not sure about you, but I know I have received WAY more help from local reefers on this site and on others than I have from any LFS, so I would rather support them first and at the same time, save myself some money.

Maybe it's the area, but out my way, there is only one other reefer I know who lives out here and we hang out alot. I don't charge him for frags and he doesn't charge me.

You are luckier, b/c you have more reefers around you to hang out with and become friends with.

But everyone's situation and opinions are different.

 

[dough]

I have to agree with Kappa's first post. I trade, swap, sell and and give away frags. There are many reasons for why I choice to do this. I do feel guilty at times for charging for frags so I try to be generous and not charge an arm and a leg. What I make goes back into the hobby somewhere down the road. But selling a frag for $10 - $20 doesn't cover much cost of running a tank full of SPS. What I have sold this last month went back into purchasing supplies and more corals.

I for one don't mind paying for some frags, it just depends on what the corals are. I understand this hobby and feel that there are a lot of good people in our club and area. One can reap benefits of swapping, trading and selling. Last week I gave several frags away to Brandon and today he gave me several flat peices of LR. I really appreciated it and I think he appreciated my gesture.

 

[tsciarini]

I'm jumping in late to the conversation and haven't taken the time to read others replies but here's mine.

For anyone that's known me long enough, I give away a ton of free frags to friends (and complete strangers). Ive even given away colony sized for free. The only time I sell anything is if it's a coral that I paid HIGH dollar for or is a difficult to find piece (however, Ive even given away frags of that type for free to friends as well). I think Wei mentioned something about being selective of who you give to based on what their system is like. I agree with that 100%. I'm not going to give someone a frag of my blue mille to be put in a tank that I know it will die in.
Another common practice for me is that for every coral I get, I generally frag it immediately and give a piece (or two depending on the size of the coral) to someone that I trust can maintain it. That way, in the event that I have a tank crash, I know who to do talk to about getting my prized pieces back (and hope they don't forget that I was the one that paid for it to begin with).

When I first started out I had someone give me about 14 frags right off... and that was enough to almost completely stock my 30gal at that time. I still have some of those corals today and have never sold frags of those particular colonies.

If we'd have more of the experienced guys around with the rare corals that would give away (or sell at a reasonable price) then the Atlanta market could be the best in the country... it just takes the right kind of people to get involved.

 

[tsciarini]

oh and I'm also trying to come up with a ridiculous amount of money for taxes next week...lol

 

[washowi]

fishwhisperer;29810 wrote: I think people should be able to do whatever they want. this is an expensive hobby and if you recoup the cost so be it. .

Hi Sally...yes it is isn't it...so why not GIVE frags so it isn't expensive. What comes around goes around.

I know if someone wants give me some frags, I will go out of my way to make sure they get frags in return...I give and expect nothing in return, but if they offer..what a great time....

So you offset COST by Giving and Getting!! No costs there.

 

[washowi]

tsciarini;29820 wrote: oh and I'm also trying to come up with a ridiculous amount of money for taxes next week...lol

So you don't know how to cheat enough..ehhhh?

 

[dough]

Hey, tax cheating leads to more taxes and then I will have to sell more frags to pay for higher taxes.

 

[washowi]

tsciarini;29819 wrote:

If we'd have more of the experienced guys around with the rare corals that would give away (or sell at a reasonable price) then the Atlanta market could be the best in the country... it just takes the right kind of people to get involved.

and that's my point...I to make a great club...how great if somebody gave ya a nice prized coral frag, and it thrives, and you frag it and give some to others,

So FREE Frags people. stop selling $5 and $10 frags...that doesn't offset the costs of this hobby..That's a illusion. Unless you buy a big colony just to frag it and sell it off..Then you are a fish store.

 

[washowi]

dough;29823 wrote: Hey, tax cheating leads to more taxes and then I will have to sell more frags to pay for higher taxes.

well done!!:cheers:

 

[washowi]

Oh yeah..I started this cause there was no decent conversation going on here on the boards...was tired of this and that for sale...frags for sale, tanks for sale. It was starting to look like the the AJC classifieds in here.

So continue the debate. At least it is fun to come back and check on what people think..

 

[mojo]

tsciarini;29819 wrote: If we'd have more of the experienced guys around with the rare corals that would give away (or sell at a reasonable price) then the Atlanta market could be the best in the country... it just takes the right kind of people to get involved.

Yeah, yeah- I know that was directed at me! (I have a 140g frag tank in my basement that was slated to be used for that exact purposed, but haven't found time to get it all going)

washowi;29824 wrote: So FREE Frags people. stop selling $5 and $10 frags...that doesn't offset the costs of this hobby..That's a illusion. Unless you buy a big colony just to frag it and sell it off..Then you are a fish store.

I usually set a price to screen people. I've got some nice corals that grow like weeds and I don't mind giving them away. I've shown up at meetings with 10 nice frags and said they were free, and people come up and get them that I KNOW will kill them (because of lack of experience, insufficient tank, etc) - there's no reason to even worry about them dying.

However, if I charge $5 or $10, people ask questions - "what type of lighting, flow", etc, etc - they are then concerned about their investment, and are more likely to try to be successful with it.

A quick $50-100 from some frags is nice, and no, it won't pay for much in this hobby, but for me, it's the screening that matters. And I've given away dozens and dozens of frags - I've seen it from both angles.

 

[tsciarini]

actually since taxes got brought into the conversation... how many people realize that by selling frags youre legally required to report it to the IRS as income?
How many of you are actually doing it?

 

[nishant3789]

i really like that this discussion is taking place, im just tagging along. I wish i had more input, but i dont have much to frag off yet except some colt coral which id have to attach and all. well let me revise, i dont really have anything interesting yet, im waiting for the new shipement to arrive. i get first picks lol, perks of working at an lfs... I dont mind paying for frags, but i would give them away to a person who has just finished cycling their tank and is ready to start stocking it if i had frags to give away that is. I have also recieved several frags for free before not only from locals a while back, but i once had a friend from ohio send me 7 or 8 frags plus some gracillia and a brittle star.
nishant

 

[kappaknight]

Not a fan of the AJC I see...

 

[tsciarini]

I wasnt directing that at you... but you do have a good setup to help make it happen.
Wait... that was actually YOUR idea!

 

[sprayin70]

This is a great topic! I have only traded and given frags away so far. I have had two of my close friends give me some pretty nice corals. Cough. Cough. Mike, Tony. I am very grateful and I will do my best to take care of them in return. I like the idea of trading and giving corals away to friends. I have also paid some pretty good money for very small frags. They were really nice though. I have sold parts but I end up turning right around and buying more frags so it's a never ending cycle. At least for me that is. LOL!

 

[kappaknight]

tsciarini;29828 wrote: actually since taxes got brought into the conversation... how many people realize that by selling frags youre legally required to report it to the IRS as income?
How many of you are actually doing it?

I will do that as soon as all the ebay sellers start reporting 100% of their income...

 

[mojo]

tsciarini;29828 wrote: actually since taxes got brought into the conversation... how many people realize that by selling frags youre legally required to report it to the IRS as income?
How many of you are actually doing it?

You only need to claim income if you receive more than $600(?) from a single source. If you're selling that many frags, then there's something you're not telling me!

 

[george]

tsciarini;29828 wrote: actually since taxes got brought into the conversation... how many people realize that by selling frags youre legally required to report it to the IRS as income?
How many of you are actually doing it?

Selling frags should fall under profit incurred in a hobby or "Activity Not For Profit". Under the latter, you can deduct the expenses up to the amount of profit, which, unless you're a total economic genius or are gouging your friends :boo: means it's a wash.

 

[george]

And, to add, since I have both given away and sold frags:

Sometimes I feel the need to get a little cash to cover a new bulb or something else. I don't think it's unfair since the frags I sell are always bigger than the ones I give away.

For an actual example: I've given away a ton of candy cane frags. They were all 2 or maybe 3 polyp frags - survival not guaranteed if a couple polyps decide to depart which is not unheard of even in candy canes. The ones I sold recently for $10 each were 6, 8 or more polyp frags that I can practically guarantee will thrive unless a tank is totally unsuitable.

Plus, and I make no apologies for this, if I've never seen a person before at a meeting and make no associations on the boards, I'm less likely to give a frag away. I don't want the ARC becoming a haven for "bungee" members who grab some free frags and never show or involve themselves again.