Monkeyboy, again, please read my posts before you rush to judgment. I said that there are markups that are reasonable and legitimate. I also said that I support my LFSs. I have also said in the past that I have not been impressed with many MO fish. I don't go to exclusive stores where I pay $.25 for a damsel, if I did, I would open up my own store and buy my stuff from them. All I have ever said is that you can get fish for under $.10 wholesale. Again, I have said it over and over, this does not include any shipping, licensing, tax, customs, or duties that may be incurred, or overhead.
By the way, thanks for the compliment on advice, and if you have read some of my other posts, which I know that you have, you will also know that if I'm wrong I admit it, or if someone else expresses an opinion or gives constructive criticism, I don't flame them, I take in what they say and learn from it. I also do not back up something without fact, and when I do express an opinion not based on fact, I say so, or refer to the expertise of others. So, when I say that these prices are legit, I am not full of it, they do exist, and when I say the ultimate markup is 10000% (10000% or .03 = $3.00) I am not lying. I also do not pretend to say that this markup is all paid for by the consumer. One of the above posts talked about profit margins versus markup. Well, I'm sure it was right on the money. I'm sure that in the end, a .03 damsel costs the retailer over a dollar, and that the presentation of that damsel for sale costs the retailer additional money, and that these costs are made up for by passing it on to the consumer. That is the way of business. I have never criticized this method, as it goes on everyday. How much did this Dorito I'm eating cost to make? Probably about $1.00 for every 1000 chips or so, or less. How much did I pay for the bag? $4.99. Am I complaining about it? No. All I ever sought to do in my post was inform people that yes, there are stores that will rip you off. There are stores in my area that despite their ridiculous prices, I still shop at for those "bait" items like cheap salt, or the monthly sale item. I never ever said that you shouldn't support your LFS, only that you should shop around, because one store might be marking something up a lot more than the next.
And a note for all, I have yet to receive what I ordered from this place, as it is a special order that they need to find before sending it to me, but check out how low these prices are at this MO place. Obviously, their overhead is much lower than a retail store, but if you look at their fish prices, and consider the fact that this is a place that is based in Florida, then think how cheap it would be to order something from Indonesia where the dollar is worth a lot more.
sealective.com
I don't know what quality their merchandise is, as I am still awaiting my first special order, but it gives you a little perspective on what I am talking about (and this is a retailer, not a wholesaler).
