Buy then sell live rock?

hurricanereef · 08/22/2009, 11:45 PM

I'm pretty new to reefing and I hit a puzzle.
. I was outbid on some live rock on ebay, then I searched for more and the bidder who just outbid me, was selling live rock on ebay.
what the heck?
Why would anyone do this?
I thought maybe it's to get a different type, with different critters or something?
Or, could he be buying it to turn around and try to sell if for a higher price? I'm pretty sure you couldn't make any money that way, so I was just wondering what you experienced folks think.

CBMullen · 08/23/2009, 01:03 AM

Doubtful anyone is buying and reselling that quickly- not a lot of room for markup- but I would think this may be a situation where a person bought some rock (different style, Tonga branch or like) and then sold what they had- but that is strictly opinion

iFisch · 08/23/2009, 02:08 AM

Sure. For instance the LR I "want" ships in 30# boxes. I need 15#. So I will have to find a buyer for the other 15#'s before I order.

ludnix · 08/23/2009, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by iFisch
Sure. For instance the LR I "want" ships in 30# boxes. I need 15#. So I will have to find a buyer for the other 15#'s before I order.

When I setup my 120, I bought 200lbs of uncured live rock, cherry picked the pieces I wanted and then sold about 80lbs of rock I didn't want after it was cured for twice the price.

iFisch · 08/23/2009, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ludnix
When I setup my 120, I bought 200lbs of uncured live rock, cherry picked the pieces I wanted and then sold about 80lbs of rock I didn't want after it was cured for twice the price.

I see nothing wrong with that, personally.

username in use · 08/23/2009, 06:17 AM

there are people on ebay, who utilize a secondary screen name to bid up there own stuff, in hopes of getting you to spend your maximum bid. If they outbid you, they just put it up again and see if you will bite. It happened to me a couple of times and I just emailed the people and told them what I was willing to pay and said if you want to sell it for that then dont outbid me. Worked once.

iFisch · 08/23/2009, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by username in use
there are people on ebay, who utilize a secondary screen name to bid up there own stuff, in hopes of getting you to spend your maximum bid. If they outbid you, they just put it up again and see if you will bite. It happened to me a couple of times and I just emailed the people and told them what I was willing to pay and said if you want to sell it for that then dont outbid me. Worked once.

I heard about that, with the member who sells 1 original purple hornet frag. Last bid was like $270, then was offered to someone who bid $80. He thought it was shady and didn't buy it.

aaronnohren · 08/23/2009, 08:19 AM

I have not heard of much of this going on through ebay, but mainly through websites such as these. Buy cheap used goods and sell them on a different site for much more.

Aquafred · 08/23/2009, 08:33 AM

I beleive it's totally Ok for someone to buy some LR and sell what they don't need. Or maybe be they didn't like what they got...
The worse scenario would be if they are selling the rocks that had aptasia on them!

iFisch · 08/23/2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aquafred

The worse scenario would be if they are selling the rocks that had aptasia on them!

Which is often hard to tell, unless it is lite with lots of light.

For instance I smelled and looked over the LR I initially bought, I couldn't find any bad algae, but took it home, and reinspected it in my tank, and sure enough I had aptasia. But 1 peppermint took care of that.

luther1200 · 08/23/2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by username in use
there are people on ebay, who utilize a secondary screen name to bid up there own stuff, in hopes of getting you to spend your maximum bid. If they outbid you, they just put it up again and see if you will bite. It happened to me a couple of times and I just emailed the people and told them what I was willing to pay and said if you want to sell it for that then dont outbid me. Worked once.

+1, Its probably the same person with another name and the same exact picture and/or the same exact rock itself. I persoanly wouldn't deal with somebody like that.

nes999 · 08/23/2009, 10:21 PM

to be honest thats how i make most of my living i have jobs but that gets me alot of money. i buy and sell stuff on ebay.

iFisch · 08/24/2009, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nes999
to be honest thats how i make most of my living i have jobs but that gets me alot of money. i buy and sell stuff on ebay.

By doing that, your simply adding an additional step before it get's to the seller's hands. But, then you don't need "connections" everywhere to sell something. Buy something big, and split it up. Or buy something that is fixable - fix it - and sell it.

It all evens out at the end of the day.

david pinder · 08/24/2009, 07:34 AM

What I think is rotten. I have seen twice lately where someone bought a nice colony of sps cheap and turned around selling frags for the same price as they bought the colony for. Yea you have the right to make a profit but give me a break there nothing but lowlifes

iFisch · 08/24/2009, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by david pinder
What I think is rotten. I have seen twice lately where someone bought a nice colony of sps cheap and turned around selling frags for the same price as they bought the colony for. Yea you have the right to make a profit but give me a break there nothing but lowlifes

....nevermind....

sean obergfell · 08/31/2009, 06:22 PM

You people are funny.....This is how people make a living....its a free country...if they are smart and know the product and know they can purchase that for what someone is selling it for and take the time to cut frags and ship or whatever work needs to be done then God bless em. the first guy gets his money and the second guy feeds his family...all is happy...except those who dont mind their own buisness!

nes999 · 09/01/2009, 10:53 PM

and to all of you that think that its easy god bless ya i spend days apon days worth of time in reaserch

08/22/2009, 11:45 PM	#1
hurricanereef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NW Florida Posts: 2	Buy then sell live rock? I'm pretty new to reefing and I hit a puzzle. . I was outbid on some live rock on ebay, then I searched for more and the bidder who just outbid me, was selling live rock on ebay. what the heck? Why would anyone do this? I thought maybe it's to get a different type, with different critters or something? Or, could he be buying it to turn around and try to sell if for a higher price? I'm pretty sure you couldn't make any money that way, so I was just wondering what you experienced folks think. __________________ Personal Responsibility, Common Decency, Where have they gone? Current Tank Info: 20g salt, 20g freshwater planted, 20g community, 20g birchirs

08/23/2009, 06:17 AM	#6
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	there are people on ebay, who utilize a secondary screen name to bid up there own stuff, in hopes of getting you to spend your maximum bid. If they outbid you, they just put it up again and see if you will bite. It happened to me a couple of times and I just emailed the people and told them what I was willing to pay and said if you want to sell it for that then dont outbid me. Worked once. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

08/31/2009, 06:22 PM	#16
sean obergfell Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Olean, ny Posts: 852	You people are funny.....This is how people make a living....its a free country...if they are smart and know the product and know they can purchase that for what someone is selling it for and take the time to cut frags and ship or whatever work needs to be done then God bless em. the first guy gets his money and the second guy feeds his family...all is happy...except those who dont mind their own buisness! __________________ Live Out Truth

08/23/2009, 01:03 AM	#2
CBMullen Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 80	Doubtful anyone is buying and reselling that quickly- not a lot of room for markup- but I would think this may be a situation where a person bought some rock (different style, Tonga branch or like) and then sold what they had- but that is strictly opinion

08/23/2009, 02:08 AM	#3
iFisch Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: FL Posts: 3,068	Sure. For instance the LR I "want" ships in 30# boxes. I need 15#. So I will have to find a buyer for the other 15#'s before I order.

08/23/2009, 08:19 AM	#8
aaronnohren Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 89	I have not heard of much of this going on through ebay, but mainly through websites such as these. Buy cheap used goods and sell them on a different site for much more.

08/23/2009, 08:33 AM	#9
Aquafred Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 203	I beleive it's totally Ok for someone to buy some LR and sell what they don't need. Or maybe be they didn't like what they got... The worse scenario would be if they are selling the rocks that had aptasia on them!

08/23/2009, 10:21 PM	#12
nes999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 72	to be honest thats how i make most of my living i have jobs but that gets me alot of money. i buy and sell stuff on ebay.

08/24/2009, 07:34 AM	#14
david pinder Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: houston tx 77316 Posts: 538	What I think is rotten. I have seen twice lately where someone bought a nice colony of sps cheap and turned around selling frags for the same price as they bought the colony for. Yea you have the right to make a profit but give me a break there nothing but lowlifes

09/01/2009, 10:53 PM	#17
nes999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 72	and to all of you that think that its easy god bless ya i spend days apon days worth of time in reaserch