Where do the lfs get their fish and why

[MaddEnemy]

Where do the lfs get their fish and why can't we as well?

I am sure business licenses would be involved for cheaper prices but why not order from the same place an lfs does? I would think even at regular price that the place that sells to lfs would sell to us? Maybe cutting out the middle man "LFS" would save some $$?

 

[canarsie11]

It just business. LFS probably buy with a certain amout of bulk that a person with couple of tanks cannot deal with.


You gonna go to wholesaler and say give me 4 tiger barbs, 2 gourami, and 5 danios.

They must buy in high numbers to get price!

 

[Sorrell]

You wouldn't save money after you figure in the shipping. Sure, you'd get say a gourami for 30 cents, but then you'd pay 25 dollars to have it shipped. Unless you're buying huge bulks of fish, you really wouldn't save any money anyway.

 

[Guppylover]

I would say it's cheaper to buy your fish from your lfs, shipping price can be very expensive sometimes. It also depends on the lfs you have too. But if you want to buy your fish from where you lfs gets them I won't try to stop you.

 

[Teelie]

Most wholesalers only sell to retail, the stores themselves and not to individuals. Even if they did, you'd pay outrageous shipping fees.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

The woman I know who runs the fish store has made a few comments about her supplier that make me think she doesn't even get to really pick what fish she wants, she just gets a bunch of community ones. She always says stuff like 'if they send me some this time' and 'I don't know what I'll get exactly'. It sounds like a sucky way to get fish.

 

[FishDan]

Yeah, as was already stated, buy a fish from a wholesaler is not a good way to save money. LFSs get a good price because they buy in bulk. Also, as was mentioned, ever notice how you buy a fish online for $1.99 and then have to pay like $20.00 to ship it? Hardly what amounts to a "good deal" to me, again unless you buy in bulk. My LFS may charge me $6.99 for the same fish, but that's still $15.00 less than buying it online. This is of course a different matter all together if the fish I am ordering is rare or unavailbe locally. Paying the shipping becomes worth it if I can't get the fish I want otherwise.

NinjaSmurf, I think that's how most LFSs get stock. Fishkeeping is an interesting hobby in that stocks will often fluctuate. The wholesaler can only ship what breeds or what they have available. Of course I imagine the common fish will always be available, but things that aren't so common will be gotten "when the get shipped" to the LFS. Or when the LFS tries to special order it.

\Dan

 

[Sorrell]

At the store I used to be at, we would have a base order that we always had and then we would add special orders and such on. The majority were the same each week. Sometimes our supplier would have them, sometimes not. We would often say "We'll see what they send" but we did the initial order.

Buying online is great for people like me who have no fish stores in the area. I would pay more in gas to go to a lfs then I do for shipping. The only downfall I have is that I do not get to personally choose my fish.

 

[Teelie]

FishDan is right. I used to work at a shop and it's largely what the wholeseller has in stock or in the case of reputable ones, those fish they have that are healthy enough to ship. Wholesellers in turn get fish from their suppliers and the suppliers get what their employees can catch or buy from other fishermen.

It's really quite a complicated and difficult structure which is part of why fish are expensive. So many middlemen. The other half of course is the fish are expensive to ship, even in bulk.

For example, a $3.00 fish might only cost 50¢ to aquire and sell normally, but you have all the employees involved who need to be paid and then the cost of shipping so it jumps up.

 

[Sorrell]

I wondered if we'd be posting the same thing Teelie!