What constitutes Rare or LE getting the title?

[db366]

I am curious, is there guidelines for this? I have multiple price lists from wholesalers in florida, LA, and in Jakarta. I have NEVER seen them sell anything under the name LE or Rare. There are times when they do sell Paly's and Zoa's by the polyp with a max amount, usually it's 5-10 max on them and they have never been more than $25 a polyp. As far as Chalice or Acan it has always been sold as Ultra or something along those lines.

So what I am really asking is if the people that are collecting the stuff never use those terms then we know it is a marketing scheme. IF we know it is a marketing scheme then why buy into it?

I am not against names, I think having a coral named is great it makes it much easier to distinguish between them if they are named. But calling it "LE" or "Rare" without a set of guidelines to do so seems stupid to say the least.

Also what constitutes something being "real" by the name. Meaning if two zoa's have the same coloration what sets apart the real from the fake? Couldn't it just be that in the area that collector A is collecting from that coloration is not very common but in the area where collector B is collecting from it is a bit more common. So collector A is selling it by the polyp for a set amount but collector B is selling it as just Ultra Sea Mat Paly. They are the same, maybe a wave crashed into the colony breaking off a piece and it floated into a different area.. I just don't understand it, I would really like to hear it from a collector/wholesaler but unfortunately I highly doubt that they would be willing to say anything on the subject.

 

[superclown]

One thing I noticed iis no one ever gives the ugly zoas names they are Like the worthless red headed step child lol

 

[swfk44]

i have some ugly mushrooms, anybody want some

 

[skriz]

For one thing, the "rare" stuff only comes from certain regions. Some sources are better than others, just like everything else. Your sources don't collect anything "rare" or special. The sources that have these items, indicate them with the "rare" tags.

Having said that, the internet has really blown the naming game out of proportion. There are more named corals than corals! Add a name to a coral and you've just increased the value. Some are very easy to tell apart; others, not so much.

 

[falos]

Sum corals like chalice and zoas that have a unique color or pattern that sets them apart from a more common color or pattern can be called rare others that grow realy slow with a unique morph will usuly be named and placed as a le . It Dus not matter were the coral come from as long as it is the odd ball like a red dragon in a sea of green slimers
As far as fish go we as humans can only go so deep for so long before you git the bends lots of fish entering in to the hobby like the basslets have to be harvested by subs and they can only hold so meny per dive on eny given day the deeper they go and the harder it is to catch the fish the more the fish will cost in the store.

 

[jennm]

Since about 95% of wild corals are brown, anything that isn't brown, is by definition, "rare".

The rest is all just a marketing scheme that has been wildly successful.

P.T. Barnum said it best, "People will buy anything that's one per customer."

A zoanthid is a zoanthid, whether it's red/orange/green, or brown.

It was enough, back in the day, to have a scientific name and a common name - now it's all about 'designer' names that people along the chain of custody, have made up to make theirs, "new and different"...

JMHO but if it's pretty and you like it - buy it.

Jenn

 

[snowmansnow]

+1

and anything that may pop of weird :

I have a orange cap with GREEN spots on it.. not polyps... SPOTTED.. I'm not sure how it happened.. but its kinda rare as far as I know haha

B

 

[winkkle]

supply and demand too. The slower growing corals are less available making them more expensive. Then someone gives them a name and bam 100 bcks per head.

 

[the-bubonic-one]

I guess since I name my fish, all my fish are LE....... First release ultra rare "violet" firefish a steal at $300 per eye. Do I need to move this to the FS thread?

 

[db366]

What I was wondering is if the LE starts at the collector or at the retailer. From what Raj says Rare stuff starts at the collector, which makes since. So something being rare really might just be something really rare and not a scheme. If something is truly rare then I understand, LE on the other hand, I guess that's another story..

 

[winkkle]

And most times LE corals look better than non name corals.

 

[snowmansnow]

for something to really be a limited edition there would have to be legal paperwork that states the owner will never frag the coral or allow it to pass hands.. otherwise its just a matter of time before everyone has one

 

[redstang]

SnowManSnow;755424 wrote: . otherwise its just a matter of time before everyone has one

Which is pretty much what I'm banking on :up:.

 

[grouper therapy]

What constitutes "Rare" or "LE" getting the title?
<span style="color: Red">A naive perception of availability and an even less educated appraisal of worth. IMO AKA hype</span>

 

[rdnelson]

grouper therapy;756026 wrote: What constitutes "Rare" or "LE" getting the title?
<span style="color: Red">A naive perception of availability and an even less educated appraisal of worth. IMO AKA hype</span>

Now wait a minute. When I bought my vehicle it said "Limited" on the side of it. Are you telling me that is limited to how many they can sell?????? I Hate It When That Happens!!!!!!

 

[liverock27]

grouper therapy;756026 wrote: What constitutes "Rare" or "LE" getting the title?
<span style="color: red">A naive perception of availability and an even less educated appraisal of worth. IMO AKA hype</span>

Agreed Hype can raise the price, but to say that someone is naive or less educated for buying a really nice coral seems unfair.

You make custom stands right? if you go by your statement and follow a long with the other thoughts above about LE or rare corals being a lot nicer(more colorful) thus justifying the price than should you charge a premium over what someone can buy at walmart because your stands are nicer(which they are)?

 

[grouper therapy]

Well in the case of rare fish I can see that it could be legit due to availability and not being able to breed them in captivity. The difference between rare or limited edition corals and other corals is about 6-24 months of propagation after which the rarity and inflated price disappears. But that first few months is prime time to exploit some egos .

 

[cbj25]

i wish i could say im no marketing major but i am... read up on the product life cycle. the same theory can be applied to pretty much all inelastic goods. if you get in during the beginning you will pay a premium, the price will level out for a while and then eventually the market will be saturated. i dont buy hype, i buy things you can see glowing from 30 feet away sometimes it has a fancy name