LFS going extinct?

[ralph atl]

So, Dave, Seth, Jenn are arguing at what point a lfs is considered dead on a poll he started how long ago which would hurt how many feelings if he is correct as opposed as if the owner Jenn has already stated that it is on HER TERMS....so why is she justifying on this poll? and WHY am I rational? cause, I am always calm & rational, silly....what I post on the forums except for info is for sarcasm.....lol.....well, mostly.....

 

[rdnelson]

Can I start a new poll? "Is Ralph about to go extinct?" Hehehehehe


I am going on a cruise.....on my lawnmower around my yard.

 

[ralph atl]

rdnelson99;896650 wrote: Can I start a new poll? "Is Ralph about to go extinct?" Hehehehehe


I am going on a cruise.....on my lawnmower around my yard.

rdnelson99;896650 wrote: Can I start a new poll? "Is Ralph about to go extinct?" Hehehehehe


I am going on a cruise.....on my lawnmower around my yard.

lol...just sayin'....

 

[ralph atl]

rdnelson99;896650 wrote: Can I start a new poll? "Is Ralph about to go extinct?" Hehehehehe


I am going on a cruise.....on my lawnmower around my yard.

lol....just sayin'........................

 

[rdnelson]

mysterybox;896660 wrote: lol....just sayin'........................

Me too.



I am going on a cruise.....on my lawnmower around my yard.

 

[grouper therapy]

rdnelson99;896650 wrote: Can I start a new poll? "Is Ralph about to go extinct?" Hehehehehe


I am going on a cruise.....on my lawnmower around my yard.

May have a better response if you called a "Wish List"

Edit:

mysterybox;896647 wrote: So, Dave, Seth, Jenn are arguing at what point a lfs is considered dead on a poll he started how long ago which would hurt how many feelings if he is correct as opposed as if the owner Jenn has already stated that it is on HER TERMS....so why is she justifying on this poll? and WHY am I rational? cause, I am always calm & rational, silly....what I post on the forums except for info is for sarcasm.....lol.....well, mostly.....

I find your sarcasm much more useful. Makes more sense anyway.

 

[ralph atl]

Thanks! **....

anyway, ummmmm....


To clarify, except for 2 part & gfo and an occasional Diver's Den Catch here and there, I get my supplies, salt (Salinity), foods (frozen & live), and livestock from either the Aviarium or Sea Atlanta.
There are many great lfs out there in ATL. We are lucky!

 

[skriz]

Back in the day, when I was just a hobbyist, I started off 100% at the LFS. Back then, the "big" fish etailer was "Flying Fish Express", which you now know as Live Aquaria. Diver's Den is the only thing that's left of the old FFE!

Anyhoo, when I upgraded to my current tank, I bought most all drygoods from the LFS. That which did not come from the LFS, I approached them first, but they either couldn't get or didn't want to get for me. Back then, I couldn't even get anybody to get me a pallet of salt; that's the easiest transaction ever! There was no way I was going to buy a few buckets at a time! <u>All </u>fish, live rock, etc. I bought at the LFS. I really enjoyed taking trips to stores and hand picking everything. I spent entirely too much money at Marine Fish and entirely too much time picking each individual rock that went into my tank. I'm sure all the staff thought I was nuts! Insane I may be, but I have Marshall Islands rock!! And I have fond memories of the fish store trips.

I never understood ordering fish, corals, live rock, etc. online. You really have no idea what you're getting. Even still, the only source that's worth buying from is Divers Den, and that's because Kevin Kohen QT's everything and makes sure they're in perfect condition before he offers them for sale. And I always thought that if you asked a store for help (product questions, etc.) and used their resources (knowledge, staff, etc. ) that it was shady to then go and buy that item at a different store..one store did all the work and the other benefited. Seeing now what stores carry (Tunze, Ecotech, etc.), had they carried all the high-end stuff back in the day, I would have bought 100% at the LFS..and now with MAP pricing on so many items, supporting the local stores is even easier. I especially thought high dollar sales are better handled in person. Afterall, if something goes wrong with and item and I just dropped a ton of money at a store buying it all, I know that store is going to do whatever it takes to take care of me. If nothing else, I have a person to yell at!

I don't see the lfs going extinct anytime soon; there's a market for everyone out there. Some people shop for price only; some for convenience; some for service. Since one store can't offer it all, it leaves the door wide open for multiple stores. Just like with any industry, businesses go out and new ones come in; some business models prevail and persevere, some don't.

 

[grouper therapy]

Back in the day, when I was just a hobbyist, I started off 100% at the LFS. Back then, the "big" fish etailer was "Flying Fish Express", which you now know as Live Aquaria. Diver's Den is the only thing that's left of the old FFE!

Anyhoo, when I upgraded to my current tank, I bought most all drygoods from the LFS. That which did not come from the LFS, I approached them first, but they either couldn't get or didn't want to get for me. Back then, I couldn't even get anybody to get me a pallet of salt; that's the easiest transaction ever! There was no way I was going to buy a few buckets at a time! <u>All </u>fish, live rock, etc. I bought at the LFS. I really enjoyed taking trips to stores and hand picking everything. I spent entirely too much money at Marine Fish and entirely too much time picking each individual rock that went into my tank. I'm sure all the staff thought I was nuts! Insane I may be, but I have Marshall Islands rock!! And I have fond memories of the fish store trips.

I never understood ordering fish, corals, live rock, etc. online. You really have no idea what you're getting. Even still, the only source that's worth buying from is Divers Den, and that's because Kevin Kohen QT's everything and makes sure they're in perfect condition before he offers them for sale. And I always thought that if you asked a store for help (product questions, etc.) and used their resources (knowledge, staff, etc. ) that it was shady to then go and buy that item at a different store..one store did all the work and the other benefited. Seeing now what stores carry (Tunze, Ecotech, etc.), had they carried all the high-end stuff back in the day, I would have bought 100% at the LFS..and now with MAP pricing on so many items, supporting the local stores is even easier. I especially thought high dollar sales are better handled in person. Afterall, if something goes wrong with and item and I just dropped a ton of money at a store buying it all, I know that store is going to do whatever it takes to take care of me. If nothing else, I have a person to yell at!

I don't see the lfs going extinct anytime soon; there's a market for everyone out there. Some people shop for price only; some for convenience; some for service. Since one store can't offer it all, it leaves the door wide open for multiple stores. Just like with any industry, businesses go out and new ones come in; some business models prevail and persevere, some don't.[/QUOTE]
Exactly

 

[brick fish house]

I like to see what I am putting into my family's tanks. The LFS gives me the best opportunity to do this. I understand that different people have different experiences, and that includes the LFS employees. It's like a shared responsibility, and the end result is in my hands.

 

[nickh06]

The family and I love going to the LFS BUT it's hard to justify spending triple the amount for a coral/fish that you can get from a ARC member for 1/3 cost or less or an online retailer for 2/3 cost or less.

I buy some supplies at the LFS like food and salt sometimes but it is hard to buy livestock and expensive equipment when they jack up the price. I know they have tons of overhead but there has to be a middle road somewhere. Charging $50 to $60 for a frag of frogspawn... come on man!

Would hate to see them go extinct because I do buy some fish and corals from them. I hate the idea of putting a fish in a bag and shipping it somewhere, I don't think it makes for the healthiest fish... I would rather SEE the fish I am getting and know that he will be in a tank in less than an hour after acclimation. My advice to the LFS would be to stay competitive (most of them do) and stay loyal to the customers. I hate when I am treated like a nobody sometimes when I spend $200 plus every time I go in one... Once again, not saying it happens all the time but you know what I am trying to say.

 

[super]

Luckily for the LFS, I am impatient and would rather not wait for an online retailer to ship it... having said that, there is a point where markup is just more then I care to pay. I appreciate when the LFS is loyal and passes on deals when possible and those who do will keep me as a future customer.

 

[just josh]

Miami Dolfan;674056 wrote: Alot has to do with the way one is treated also. There are some LFS that I will never go to again. I had an encounter with one in S. Florida where I would spend over $500(ahh, the batchelor life!) bi-weekly on coral and such.I bought a magfloat at this store that was too small for my tank. I never used it but my 3 year old opened the package. I told him I hadn't used it and that I tried putting the package back together as best I could. I asked for half of what I paid for as a store credit and he said no. If I had a store, this would be the LAST customer I would have said no to for a measly $7 store credit. I never set foot in his store again.

Amen!!! The day I get taken advantage of like that will be my last!

I start w small purchases...if anything goes wrong...hey im out 20-30 bux and I know they are shiesty!!!

Sorry to hear bud-roe. Id like to know who They are and if they are still open so I can avoid them!

Make obecustomwer happy gain two...piss one off and loose 10!!

Edit: One customer* dangit

 

[hzheng33]

i try to get most of my livestock from lfs whenever possible because i like seen them in the display/frag tank. it's like going to a candy store. the one thing that online store doesn't offer is the "be there" experience especially when it comes to corals. drygood wise, i try to get them from lfs if not unreasonably priced. with that said, there's a time when i wanted to buy a JBJ ATO from a lfs. they charge $120 for it while i could get it from Amazon for $80+F/S. even when they did a 15%-20% promotional discount on the item, there's no way i would be fooled into buying that unit. i think the lfs should draw a line in the sand when it comes to mark-ups. there's only so much that a regular consumer is willing to absorb before turning away and looking at the online options.

also there's a time when i bought too much liverock for my tank. i believe we, the hobbyists, are sometimes guilty of buying too much liverock/baserock and then not use all of it since aquascaping is something that needs to be done in our respective tanks rather than stacking rocks upon rocks in the lfs. also the aquascaping never exactly the same as what we've envisioned since the rock formation is never identical to each other. but the bottom line is that because i couldn't use them all for my aquascape, i had to return them back to the store. instead of getting the appropriate refund or some sort of store GC, i was only able to get 1/2 of what i paid for back in store GC. just picture yourself buying $200 of LR and only use $100 of it and get only $50 back in store credit. when i asked for the manager of why i couldn't get $100 in store credit he told me that because the markup on the drygoods isn't as high as LR, fish, and corals, he could only get me half of what it should've been.

 

[redstang]

I must have a complex. I actually feel guilty when I don't buy stuff from a sponsor :lol2: Like I'm betraying them. So try my best to buy locally. I'm fortunate as Pure Reef is close enough for me to hit on my lunch break and I've always felt welcome there. Same with SEA. Rit's place is a haul but I enjoyed my couple of visits there as well. Like Ralph said, we're blessed with man good LFS here. I just hope we can keep it that way.

 

[just josh]

Hey...idk about their rep (although xan man got a gobe there and the next day he noticed a large growth on it and they told him basicly tough luck on it)

They were very nice and helpful to me!!!

I shop around but dont mind shopping with any LFS that helps me and me paying more!!#

They got bills too! Im happy to see them expand! It means more frag choices later!!!!!

 

[jennm]

Nickh06;916386 wrote: The family and I love going to the LFS BUT it's hard to justify spending triple the amount for a coral/fish that you can get from a ARC member for 1/3 cost or less or an online retailer for 2/3 cost or less.

Well if you're buying a fish from a member, chances are he/she paid the full retail price for it in the first place, and is selling it for less to move it - incompatible, taking tank down, etc. Other than a handful of breeders breeding a handful of species (and breeding isn't cheap either...), comparing buying a (unwanted) fish from an individual to buying a fish at a store is comparing guns and butter.

As for corals, chances are the fellow member is selling what they've grown out, not what they paid to ship in etc. unless they have to downsize or whatnot.

So buying from an individual whether it's livestock or hardware or dry goods, is totally different than buying from a business of any kind, brick and mortar, or etail.

Livestock's sticker price may be cheaper online - not always, but sometimes, but add in the cost of shipping and it's usually not "cheaper", especially when you have to take the time to be there during the delivery time etc.

I know the topic of store markups has probably been beaten right to death, but I'll say it again. Stores have to charge what they do, in order to cover their costs. We don't sit there and laugh and say, "Let's bend the customer over with this price." Despite what people think. In fact, it can be kind of demoralizing when people think that "we" (as store owners) are trying to rip people off. Rather, we're just trying to make a living like everyone else. Are some stores pricier than others? Sure... but take a look around. Nice place? Lots of staff? It all costs.

Supporting your local keeps the money at home. Employees get paid - that's jobs. They spend their money in the community - that's more jobs. The owner, if he/she is lucky to keep some profit at the end of the year, that stays at home too.

When you send your money to another state, chances are, it doesn't come back.

That doesn't just apply with LFS - it applies across the board. Shopping small, shopping local, helps the local economy more than you realize. Nobody begrudges anybody for being frugal - goodness knows I can stretch a dollar so thin I see George Washington's underwear :lol: I don't think LFS will ever totally disappear, but the dynamic, and the business model has certainly changed a lot in the 25+ years since I entered the hobby, and the 13 or so since I entered the trade.

Jenn

 

[just josh]

Solid ifo jenn...tank you!!!!

Edit: Info*

 

[jennm]

You just "missed" me. I owned a LFS in Canton for 11 1/2 years. Closed it in September. Back in the Monday-Friday, 8-5 world again

Jenn

 

[skriz]

hzheng33;916412 wrote: ..drygood wise, i try to get them from lfs if not unreasonably priced. with that said, there's a time when i wanted to buy a JBJ ATO from a lfs. they charge $120 for it while i could get it from Amazon for $80+F/S. even when they did a 15%-20% promotional discount on the item, there's no way i would be fooled into buying that unit. i think the lfs should draw a line in the sand when it comes to mark-ups. there's only so much that a regular consumer is willing to absorb before turning away and looking at the online options..

You do realize that Amazon sells TONS of goods at wholesale COST or near cost, right? No LFS can or should sell goods at cost; not if they want to stay in business, that is. Saying that you'd be "fooled" and accusing the LFS of robbing you is a foolish statement. A more accurate statement would be that you robbed Amazon or you got a super deal at Amazon; that doesn't automatically mean the lfs was ripping you off.

Amazon sells so many items in a day, it's mind boggling. There was one day they reported selling 306 items per second. SECOND. Just think about that for a minute. If they only made $1 per item, they'd clear over $26 million dollars net sales that day. But now we're getting off track!