Page 3 of 3
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:25 pm
by Tristan
Sorry to get you excited chaps but as i am sure you realise the figures should read £100 - £130, sadly
wholesale prices
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 4:15 pm
by Tom26000
Hi
I managed to speak to my local wholesale aquatics. He said the last Zebra plecs on offer this year were 1.75" length and would cost them just over £45.00!!!! So their mark up plus the retailer mark up and you get the prices we are now paying.
Regards
Tom
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 6:42 pm
by Barbie
Plus shipping, plus losses, plus paying for the roof over their heads, and the employees to help hobbyists, the nerve!
Sorry, I work at an LFS. People complain about the costs of the fish, then go save 2 dollars on dry goods by ordering online. That money to pay me to help with people's problems has to come from somewhere. My boss is a nice guy and all, but I can't see the logic in him losing money more than he already does just to have me give advice 
Barbie
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:33 pm
by Tom26000
Barbie,
Good customer service pays for itself so that arguement has never really impressed me. Having worked in the aquatic business on the customer front-line I have seen first hand how customers grow to trust good advice and therefore spend more etc etc.
That said I am talking about the £45.00 to the wholesale market as being ridiculous. Just over four years ago it was less than £17.00. I would be interested to know how this rise has occured but my cynical side says greed?!
Regards
Tom
Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:48 am
by Adam
I'm tempted to write a long rambling post but for once I'll spare everybody. Just consider the following point before deciding which side of the fence you take.
How much are the locals who catch these fish being paid? As an example the last time I looked into it exporters were paying as little as 20 cents for every 1000 cardinals caught. By the time they end up in UK LFSs they retail at around £1.80. Shipping, losses, overheads and customer service. Hmmmmmm.
We choose to keep fish as a past time where as the locals depend on them for their livelihoods. Who's really getting ripped off?
Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:25 am
by sid
both parties i would say
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:45 am
by Tom26000
As is mostly the case in many industries, the middle men gain the best deal. But I suppose we can't blame them. If there wasn't a market for the fish a huge industry would be lost and a lot of people would be struggling to make an income. I just wish the price of zebra plecs would fall so I can afford to buy a few.
Regards
Tom
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 3:03 am
by Adam
Tom26000 wrote:I just wish the price of zebra plecs would fall so I can afford to buy a few.
Don't we all Tom, but I just can't see it happening for a long while if ever. Even if someone was able to start mass producing them they would have to flood the market in order for prices to drop, I just can't see that happening. The problem is that zebras are not a prolific species which is why they have always been scarce in the hobby, even more so now. If you rely on the natural breeding cycle of the zebra I'm afraid that demand will always outstrip supply. The only way that I can see this situation changing is if someone hormone breeds them, it's been done with other species.