I feel that from a business perspective there is a lot to consider, you have to pay a supplier to ship it, hope it comes in ok, stock it in a tank, QT it possibly, treat it or dip it maybe etc. you have a store front that you employ people and minimum wage most likely, pay rent/utilities, insurance, etc. These places don't do well unless they provide dry goods & every service possible, most of the larger ones will service companies to help keep their head above water. I don't see anyone getting rich off selling corals alone & only a small handful are large enough to really do well at this very competitive market. The supplier has to go harvest it, probably have laws maybe permits and have specialist that will do the work and I'm sure it isn't for free.
I wish that any fish or coral captured was raised and bread to reproduce more then they should be required to help in some form or fashion to replace the damage there is to our oceans and reefs, this would probably break them on cost but maybe we'd work harder at conservation.
I think from a hobbyist point of view who has the money to enjoy such precious creatures of the sea, really is it a hobby for the rich only? One of the premises for this forum was to do just that, provide a means of sharing information, experiences, giving opportunities to those less fortunate to be able to purchase the biggest and best though others that raise, grow and sale their stock, resale/trade used equipment etc, the knowledge gives us the DIY approach, we learn how to raise grow with our own abilities, build parts, etc. It is a process that works, well it did more so once upon a time ago.
I don't know the right answer, as mentioned the high price of a commodity that is rare should make it expensive but hey if you group buy then regrow then guess it should go down in price. So that leaves us where we are at right?:hat:
