The Hobby and the economy

[sen5241b]

Was in one LFS Sunday and their stock looked like it was down well over 50% since my previous visit there. Was in another LFS today and the stock looked like it was down 50% and I could tell the guy was hurting. He had that look like "please buy something".

Marine tanks cost bucks and it is an expensive hobby. I think the tanking economy (pun intended) has had its effect. No doubt, tank snobs will become even more annoying: "what do you mean you don't have a $600 chiller?! what's the matter with you!?"

[yote]

Folks are worried about the economy and the the climbing cost of fuel aint helpping.Plus the first thing people stop spending on,is a hobby.
Were seeing it here,LFS's going all day for a 50 dollar sale.That's not even a 1/4 of the overhead for opening the doors.
Its a scary time for the working man(women too before I get flogged),And I'm afraid its just gonna get worse.

[fishbait]

my lfs has raised prices by 50% or more to make up for the difference in his shipping cost, which has more than trippled according to him.

[d.french]

here in st. louis are we have had a lot of local reefers getting out of hobby this summer, everything from high energy bills to losing jobs the whole bit. Most lfs around also have had low stock not ordering much either.

[McCrary]

Yea, I think a lot of stores are going to be closing, but thats what happens. When the economy is good everyone makes money and when its bad people close their doors.

[fatman]

The smart LFS stores keep their licenses paid up to date and operate as much as they can from their homes/garages. They have relationships built up with clients and suppliers both. Just the amount of money that can be made supplying corals and fish on special orders and palleted items such as sand and salt will keep their suppliers dealing with them and provide a service to their valued customers and give them a foot in the door when they are able to open another store, and possibly even pay all their bills at home whemn not paying store renatl and wages etc. Then there is the fact that rich people will gladly pay to have nice reef tanks in their homes and offices if it requires absolutely no work by them or their families or regualr employees. There are many LFS store owners that went out of business due to economy down swings that have set up businesses that install and maintain tanks for the wealthy. The only difference now is that the economy swing is pretty much nationwide instead of regional or in a city or town. Lots more stores going to be closing at one time, not since the depression as anything effected the economy like energy coasts is now doing. I would still rather do business with a LFS store owner who had to close his/her store than a national chain store or an online store.

[daugherty]

almost always i use a lfs over the large store. i usually find what i want on the net and take it to the lfs and have them get it for me. i was even told once that he could not compete with the online stores for price but i dont really care as long as i get treated good as soon as i am treated like a number i will take my business elsewere.

[yote]

I'm right with ya James.Its also nice to actually see what your getting before money changes hands.

[fatman]

I knowhow you feel. I have no LFS store to go to anymore, just a Petco, so I am forced to do a lot of business on line. I am presently fighting with Marine Depot at this time. They offer priority mail shipping to Alaska, instead of UPS ground. However, they typically only take the packages to the post office once a week. I informed them that two Drs. and the other suppliers/retailers I deal with always take thr packages to the post office daily, and that Priority mail to Alasak is comparable to UPS second day air when the shipment is not held for up to a week at their warehouse. They say it is a matter of economics, and I said when you take several thousand dollars out of my bank account and draw interest on it for days while it sits in your warehouse that is basically theft, not a matter of economics. They do not make the decision on the amount of value of the shipment, they just have a blind policy of just going when a full load accumalates or a period of days goes bye since they went to the post office, no set length of time just whatever makes them happy at the time. That is poor management. They prefer to ship by UPS and Fedex because Fedex and UPS pickup the pacakges from them, make special shipping promotional deals with them and supply packaging materials and even labels and scales. The USPS provides nothing special and you must deliver to them for shipping at commercial rates.
I think I will start buying my sand by the ton. Anyone that really wants thename of where to buy aragonite by the ton just PM me. I can get all the aragonite sand I want at 21 cents per pound by the 1 ton pallet bag, and with shipping that would mean I would be paying $1.10 per pound versus $2.18 per pound from Marine depot buying it at a minimum of 300 pounds at a time. I think I might just have to tell Marine Depot to kiss off.

[Bifferwine]

I definitely have seen a change in my own buying behavior for my tank in the last several months. I used to treat myself to one or two new things (fish or coral) every month, and I budgeted money for that. With the rising cost of gas and food and EVERYTHING, I have not spent money on any livestock in months (with the exception of Jill the vlamingi, who was a good deal). The only money I am spending on my tank is maintenance, like fish food, calcium, salt, etc. I just can't afford it right now.