Imo you’re doing the right thing. I won’t buy livestock online anymore because of the poor survival rate - it has EVERYTHING to do with the couriers’ we-don’t-care shipping. 👍🏻
Totally understand. I will say though over the years I’ve stopped buying from LFS’s unfortunately. I just can’t find one that doesn’t have pests out the wazoo. It’s not they’re fault, but still. Buying from a few select online vendors who aren’t open to the public I think helps minimize some risk even if just a little.
$100 to California? Who do you use for shipping? I've shipped a handful of things using Finiship from CA to NY or FL and the most I ever paid for overnight UPS is $70. I get it though. Very stressful hoping your shipments arrive on time.
Well, as someone who has several of your frags thriving in there tank: your selection of classic corals and your quality of service will be missed Sir. But, I won't second guess your decision. And I've certainly had my share of dead corals in the mail from multiple vendors. I'll count my tank lucky to have the classics it has from your collection, and wish you the best as a hobbyist. Thank you for all you've done for the hobby already Keith
Sorry to hear Keith! Decision makes sense though, too many things outside of your control. Lots of things have had to change since Covid unfortunately. Glad to hear you'll be able to focus on your tanks and content!
Dang Keith if I knew the shipping out here to California was so much, I would have ordered more! The frags got here in great shape yesterday and look amazing. I think it would still be great if you just kept a list of your corals and still have them as a frag to order thing, especially for some of the higher demand ones. A lot of us will support just to keep these difficult to find corals in the hobby.
Thank you for all the great content you bring to the table. Although my reef is running on tap water i hope to one day have your success. gathe lots of information from all the great reefers including youself. Thank you for putting some time aside for all the new reefers that learned from episodes like this. Online frags sales are hard as you never know if your making money or loosing my money. Win or lose situation. Merry Christmas. Thanks for all the great content
Sad to hear you’re shutting some tanks down, but i agree shipping is such a hassle that’s why i never do it. I’ve had bad luck as a buyer getting corals, I never wanted to put myself through that mess as a seller. I’m glad you’re going to keep the videos coming. Always can use a reefbum video
I recently shipped 3 box for the first time in my life in Canada because there's not enough people reefing in my area of Québec. Box, with card plus isolation = 30$, one Heatpack 72h, 6$, Plastic bag pack 9$, Printing label 25c copy, styrofoam to float coral 25$, coral plug 80$ pack, Glue 11$ 20g tube, Packaging fill up 20$. Obviously all those price except the box/heatpack are splitted but .. dang it adds up real fast indeed. I haven't shipped yet, for me the cost range from 24$ within Qc with a special service, but rest Canada, FedEx and others cost 68$ and other one 54$. So yeah. After selling few corals I ... was a bit shock how much the cost goes into it. That doesn't even count my time and speaking with people, fixing issues... But what surprised me is how nerves racking it is to bag up and give the box to people who have no conception of how fragile those animal are. Package arrive usually at 18c, from 25c during winter.
I agree 100%. I was in the same boat as you a few years back. Now I just sell locally and keep frags/colonies for myself. Facebook local is a lot better than selling online.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re gonna loose a part of your business. But if that saves you more time, effort, money and headaches, then I’m happy you’re doing the right thing. Now you use that energy for the other parts of your reefing/business and keep that going stronger. Wish you all the best!
Sad to hear, but understandable. It is a scale issue. Keith puts out better frags and has better selection than 98% of what’s out there. My guess is he never intended to grow the business beyond the hobbyist level. Nothing wrong with that, and it’s great to make some income off your hobby, but most folks can’t sustain that in the long term. Such is life. I have a couple frags from Keith, and I’ll have to see if I can get a few more before the door shuts. I wish Keith much happiness and am glad to hear he’ll keep putting out video content.
I’ve been in this hobby for 16yrs and I’ve only ever encountered shipping errors with ups never once with fedex has a parcel been late/lost (and I’ve lived in Philly/SoCal/Missouri and ordered often while living in each state) Just a week ago ups kept my Jason fox order an extra night which really bummed me out cause I had a “jf pimped out tenuis” in that order. I’ve always heard both sellers and buyers say that they don’t trust fedex due to the errors so I guess I’ve just gotten extremely lucky with them. Ups has let me down a lot over the years. Half of the time I don’t even tell a vendor if I lost anything in those cases because I know it’s completely out of their control. I feel bad even accepting an offer for replacements tbh. Ik how much my trusted vendors put into the business both physically and emotionally so it really sucks to see them suffer for something the shipping companies caused. That really sucks Keith I’m sorry you’re going to have to step away from your business due to those issues. At least you’ll truly be able to just enjoy this as a hobby again and not worry about the business side of things. I respect that decision man and if you do begin to sell again one day I’ll show support for sure.
So sorry this has happened to you - and No it's not just Vermont. I'm in the seattle area and my business (wedding & event flowers) has been totally ruined by FedEx. More than 50 percent of my incoming shipments were delayed or just lost. Staying in business required completely revising my business, suppliers and pricing. Not sure if they are ever planning on returning to normal service levels. Sad. As a new reefer, they always manage to get my fish to me on time though. Not sure why so different.
Hard competing with shedboi, garage sellers like us doing business locally, especially on the cost structure basis. I practically give the stuff away. Almost feel like we're going back to the 90s with the breakdown in infrastructure, I know I've been trading a lot more recently. FB reefer groups are basically a constant frag swap. LFS's are popping smoke left and right here in Denver. Thanks for the awesome frags I got from you a couple years back, Keith. Always looking forward to your vids!
Very understandable. I made the same decision for the same reasons, just in another country. The shipping problem has made the hobby really difficult for a lot of people in the recent years. Both sellers and buyers.
You are a small business. I mean really small (no disrespect). You are not subsidized. You are out of the way as you noted. Shipping isn't cheap and going up. I have no idea how you all do it. With that being said have you considered the boutique shop aspect and sell to those who don't care about shipping? Personally speaking if I was to buy from you per say it would because I want to support your business, a special coral that I know the curator cared for with passion, and so forth. Regardless you deserve kudos for taking the risk. I hope the reward was there for you and yours. All the best.
Um, plse take a moment to see this from the buyer's perspective.... I live in the Caribbean, and I do occasionally ship corals here from Miami. I assume full responsibility for their purchase, shipping & arrive-alive status. Why ? Because I want the corals. Your buyers want/desire YOUR frags. They trust YOUR quality and judgements. My advice to you, is allow the buyer to make that call on liability. For some of us, money is no object. We'll gladly pay for and take the risks that come with YOUR frags and YOUR geography. Charge enough where you don't loose. Ship out only on 1 or 2 days in the week to better your success. Don't pull the plug 100%, leave the door open for those who respect YOUR quality and uniqueness enough to pay for it. ❤❤ You're a good man !
I appreciate the advice, although I don't think enough people would take all of that extra expense and liability on to make it worth my while. Perhaps I will sell at a couple of frags swaps near by in a couple of years.
Hello Keith...fellow Vermonter here...NEK'er...and know exactly whatya mean! Especially in the winter. Sometime I have an opportunity to travel out your way it would be great to chat and if your doing local sales maybe grab some frags.
I can't stand UPS anymore just had a seasonal driver steal a package from me and took a pic of a coffee cup for the place left! I am 45 min from Vermont would love to come out and see what you have an purchase some! if that's ok let me know how.
Hi Keith, Sorry to hear this but I get it. Over the years when I have bought coral on line from you, I always looked forward to receiving the order. I liked the way your package was prepared & the coral were all in good shape. Here is a suggestion --- Maybe you should set up some form of open web orders for a month pre stating a weekend delivery day - pooling orders and then do a 1day drive/drop off at a mall parking lot down in the NY/CT area. This would keep your reefing friends happy & you could visit family while down in the area. Jim C.
Thanks Jim. That's an interesting idea....I have also thought about doing a couple of frag swaps in that area but none of that will happen for a couple of years.
I absolutely agree with you. I work in the world of logistics and fulfillment. This is a large issue with online retailers running into issues with delivery guarantees. I find it hilarious when speaking with UPS they are always telling everyone how they’re involved with the reef keeping communities and they cannot insure you properly. This is why even being somewhat of an expert myself I refuse to ship livestock due to reliability issues
I get the decision. My lfs also has an online store and he was telling me how hard it is to rely on overnight shipping, and how much its costing his business
I would gladly pay the full cost of shipping without a guarantee of overnight delivery , if the cost of the frags were much lower. Suppose 20.00 per stick , minimum order of 100.00. Too many people are trying to make money off of a HOBBY, it’s not a business. They turn their hobby into an LLC so they write off the cost of their HOBBY on taxes, get equipment at wholesale prices, and take sponsorships and discounts without fully disclosing that relationship when discussing said products. Hopefully you can fully enjoy your HOBBY now, and continue to share your and others knowledge and experiences.
Major bummer the shipping has gotten to be such a headache. I vote you keep both displays and just one frag tank Keith. Both your displays are too beautiful to break down either of them.
@@ReefBum That makes sense, you will be able to put a lot more love and effort into a single display. Super excited to see what the future holds for you Keith!
You have at least 4 corals that are hard for me to find. I currently don't have a tank. In the future, are you up for in home sales? If I can't find the corals you have, I might be taking a flight to come knockin! 😂
My shipping and coral prices have been creeping up but it is more about the unreliability of UPS and the friggin' hoops they make you jump through to file a claim for dead coral or late packages. I don't need that anymore!
I live in rural New Hampshire not near any major city or UPS hub and I have to say I've rarely experienced any delays in shipping or D.O.A.'s. All the coral in my tank was purchased online, I've probably received 50 or 60 coral shipments plus all my fish and maybe 3 have been delayed and only a few pieces D.O.A. I consider it a non-issue as a buyer but I can see it being an issue as a seller.
Congrats, Keith. As someone who has purchased from you, I'll miss what you offer, but I much prefer local trades. Looking forward to what you share next!
I love your content and what you’re doing. You have to look after you and your live animals and if shipping isn’t working you’ve got to stop. Love and admire what you’re doing. You have to keep your hobby fun so you want to do it and keep it manageable. Have you considered setting up Patreon or something? I wonder if people may consider donating an amount per month to support your reefing? Maybe that would be an alternative thing to try. I think people like you should be financially supported for what you do. I appreciate your advice and videos! Thanks for all you’ve done, your approach and advice is spot on. Thank you 😊
I rarely even sell locally since people tend to be not reliable in keeping commitments for that either. I just trade in with my LFS even though I don't get anywhere close to the proper value. I'm ok with supporting them though.
There’s so much cost and waste every step of the way buying and selling coral cross-country. Support LFS and trade with local hobbyists! Good for you Keith doing what’s best for you!
This is sad to hear but 100% understandable. I just got my order from the last live sale yesterday. Everything made it. Im sad i did not get an opportunity to get a frag of the real Purple Monster yet. I really hope you do not break down the displays. They are both too good. Frag tanks yeah be done but not the displays. The 187 was an inspiration to a lot of people me included and the peninsula is just cool and too young to get rid of.
Maybe you should partner with a few fish stores. Your shipments would be larger and you would send fewer of them. You could continue to move the same amount, or more product, and even though the sale price would be lower you would avoid most of the shipping headache. Possibly end up with a net increase too.
People dont wanna pay for quality. But theyll buy tech they dont need to flex on ig. The frag game is ridiculous. Ive thought about breaking down my frag tank and just get a big rack for the display and nip colonies and just sell to lfs to pay for the hobby. Prices are also crazy low… everyones got access to the wholesaler and theres also the growers selling a 1 inch at 150 and one cant fetch 45 for the same price. I feel ya brotha keep on truckin
I think when you make your hobby your business it loses some of its fun. Nothing wrong with selling some frags when you have the time, but trying to make everyone happy with the shipping is impossible. Unfortunately, I’ve come to learn that the buyer always takes a risk ordering online. You’re paying for convenience and sometimes it’s a gamble.
How do the big outfits do it...I look at tidal gardens and see their million+ dollar facility and all that labor...he has massive overhead...how does he make money...
yo I still have your hammer I brought almost 3years ago! maybe cutoff cali for corals like stop selling West of the missippi sorry for the spelling . thanks Reef bum
Honestly the word of mouth thing goes a long way. I still think you’ll still be busy selling frags with your history and reputation. Home grown healthy frags from guys like you, Copps, and Therman are leaps and bounds above chop shops.
Yeah, but what sucks for people like me I’m in Harpers Ferry West Virginia. There are no stores within 5 Hour Dr. except for maybe Pennsylvania I’m an hour from Washington DC but all the stores around here in Frederick, Maryland and Virginia are just horrible. The worst Corals you’ve ever seen and abasia everywhere In Corals with no colorteenagers who are selling them and have no idea what they’re doing don’t even know what they’re selling. I’ve ordered from you. I’ve ordered from worldwide Corals and many others. I’ve never had a problem.
I guess next question your going to have plenty of coral and you would need to sell at frag shows. Who would ever think one day you would have to much of a good thing.
I retired from UPS at 55 six years ago. The company was losing momentum at that time. Amazon has busted their ass. They haven’t hired enough workers to handle the extra loads. The people they are hiring aren’t to the old standards. Just enjoy your tanks for a while!
A real bummer or shall I say ReefBummer. Keith I’m sure this wasn’t an easy decision but as someone who did experience the shippers loosing your corals in their airport hub for days and the corals surviving, I can tell you all the time and attention to detail you put into each shipment is not lost on me and I’m sure many others here. I hope to snag a few more OG’s before you stop shipping to Cali. Nevertheless, excited to hear what your next chapter may have in store.
Welcome back to the hobby Keith! Enjoy your freedom!
Thank you Greg, I plan to!
Imo you’re doing the right thing. I won’t buy livestock online anymore because of the poor survival rate - it has EVERYTHING to do with the couriers’ we-don’t-care shipping. 👍🏻
Thank you Cindy!
You doing what you think is best for you. Keep the videos coming. Your definitely on of the O.Gs of reef keeping. Learned a ton from you!!!
Totally understand. I will say though over the years I’ve stopped buying from LFS’s unfortunately. I just can’t find one that doesn’t have pests out the wazoo. It’s not they’re fault, but still. Buying from a few select online vendors who aren’t open to the public I think helps minimize some risk even if just a little.
I need to get an order in before you’re totally done. You have a few sticks I’ve been wanting to get like the Jackson’s rainbow. Love your content!
$100 to California? Who do you use for shipping? I've shipped a handful of things using Finiship from CA to NY or FL and the most I ever paid for overnight UPS is $70. I get it though. Very stressful hoping your shipments arrive on time.
Well, as someone who has several of your frags thriving in there tank: your selection of classic corals and your quality of service will be missed Sir.
But, I won't second guess your decision. And I've certainly had my share of dead corals in the mail from multiple vendors. I'll count my tank lucky to have the classics it has from your collection, and wish you the best as a hobbyist.
Thank you for all you've done for the hobby already Keith
Sorry to hear Keith! Decision makes sense though, too many things outside of your control. Lots of things have had to change since Covid unfortunately. Glad to hear you'll be able to focus on your tanks and content!
Congrats on getting your time back!! 🎉
Thank you Mok-Yi!
Dang Keith if I knew the shipping out here to California was so much, I would have ordered more! The frags got here in great shape yesterday and look amazing. I think it would still be great if you just kept a list of your corals and still have them as a frag to order thing, especially for some of the higher demand ones. A lot of us will support just to keep these difficult to find corals in the hobby.
Maybe down the line I could consider something like that but I would be more likely to sell some frags at a swap.
I can completely understand this decision I’m so sorry it has come to this I wish you the best of luck
Thank you for all the great content you bring to the table. Although my reef is running on tap water i hope to one day have your success. gathe lots of information from all the great reefers including youself. Thank you for putting some time aside for all the new reefers that learned from episodes like this. Online frags sales are hard as you never know if your making money or loosing my money. Win or lose situation. Merry Christmas. Thanks for all the great content
Sad to hear you’re shutting some tanks down, but i agree shipping is such a hassle that’s why i never do it. I’ve had bad luck as a buyer getting corals, I never wanted to put myself through that mess as a seller. I’m glad you’re going to keep the videos coming. Always can use a reefbum video
I'm sorry to hear that, the frags I got from you were some one the nicest I've gottn.
I recently shipped 3 box for the first time in my life in Canada because there's not enough people reefing in my area of Québec.
Box, with card plus isolation = 30$, one Heatpack 72h, 6$, Plastic bag pack 9$, Printing label 25c copy, styrofoam to float coral 25$, coral plug 80$ pack, Glue 11$ 20g tube, Packaging fill up 20$. Obviously all those price except the box/heatpack are splitted but .. dang it adds up real fast indeed. I haven't shipped yet, for me the cost range from 24$ within Qc with a special service, but rest Canada, FedEx and others cost 68$ and other one 54$. So yeah. After selling few corals I ... was a bit shock how much the cost goes into it. That doesn't even count my time and speaking with people, fixing issues... But what surprised me is how nerves racking it is to bag up and give the box to people who have no conception of how fragile those animal are. Package arrive usually at 18c, from 25c during winter.
I agree 100%. I was in the same boat as you a few years back. Now I just sell locally and keep frags/colonies for myself. Facebook local is a lot better than selling online.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re gonna loose a part of your business. But if that saves you more time, effort, money and headaches, then I’m happy you’re doing the right thing. Now you use that energy for the other parts of your reefing/business and keep that going stronger. Wish you all the best!
Thank you for everything
Sad to hear, but understandable. It is a scale issue. Keith puts out better frags and has better selection than 98% of what’s out there. My guess is he never intended to grow the business beyond the hobbyist level. Nothing wrong with that, and it’s great to make some income off your hobby, but most folks can’t sustain that in the long term. Such is life. I have a couple frags from Keith, and I’ll have to see if I can get a few more before the door shuts. I wish Keith much happiness and am glad to hear he’ll keep putting out video content.
I’ve been in this hobby for 16yrs and I’ve only ever encountered shipping errors with ups never once with fedex has a parcel been late/lost (and I’ve lived in Philly/SoCal/Missouri and ordered often while living in each state) Just a week ago ups kept my Jason fox order an extra night which really bummed me out cause I had a “jf pimped out tenuis” in that order. I’ve always heard both sellers and buyers say that they don’t trust fedex due to the errors so I guess I’ve just gotten extremely lucky with them. Ups has let me down a lot over the years. Half of the time I don’t even tell a vendor if I lost anything in those cases because I know it’s completely out of their control. I feel bad even accepting an offer for replacements tbh. Ik how much my trusted vendors put into the business both physically and emotionally so it really sucks to see them suffer for something the shipping companies caused.
That really sucks Keith I’m sorry you’re going to have to step away from your business due to those issues. At least you’ll truly be able to just enjoy this as a hobby again and not worry about the business side of things. I respect that decision man and if you do begin to sell again one day I’ll show support for sure.
Don't be sorry my man, if it ain't worth it drop it its the right call
Understandable, I can totally relate!
Thank you Leo!
Sapinfs like you have thought it through well. Did you consider selling wholesale? Love your videos please keep them coming.
Many thanks. Wholesale wouldn't make sense for me since I would still have to ship and my margins would be even lower.
Come down to Frag Farmers Market in March, right next to UCONN in CT.
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you can do shows in the future.
Sorry to hear. Best of luck
So sorry this has happened to you - and No it's not just Vermont. I'm in the seattle area and my business (wedding & event flowers) has been totally ruined by FedEx. More than 50 percent of my incoming shipments were delayed or just lost. Staying in business required completely revising my business, suppliers and pricing. Not sure if they are ever planning on returning to normal service levels. Sad. As a new reefer, they always manage to get my fish to me on time though. Not sure why so different.
Hard competing with shedboi, garage sellers like us doing business locally, especially on the cost structure basis. I practically give the stuff away. Almost feel like we're going back to the 90s with the breakdown in infrastructure, I know I've been trading a lot more recently. FB reefer groups are basically a constant frag swap. LFS's are popping smoke left and right here in Denver. Thanks for the awesome frags I got from you a couple years back, Keith. Always looking forward to your vids!
So thankful for the corals you have sold!
Very understandable. I made the same decision for the same reasons, just in another country. The shipping problem has made the hobby really difficult for a lot of people in the recent years. Both sellers and buyers.
Wow it is sad to hear but life is to short we have to do what’s best
We are in the middle of a major competency crisis.
Lots of garage growers here in Australia did the same. It is less demanding to sell wholesale for the local shops.
All the best.
But it really sucks what shipping has done after covid to the entire industry. I hope everything still works out for you great
You are a small business. I mean really small (no disrespect). You are not subsidized. You are out of the way as you noted. Shipping isn't cheap and going up. I have no idea how you all do it. With that being said have you considered the boutique shop aspect and sell to those who don't care about shipping? Personally speaking if I was to buy from you per say it would because I want to support your business, a special coral that I know the curator cared for with passion, and so forth. Regardless you deserve kudos for taking the risk. I hope the reward was there for you and yours. All the best.
Um, plse take a moment to see this from the buyer's perspective.... I live in the Caribbean, and I do occasionally ship corals here from Miami. I assume full responsibility for their purchase, shipping & arrive-alive status. Why ? Because I want the corals. Your buyers want/desire YOUR frags. They trust YOUR quality and judgements. My advice to you, is allow the buyer to make that call on liability. For some of us, money is no object. We'll gladly pay for and take the risks that come with YOUR frags and YOUR geography. Charge enough where you don't loose. Ship out only on 1 or 2 days in the week to better your success. Don't pull the plug 100%, leave the door open for those who respect YOUR quality and uniqueness enough to pay for it. ❤❤ You're a good man !
I appreciate the advice, although I don't think enough people would take all of that extra expense and liability on to make it worth my while. Perhaps I will sell at a couple of frags swaps near by in a couple of years.
Hello Keith...fellow Vermonter here...NEK'er...and know exactly whatya mean! Especially in the winter. Sometime I have an opportunity to travel out your way it would be great to chat and if your doing local sales maybe grab some frags.
I can't stand UPS anymore just had a seasonal driver steal a package from me and took a pic of a coffee cup for the place left! I am 45 min from Vermont would love to come out and see what you have an purchase some! if that's ok let me know how.
everything is getting hard I agree with you just don't stop the videos
Hi Keith, Sorry to hear this but I get it.
Over the years when I have bought coral on line from you, I always looked forward to receiving the order. I liked the way your package was prepared & the coral were all in good shape.
Here is a suggestion --- Maybe you should set up some form of open web orders for a month pre stating a weekend delivery day - pooling orders and then do a 1day drive/drop off at a mall parking lot down in the NY/CT area. This would keep your reefing friends happy & you could visit family while down in the area.
Jim C.
Thanks Jim. That's an interesting idea....I have also thought about doing a couple of frag swaps in that area but none of that will happen for a couple of years.
I absolutely agree with you. I work in the world of logistics and fulfillment. This is a large issue with online retailers running into issues with delivery guarantees. I find it hilarious when speaking with UPS they are always telling everyone how they’re involved with the reef keeping communities and they cannot insure you properly. This is why even being somewhat of an expert myself I refuse to ship livestock due to reliability issues
My best LFS is 3 hours away and you are correct, it's worth the drive.
I get the decision. My lfs also has an online store and he was telling me how hard it is to rely on overnight shipping, and how much its costing his business
As an online seller, I completely agree with you!!
I would gladly pay the full cost of shipping without a guarantee of overnight delivery , if the cost of the frags were much lower. Suppose 20.00 per stick , minimum order of 100.00. Too many people are trying to make money off of a HOBBY, it’s not a business. They turn their hobby into an LLC so they write off the cost of their HOBBY on taxes, get equipment at wholesale prices, and take sponsorships and discounts without fully disclosing that relationship when discussing said products. Hopefully you can fully enjoy your HOBBY now, and continue to share your and others knowledge and experiences.
I feel your pain Keith!
Thank you Abe!
Major bummer the shipping has gotten to be such a headache. I vote you keep both displays and just one frag tank Keith. Both your displays are too beautiful to break down either of them.
Thank you but one system has to go....too much work and too many corals with a very small population of local buyers.
@@ReefBum That makes sense, you will be able to put a lot more love and effort into a single display. Super excited to see what the future holds for you Keith!
You have at least 4 corals that are hard for me to find. I currently don't have a tank. In the future, are you up for in home sales? If I can't find the corals you have, I might be taking a flight to come knockin! 😂
I respect your decision. And I love your videos as well as your coral.
But why not charge more for shipping/packaging?
My shipping and coral prices have been creeping up but it is more about the unreliability of UPS and the friggin' hoops they make you jump through to file a claim for dead coral or late packages. I don't need that anymore!
I live in rural New Hampshire not near any major city or UPS hub and I have to say I've rarely experienced any delays in shipping or D.O.A.'s. All the coral in my tank was purchased online, I've probably received 50 or 60 coral shipments plus all my fish and maybe 3 have been delayed and only a few pieces D.O.A. I consider it a non-issue as a buyer but I can see it being an issue as a seller.
Congrats, Keith. As someone who has purchased from you, I'll miss what you offer, but I much prefer local trades. Looking forward to what you share next!
Thanks Jim. Trading is a great way to add to one's coral collection and unfortunately it has become a lost art.
I'm glad I got my Purple Monster !
Keith...i go skiing to Vermont all the time and i know you ski as well so maybe we can ski together one day and i can pass by and pick up frags.
Too bad . Best of luck 😊
Very understandable. Shipping companies don't take accountability. Shame on them.
Best of luck, Keith.
I love your content and what you’re doing.
You have to look after you and your live animals and if shipping isn’t working you’ve got to stop.
Love and admire what you’re doing.
You have to keep your hobby fun so you want to do it and keep it manageable.
Have you considered setting up Patreon or something?
I wonder if people may consider donating an amount per month to support your reefing? Maybe that would be an alternative thing to try.
I think people like you should be financially supported for what you do. I appreciate your advice and videos!
Thanks for all you’ve done, your approach and advice is spot on.
Thank you 😊
I rarely even sell locally since people tend to be not reliable in keeping commitments for that either. I just trade in with my LFS even though I don't get anywhere close to the proper value. I'm ok with supporting them though.
Since you will have more time you should consider doing more live streams! You run a great show
Where in velmont you live
Excellent explanation, and wise decision sir
Hey, I just emailed you Keith. What a bummer. Your live sales have been so much fun. I get it though.
Cheers,
Chris
There’s so much cost and waste every step of the way buying and selling coral cross-country. Support LFS and trade with local hobbyists! Good for you Keith doing what’s best for you!
This is sad to hear but 100% understandable. I just got my order from the last live sale yesterday. Everything made it. Im sad i did not get an opportunity to get a frag of the real Purple Monster yet. I really hope you do not break down the displays. They are both too good. Frag tanks yeah be done but not the displays. The 187 was an inspiration to a lot of people me included and the peninsula is just cool and too young to get rid of.
I like to save up my money, and do a large yearly frag buy when reefapalooza comes to town!
Maybe A BI YEARLY SALE LIKE ON R2R ? What ya think of that ? Seems youput as much care into your frags as possible . 😊
Nah, not becoming a sponsor of R2R.
@@ReefBum Will try to figure out the problem with R2R , it's probably conglomeration. Can I get your opinion please
Maybe you should partner with a few fish stores. Your shipments would be larger and you would send fewer of them. You could continue to move the same amount, or more product, and even though the sale price would be lower you would avoid most of the shipping headache. Possibly end up with a net increase too.
Interesting idea but I would still have to ship and my margins would be even lower.
I wish you all the best
People dont wanna pay for quality.
But theyll buy tech they dont need to flex on ig.
The frag game is ridiculous.
Ive thought about breaking down my frag tank and just get a big rack for the display and nip colonies and just sell to lfs to pay for the hobby.
Prices are also crazy low… everyones got access to the wholesaler and theres also the growers selling a 1 inch at 150 and one cant fetch 45 for the same price.
I feel ya brotha keep on truckin
Why insert O2 in coral bag? Understandable decision though. However, Maybe accept orders over 500$ and sent to proven destinations only.
This....www.reefbum.com/instructional/let-corals-breathe-insights-from-a-shipping-experiment/
I’m an online seller and I completely understand!
I reached out to you and left you a voicemail a few weeks ago. Looking to buy a particular acro frag from you. Any chance you will still ship that?
I don't believe I received that message. I will be shipping for another 2-3 months.
@@ReefBum ok. I’m currently mid tank upgrade but I’ve been OBSESSED with the gilded lily
@@matthewturbin969 Unfortunately, that one browned out on me but is slowly regaining its color so it is currently not available.
@@ReefBum can I shoot you an email so that if it unbrowns when my new tank is ready and you’re still shipping, I could get a piece?
I think when you make your hobby your business it loses some of its fun. Nothing wrong with selling some frags when you have the time, but trying to make everyone happy with the shipping is impossible. Unfortunately, I’ve come to learn that the buyer always takes a risk ordering online. You’re paying for convenience and sometimes it’s a gamble.
Plus ski season is here! Hope you're not breaking down the peninsula.
Stay tuned on that decision ;)
This really sucks, love your frags😢
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I’ve never had a DOA on livestock.
guess paul and I will have to drive up to visit 😜
Inflation sucks. Everything is so damn expensive.
These shipping companies are raising prices for more profits. It’s not inflation it’s greed
Maybe one day the Star Trek Teleportation technology thing will be a real thing and we won’t have to worry about shipping issues.
Enjoy the hobby . Local selling is much simpler imo.🤙
Covid has changed our lives in more than one way and most of the time is for the worse. Inflation and price are almost double for many items.
How do the big outfits do it...I look at tidal gardens and see their million+ dollar facility and all that labor...he has massive overhead...how does he make money...
TG supplies corals to LFS; that's where the bulk of their income comes from, not to hobbyist sales.
@@opethmike Ahh...that makes more sense...
yo I still have your hammer I brought almost 3years ago! maybe cutoff cali for corals like stop selling West of the missippi sorry for the spelling . thanks Reef bum
Fed Ex jacked my orders weith high end SPS. True that.
Honestly the word of mouth thing goes a long way. I still think you’ll still be busy selling frags with your history and reputation. Home grown healthy frags from guys like you, Copps, and Therman are leaps and bounds above chop shops.
Yeah, but what sucks for people like me I’m in Harpers Ferry West Virginia. There are no stores within 5 Hour Dr. except for maybe Pennsylvania I’m an hour from Washington DC but all the stores around here in Frederick, Maryland and Virginia are just horrible. The worst Corals you’ve ever seen and abasia everywhere In Corals with no colorteenagers who are selling them and have no idea what they’re doing don’t even know what they’re selling. I’ve ordered from you. I’ve ordered from worldwide Corals and many others. I’ve never had a problem.
As a shop owner and maintenance tech, I have not had any trouble using eye catching coral for my weekly orders.
Well crap! I need some Reefbum sps!!
Remy, get them while supplies last...the liquidation sale is on!
I guess next question your going to have plenty of coral and you would need to sell at frag shows. Who would ever think one day you would have to much of a good thing.
I retired from UPS at 55 six years ago. The company was losing momentum at that time. Amazon has busted their ass. They haven’t hired enough workers to handle the extra loads. The people they are hiring aren’t to the old standards. Just enjoy your tanks for a while!
Perfectly understandable. Shame.
remember this when you vote.
Lmao you do that buddy
Lets go Brandon
Noooooooooo
Don't joke like that
lol
Such a clickbait title……
Probably AI or UA-cam generated
LFS rule, keep them alive!
Nah, I fully admit that I created a click bait title :)
A real bummer or shall I say ReefBummer. Keith I’m sure this wasn’t an easy decision but as someone who did experience the shippers loosing your corals in their airport hub for days and the corals surviving, I can tell you all the time and attention to detail you put into each shipment is not lost on me and I’m sure many others here. I hope to snag a few more OG’s before you stop shipping to Cali. Nevertheless, excited to hear what your next chapter may have in store.
I appreciate that Aaron! I will be shipping for a few more months...or until supplies last ;)