Funny how these events are getting so large with just vendors displaying their goods and yet they are still calling them “Frag Swaps”. Maybe it’s time to separate the big guys from the little guys and get back to what the words frag swap really mean, at least to me anyway.
I can understand that a vendor does not want to compete with a hobbyist selling his or her frags at very low prices. Simply because the local people don’t have any overhead. Could be that is why these big events have become what they are today. The vendors get to compete against each other and in turn hobbyists can make deals and go home with items below the usual prices.
With technology and advancements in this hobby happening very quickly, hobbyists are capable of maintaining corals and growing colonies in their homes. This creates a dilemma for the little guy,what to do with the frags I now have, because my little frags have grown into beautiful colonies.
In the future, we may see a creation of an avenue for the local hobbyists to be a “vendor” for a day, and be able to compete just against other hobbyists to sell their frags.
I don’t diagree and it would be nice if there were seperate events for business and hobbyists, but logisitics come in to play as well as feasibility.
How many people are going to travel and hour or 3 to get to an event that is only going to have hobbyists - where the quality may not be as high, selection not as great, and the possibility of not being able to find anything new or different? Not to mention a lack of sponsors.
I think one of the nice parts of the current sey-up is while hobbyists are “competing” with vendors, the vendors are the draw which allows the hobbyists to make some money and sell some frags. The vendors will continue to compete with one another which forces them to keep prices a little lower, and also gives the hobbyists a chance to interact with the vendors on a professional level and maybe score some better deals for themselves with the proceeds from their sales.
Of course in the case of NJ it’s no longer a frag swap and more of an East Coast MACNA and they really should rename it.
Funny you say this, because this is why I pulled out. I am more of a hobbiest then a vendor. Yeah ok I have transship license to bring all this stuff in, but I sell at what the price I would like to buy it for. I have even traded with local guys colonies for frags out of there systems. I did trade with one hobbiest who was sitting next to me at the swap in May.
I could not agree more. Its funny cause my local club does true swaps once a year we all bring frags and we trade off no money.
[quote=“houndsbayman, post:1, topic:7491”]
Funny how these events are getting so large with just vendors displaying their goods and yet they are still calling them “Frag Swaps”. Maybe it’s time to separate the big guys from the little guys and get back to what the words frag swap really mean, at least to me anyway.
I can understand that a vendor does not want to compete with a hobbyist selling his or her frags at very low prices. Simply because the local people don’t have any overhead. Could be that is why these big events have become what they are today. The vendors get to compete against each other and in turn hobbyists can make deals and go home with items below the usual prices.
With technology and advancements in this hobby happening very quickly, hobbyists are capable of maintaining corals and growing colonies in their homes. This creates a dilemma for the little guy,what to do with the frags I now have, because my little frags have grown into beautiful colonies.
In the future, we may see a creation of an avenue for the local hobbyists to be a “vendor” for a day, and be able to compete just against other hobbyists to sell their frags.[/quote]
My favorite swaps are the bring-a-frag-take-a-frag (BAFTAF) ones. We used to do them once or twice a year at East Coast Aquatics in Prospect Park, PA before it burned down. There was a BBQ, a used equipment auction, and a raffle for all the donation they got. Everyone had a good time and nobody walked away disappointed. They made a rule of no “weeds” xenia, anthelia, kenya trees, etc. so you wouldn’t be trading a red planet for a kenya tree. I’ve also seen other BAFTAF swaps where they categorize it based on value, under $15 BAFTAF and over $15 BAFTAF.
I don’t see why we can’t do our usual frag “swap” and a BAFTAF swap per year. BAFTAF are way easier to plan as well and ppl can unload all their unused equipment they have sitting around.
Hey Hey xenia is not a weed 
lol
If this does happen I do not mind coming down with frags and trading off for other corals. :
:
[quote=“bnelson, post:5, topic:7491”]
My favorite swaps are the bring-a-frag-take-a-frag (BAFTAF) ones. We used to do them once or twice a year at East Coast Aquatics in Prospect Park, PA before it burned down. There was a BBQ, a used equipment auction, and a raffle for all the donation they got. Everyone had a good time and nobody walked away disappointed. They made a rule of no “weeds” xenia, anthelia, kenya trees, etc. so you wouldn’t be trading a red planet for a kenya tree. I’ve also seen other BAFTAF swaps where they categorize it based on value, under $15 BAFTAF and over $15 BAFTAF.
I don’t see why we can’t do our usual frag “swap” and a BAFTAF swap per year. BAFTAF are way easier to plan as well and ppl can unload all their unused equipment they have sitting around.[/quote]
All the BAFTAF swaps I’ve been too, they set a 3 frag per person limit, but it wasn’t strictly enforced.