$$$$$ LFS is insane?

[looseyfur]

er-

I am not a poor man, but by no means a rich man.

 

 

the LFS is after my childrens college fund...

will they not allow me to have any fun?

do I need to rob banks and live on the run?

I could see how they could drive me to drinkin,

I feel like I could gulp down a whole bottle of henny!

those b**stards wanted 45 dollars for a barnicle blenny!

Whats fair mark-up and whats pure robbery?

I know it cost to keep their stock, look at how its effecting me!

I guess I could just order-online

you never have to wait in line.

but once you pay your shipping costs

its hard to re-coup the money lost.

I sigh and gripe and b*tch and moan

until I stare at my nano at home...

then I forget about all my woes.

but it still feels a bit pricey to pay them schmoes!

 

 

grumble-

looseyfur

[DLeAnnM]

My only LFS wanted $55 for 150W Ebo Jager!!!

[Reefmaniac]

Find out what the price is from a reputable on-line dealer. Then, take that price and mark it up by 1.5 to 2 times. This would be about what a retail store will sell for. If you are getting good advice and customer service from the LFS, then patronize them. I don't worry about paying more at a good LFS. Besides for what I would order at one time, the overnight fees would make the price of the animals the equivalent of retail, anyway.

[NanoAmyDee]

Nice poem Loosey. We all sing those blues every once in a while.

[dyazdani]

I buy some items at my LFS, and I buy some items on-line - depends on what it is.

 

For example: I had a Blueline MH ballast burn out, LFS wanted $210 for a 175W IceCap. I found the same one on eBay for $110. I ended up buying it at the LFS, traded him $75 and a 36" 2x96 CSL full hood.

 

But... he sells Maxi jets for $40, I can get 2 for $30 online. You have to do an analysis on livestock. If you place a big enough order, you wil blow away LFS prices. Mine sells corals 3 for $100. I can get 9 for $99 at Jeff's Exotic Fish. Even if I pay $50 for shipping, that's $16.66 a coral vs. $33.33.

 

I do put a price on personal service, but I can't always throw money at the LFS for no reason.

[Aiptasia]

My LFS's are all mad when it comes to mark up. Sometimes I think they use convenience store math for coming up with the markup they charge.

 

Example:

 

Prizm Deluxe Skimmer: LFS price $189.95, Thatfishplace.com price $79.99.

 

I'm sure the wholesale unit price is probably in the $40-60 range. Crazy math, but then LFS's have overhead (rent, employees, etc.).

[nano-nemo]

i pick and choose my battles with the lfs, preferred pets. they always offer great advise, but try to sell you on the most expensive "best" product for a tank that doesnt need it. They usually have excellent live stock prices, coming within a couple of dollars of online markets. They also have a "gold club" where you get an extra 10% off once you accumulate so many points. their salt water set up is more like something youd see at shedd aquarium or sea world than a pet store, its always well maintained. When it comes to tanks, lighting and acessories, it varies greatly. Sometimes you get a great deal, other times you pay too much. Right now, they do have a great deal on a 12g nano cube set up, 90 bucks for the tank and 99 for all the live rock and live sand to stock it, including a few snails and a mag float.

[maroonclown]

Well, my LFS has a strange habit of selling the most expensive items below market value, and some of the most inexpensive items for 2-4 times market value! They sell the 6 gallon eclipse tanks for $80, but if you want a 75 gallon with stand and a strip light, it will only cost $260 (Petsmart sells the same 75 AGA for $199.99, and the stand is an additional 119.99!)!