Salt Sale

[RyanG]

I buy everything from LFS' but the tune of $20 mark up is pretty steep IMO. Just like the wicked mark ups I paid for maxi jets and a canister filter and Pura Phos-lok and salt in the last week. Ive dropped about 200 a week for the last month and a half and 500 in the last week at the LFS so I support them plenty but if I can save $100 on five buckets of salt Im damn sure gonna do it! Not flaming but god if the LFS mark up were at least comparable within 5-10% it would be a no brainer but when it gets to be 30%+ the decision gets pretty easy to make.

 

[Bifferwine]

And biff, I dont see how you could save hundreds on 6 buckets? you would have paid $200 for six buckets from them and shipping, how much is salt there? it would have to be outragous to equal hundreds, I would assume you might save $80 on six buckets? just curious how much salt is there

I bought 6 buckets of 200 gallon Oceanic that were on sale at Drs. F&S for $30 apiece. My LFS sells them for $75 apiece. That's a $45 difference, multiplied by 6 = $270 in savings. Subtract the $17 in shipping I paid, and I saved $253. That is how I saved hundreds.

I buy all my livestock from my LFS. And most of my live rock. I buy all my food there. I have bought salt there in an emergency, but their markup is so unbelievable on dry goods that it pays big time for me to order salt online (which is the only dry good that I buy on a regular basis anyways). I have had them order equipment for me, and they've let me pay whatever the lowest price was I could find online, but they contact the manufacturer directly, so they are still making money off of it.

 

[reeffreak]

I've used Coralife Scientific(at least that's the type you mention)in the past.It was a pretty good salt as far as I remembered.

To Ironman,
I support my LFS to a point,I believe we all do.It hard to go in and buy half dead fish,sick corals and seaclone skimmers.Hey,I did buy my tank from them and look what happened to that damn tank.I do support my not so LFS,45 minutes away in Nashville though.

 

[RyanG]

I do support my not so LFS,45 minutes away in Nashville though.

Yet another good point my closest decect store is 1.5 hours away and 80 miles. Truck gets 17mpg on the highway 4.7gal x 4.12per gal=19.38 each way. That savings alone pays for the shipping.

 

[kimoy]

Coralife makes IO salts as far as I know.

about supporting your LFS, I know the mark ups are rediculously high. I don't own one or work for one but know a friend who had one and closed due to decline in sales. no matter how they come up with unbelievable sales like $5 a frag of sps, they still can't come up even with the overhead cost. I also know how much they purchase their livestock (corals and fish) so when I go to one of my LFS, I window shop and check the prices and if I only buy something that is a must have for me otherwise I just wait and see if I can find it cheaper somewhere else. I know how much % are the mark ups on fish and what the coral colony costs them. and if you ask me if I support my LFS? I'd say YES I do to a point where I know that I am not paying way too much.

 

[Ironman]

I might have worded my post wrong, I wasnt trying to be negative. just felt the posts heading toward ignoring our local fish stores.

As for some of the comments about pricing at the stores I am well aware of the markup, especially on live goods. But dont let the markup fool you. in most cases these fish stores are not great for income. most struggle to survive. There are alot of other professions out there to complain about pricing.
Anyway, I saw people took affense to my "Be sure and support your local fish store attitude" So Im sorry for confusion.

 

[RyanG]

No offense taken...at least on my part. I always support the little guy even at a resonable cost to myself. Its just when travel and huge markups get out of hand I need to look out for numero uno first. I completely agree to support your LFS.

EDIT: I really hate living in a world where you have to be politically correct and have to appologize if there is even a hint that somebodys feelings are hurt or you might have offended someone. I dont like being forced to be nice to everyone. Am I alone in this way of thinking?

 

[Altohombre]

I dunno anyone who uses Corallife salt.

I have gotten IO for 29.99

 

[RyanG]

Its 49.99 at every store in western new york! Thats the kinda mark ups Im screaming about!

 

[reeffreak]

I wasn't offended and you shouldn't have to apologize about how you feel Ironman.Talking to Yote and other people near Chattanooga/northern Georgia there are really nice fish stores who are woth supporting.....here,not so much.Maybe,my frustration with our LFS here came out in my reply.

 

[fatman]

The LFS's I have worked at and operated in Fairbanks, Alaska have all used a mark up of 300 percent on hard merchandice and 800 percent on perishables and live stock, we did not add seperately for freight. The only prices that differed from this were aquariums which were marked up only enough to cover costs plus freight. That is sadly the average for privately owned LFS's here in Alaska. I do not expect it is really much less in the lower 48 states for privately owned stores. They can neither purchase or sell as cheaply as chain stores or major online stores, or stores that do not have retail store space to rent/maintain.

 

[Ironman]

around here and most places I have been involved with there is about a 30-40% markup on dry goods, and a 3 to 4 X markup on livegoods. the only exception would be rare LE corals. alot of people stumble onto a order list and see that a store paid $20 for a coral that is marked anywhere from $60 - $80 and get affended. they dont realize sometimes the shipping costs more than the coral, and the cost of maintaining a local store isnt cheap either. I have been in situations where I felt a store owner was taking advantage of there pricing on certain products, But in all honesty I could walk through any of the several local stores here and find different stuff marked to high, then find some stuff marked alittle low. Also one of our biggest local stores that has been here for along time doesnt know anything about online sales. he runs his store the same way he has for years, and doesnt care what internet prices are doing.