Why no price tags or labels on all the products include corals and fis

[I love angel]

I would like to bring this topic for discussion. I found that most of the LSF never label their price on the items. This leads to many "chop carrot".

This "chop carrot" are not healthy for the hobby, it discourages new comer to the hobby.

Is it that difficult to label? I want to bring up a good example but unfortunately it is a fresh water LSF, the shop name is Sea View aquarium near T95.

Also all the shops in the mall have the product label with price tags or labels.

Why is it not possible?

[Edmund Koh]

Bro, I feel ur frustration on this matter.

But with more and more online shops like Madpetz, Gemsurf and Freshnmarine coming up, we can easily get an estimate of the prices of equipments before visiting shops physically.

[I love angel]

Equipment are less of a problem, live stocks are the most headache.

[shaohao85]

Yes I find it difficult to buy livestock .. need to keep asking price and what fish is it .. the least they could do is to use a marker to write the fish names and price ..

[asg]

cos LFS has no incentive to label the LS. Not labeling LS allows the flexibility to chop chop based on whether they know you or not. I can understand different LFS has difference COGS, but quoting higher price (>10%) on the same piece of LS to difference customers is really a bad practice.

[ReDDeviLs]

Bare in mind that some lfs do quarentine their livestock which includes training them to feed and deworming therefore they charge a higher price. When you spend afew hundred or thousand on one fish, you wouldnt mind paying alittle more for a well taken care fish.

[I love angel]

Bare in mind that some lfs do quarentine their livestock which includes training them to feed and deworming therefore they charge a higher price. When you spend afew hundred or thousand on one fish, you wouldnt mind paying alittle more for a well taken care fish.

Agreed, but is still good to label the price and maybe state it feeding on pellet or not.

[braincoral]

Hi Ts.. Fyi.. Since 20 years ago.. It's a norm that marine lfs do not usually state their live stock prices.. Sometimes the prices keep on changing.. due to the origin..

[asg]

Can understand the prices varies depend on the batches of LS... but how hard it is to use a marker to write down the price on the side of the tank...

for fishes, TFC has the price written on the side of the tank... iwarana does it for some of the fishes... but for corals... I dont recall any LFS doing so...

[I love angel]

Hi Ts.. Fyi.. Since 20 years ago.. It's a norm that marine lfs do not usually state their live stock prices.. Sometimes the prices keep on changing.. due to the origin..

It is a old practice, time have changed....

Can understand the prices varies depend on the batches of LS... but how hard it is to use a marker to write down the price on the side of the tank...

for fishes, TFC has the price written on the side of the tank... iwarana does it for some of the fishes... but for corals... I dont recall any LFS doing so...

Agreed with what andtsg said...

Attract more new comers/ people in this hobby will benefit the marine fish hobby. In return more revenue to the marine fish LSF. Correct?

[thomas_lim]

It is a old practice, time have changed....

Agreed with what andtsg said...

Attract more new comers/ people in this hobby will benefit the marine fish hobby. In return more revenue to the marine fish LSF. Correct?

Yes, time have changed.

If you noticed, the LFS still have the same amount of customers/business.

Unless there is a drastic change in revenue. There is little chance you gonna see changes in their way of operations.

This is an unfortunate truth I'm afraid.

The only time there is a drop in business is due to "seasonal change" as people come and go in this hobby.

[asg]

Yes, time have changed.

If you noticed, the LFS still have the same amount of customers/business.

Unless there is a drastic change in revenue. There is little chance you gonna see changes in their way of operations.

This is an unfortunate truth I'm afraid.

The only time there is a drop in business is due to "seasonal change" as people come and go in this hobby.

yes. 90% of the time I went to LFS I am seeing same same faces. The problem with this hobby is that we are seriously lacking fresh blood (at least in SG here), there are just too many competing hobbies that attract people nowadays.

Plus the fact that some LFS are just selling LS for the sake of getting ROI on their shipment. Nothing wrong with that, but once you start to chop carrot or selling some LS to newbies which you know the LS wont last to see the next full moon, the only thing that happens is that you got a frustrated newbie... makes that happens 5 times 10 times 20 times... another decom tank + another newbie walking away from the hobby...

for those of us reefers who remains, the LFS will have to find new ways to generate more revenue out of us in order for them to survive... maybe rowaphos will be $50 then instead of the $30 now... (of cos, amount I just anyhow quoted one lah)

[FuEl]

Will consumers be willing to pay more for labelled livestock? Only minority will be willing, majority will not.

Just look at the topics started in the forum and you get the idea. For instance: Where can I buy the cheapest yellow tang?

Farm scenario: $6 for small cleaner shrimp. Customer ask : "can cheaper if I buy 2?". I just roll my eyes.

[asg]

Will consumers be willing to pay more for labelled livestock? Only minority will be willing, majority will not.

Just look at the topics started in the forum and you get the idea. For instance: Where can I buy the cheapest yellow tang?

Farm scenario: $6 for small cleaner shrimp. Customer ask : "can cheaper if I buy 2?". I just roll my eyes.

_-" why consumers must pay more for labelled LS... the cost of LS is the same whether they are labelled or not...

Not labelling LS only indicates to me that the shop might be looking for opportunity to chop chop new faces. Of cos, some shops even though no label have more integrity than others.. question is how newbies know...

[diki88]

_-" why consumers must pay more for labelled LS... the cost of LS is the same whether they are labelled or not... Not labelling LS only indicates to me that the shop might be looking for opportunity to chop chop new faces. Of cos, some shops even though no label have more integrity than others.. question is how newbies know...

I think what Fuel means is that whether the LS is labelled with price or not, customers will always look for the cheapest price. got price or no price, customers will still ask for discount. thus he quote the farm scenario afterwards. he didnt mean that customers must pay more for labelled LS. with rgds to this labelling of price thing, honestly I have not met a dishonest LFS in terms of price. if they dont label, then just ask. yes sometimes they anyhow whack price cause stocklist too long to rmb but in actuality ill let you in on this that they base it on the standard price of this particular LS that they have been selling for yrs. eg if u went ah beng 2 years ago, last year, today tmr next year, most prob small emperor 10-15, med 35 lg 55 whether u ask spider, ming or ah beng himself. this happens eventho their COS has risen throughout the year. this happens alot to their own thurs shipment so sometimes not labelling price does bring benefits to consumers as well. yes its better for newbies to see the price labelled. but even with price labelled also the opportunity to chop newbies is always there. if I want to chop newbies, I'll just label a higher price. what's gona stop me? its their business literally to do what they want. but in my short time reefing, seriously I have not met a dishonest LFS. they know what once they start chopping people, that marginal short term gain is not gg to match long term losses. pls know one thing, farms here especially are running in a very tight competition where prices have a false ceiling. their gpm is getting smaller as the year pass by.

[yellowtang]

What's the fuss? Just hard to please everyone. I am just thankful to lfs for bringing in corals and fishes , which otherwise I wouldn't have a chance to keep.

Know your hobby, this is a demanding passion that takes up both money and time. So newbies coming into this hobby should adjust accordingly and not ask the situation to be adjusted to him.

Have a great Reefing weekend.

YT.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Edmund Koh]

I think we have to consider ourselves fortunate that Singapore is a small country where all lfs are accessible, even those in Malaysia.

If we were to be in countries like the US or China, there's like only 1-2 lfs per state, hence the term (local fish store). There u won't even get a choice on which lfs to buy from regardless of whether they chop carrots or not.

[asg]

I think we have to consider ourselves fortunate that Singapore is a small country where all lfs are accessible, even those in Malaysia.

If we were to be in countries like the US or China, there's like only 1-2 lfs per state, hence the term (local fish store). There u won't even get a choice on which lfs to buy from regardless of whether they chop carrots or not.

US and China have online shops which (most) LS has arrived live garantee...

[asg]

What's the fuss? Just hard to please everyone. I am just thankful to lfs for bringing in corals and fishes , which otherwise I wouldn't have a chance to keep.

Know your hobby, this is a demanding passion that takes up both money and time. So newbies coming into this hobby should adjust accordingly and not ask the situation to be adjusted to him.

Have a great Reefing weekend.

YT.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, that's why we saw lesser and lesser newbies... or to term it politically correct, negative growth it is

[asg]

I think what Fuel means is that whether the LS is labelled with price or not, customers will always look for the cheapest price. got price or no price, customers will still ask for discount. thus he quote the farm scenario afterwards. he didnt mean that customers must pay more for labelled LS.with rgds to this labelling of price thing, honestly I have not met a dishonest LFS in terms of price. if they dont label, then just ask. yes sometimes they anyhow whack price cause stocklist too long to rmb but in actuality ill let you in on this that they base it on the standard price of this particular LS that they have been selling for yrs. eg if u went ah beng 2 years ago, last year, today tmr next year, most prob small emperor 10-15, med 35 lg 55 whether u ask spider, ming or ah beng himself. this happens eventho their COS has risen throughout the year. this happens alot to their own thurs shipment so sometimes not labelling price does bring benefits to consumers as well.yes its better for newbies to see the price labelled. but even with price labelled also the opportunity to chop newbies is always there. if I want to chop newbies, I'll just label a higher price. what's gona stop me? its their business literally to do what they want. but in my short time reefing, seriously I have not met a dishonest LFS. they know what once they start chopping people, that marginal short term gain is not gg to match long term losses. pls know one thing, farms here especially are running in a very tight competition where prices have a false ceiling. their gpm is getting smaller as the year pass by.

Bro, u should pay i+1 LFS a visit... and f+1 LFS few visits... ask for price of similar LS during diff visit...you will be surprised...

[FuEl]

Different suppliers will have different pricing to importers depending on stock availability, livestock handling, and other associated costs. Because of this importers will never have the same pricing for the same livestock. It's as simple as that.

[thomas_lim]

I think what Fuel means is that whether the LS is labelled with price or not, customers will always look for the cheapest price. got price or no price, customers will still ask for discount. thus he quote the farm scenario afterwards. he didnt mean that customers must pay more for labelled LS. with rgds to this labelling of price thing, honestly I have not met a dishonest LFS in terms of price. if they dont label, then just ask. yes sometimes they anyhow whack price cause stocklist too long to rmb but in actuality ill let you in on this that they base it on the standard price of this particular LS that they have been selling for yrs. eg if u went ah beng 2 years ago, last year, today tmr next year, most prob small emperor 10-15, med 35 lg 55 whether u ask spider, ming or ah beng himself. this happens eventho their COS has risen throughout the year. this happens alot to their own thurs shipment so sometimes not labelling price does bring benefits to consumers as well. yes its better for newbies to see the price labelled. but even with price labelled also the opportunity to chop newbies is always there. if I want to chop newbies, I'll just label a higher price. what's gona stop me? its their business literally to do what they want. but in my short time reefing, seriously I have not met a dishonest LFS. they know what once they start chopping people, that marginal short term gain is not gg to match long term losses. pls know one thing, farms here especially are running in a very tight competition where prices have a false ceiling. their gpm is getting smaller as the year pass by.

Quite agree w you on this. Like YT said as well, this is a demanding hobby. open your eyes big big and do more homework. Don't expect everything to be laid on a plate. No pain no gain.

IMO, there are more dishonest sellers than LFS. Until we see some real statistics., I'm seeing this discussion heading no where as each will defend their own believe.

But there is something very real that we all known, cost of business had been moving North. So let's not continue to believe LFS will hold prices the same year on year. At some point, they had to adjust.

Remember this is a hobby. I would rather enjoy it than getting frustrated about it. If not, why have 1. Cheers!

[I love angel]

It have been a good discussion.

It is okay to change price every week or every shipment, we all understand that the cost of shipment changes depending on the suppliers, countries, money exchange rate, etc. It is good to label the price every shipment, just in our money changer. ..

I am not against the increase of prices. In fact, it is important that the LFS make profits in order that they still operate and bring in fishes and corals. I see some increase through last few years, but to me, it is okay. I just hope they could label the price every shipment. May be more works for them. Increasing price and labelling the price are two different issues, we should not mix them up in the discussion. We should concentrate on labelling price.

[I love angel]

Yes, reefing is a demanding hobby, I just do not want this issue add on the "demanding" word. Hope the only demanding is coming from the cares and the knowledge of the hobby, also from our CFO or CO. .

This have been a good discussion from many angles from buyer to moderator to seller, hope more people chip in especially from someone new to the hobby, share your experience. .

I guess the practice will be around for a long time. .. hope this thread will bring awareness to everyone new to the hobby to do more research and went in with your eye big big...

We should enjoy this hobby not stress by this. Sometimes you need to pay to learn.. hope this does not discourage you to stay on..

Cheers

[kenyee]

From my personal view, I think its always good to label the price range of the LS and any other things on sale..its not about chopping carrot or jack up price or buddy price or different shipment price or TLC price or whatsoever..its about letting buyer see for themselves whether can/want buy anot without the need of keep asking what LS what price..I guess its not difficult to write the price range on the tank rite..just my opinion

Sharing an experience at Thailand, I ask for an item price and was quoted 450baht, I ask for 250baht (my friend buy that item @ 250baht at Thailand not long ago) but was rejected..I say no choice I m not buying n walk off..that shop owner then say in an angry manner to me, he say if u r not buying, why ask for the price..I told him that the price was not right so I didn't buy..he say if I dun want to buy, dun ask for price..what stupid logic is that I was thinking..