Selling fish to LFS.

[Taylor]

So,  this would be a first.. i understand you dont get retail, but there is some value from a tank breed fish over a huge farm correct  whats a fair value for fish store for endlers..    i was thinking like $1.50,   is that to high.   And blue neocaridena like $1.75... anyone have their experience??

[FrozenFins]

It really depends where your selling. For example, a neon tetra may cost $2.50 where I live but may cost the people in florida $1.25. I would say, try to find out how much a endler and blue neocaridena shrimp are being sold at and subtract at least 50% from it. For example: If they sold the endler for $4.00 I would try to charge them $1-2. My LFS has a online shop so I can see what they would normally sell each fish for. If your fish store doens't have that, then try to find a fair price and offer it to them. Worst case scenario they counter your offer. 

Heres a playlist cory has on breed fish for profit. He talks about selling fish at stores too.

 Heres the exact video he talks about selling fish

 

[Taylor]

Thanks, i belive they are like 4-6  bux about.  i wasnt sure how deep i should discount them. So they need fo atleast double money. 

[Squeegee79]

I think a pretty good baseline for most fish is to expect to get about 1/3 of retail for them. LFS's have to have quite a large markup on fish in order to make any money because they have to feed them, there are deaths to account for, it costs electricity and water to maintain them. 

[tolstoy21]

I tend to get 1/4 to 1/3 what the store sells a fish for in store credit. Half that amount if I take cash from the places that offer cash which I have yet to take. Credit is usually all I’m looking for. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by tolstoy21

[Fish Folk]

It depends on your goals. Tomorrow, we will sell 6x Electric Blue Acaras, 12x Angelfish, probably 6x Bronze Corydoras, and 2x Goldfish to one of our LFS. 

We have not set a goal of "making money." Our aim is to (1) help out a local fish store and a local aquatic market (2) offset our expenses in the hobby (3) maintain & build upon a good relationship with the LFS owner. 

If we were in it for money, we'd be hard pressed to really compete. I basically tell him, "Look it up on your fish farm stock list wholesale cost, and give us at least as much as you'd pay them." In reality, we'll probably get $2.50 / $3.00 per Electric Blue Acara. Which is ridiculous. I've seen them retail for $15-$40 here. For Angelfish, we'll be lucky to get $2.00 each. But I know that _every single angelfish he's gotten from Florida_ has died in his water, while ours survive until sold. Knowing that matters. I assume we'll probably get about $65.00 in cash tomorrow. We've spent much more breeding and raising these fish. But we'd be doing that anyway, so this is just fine on our end. 

But caring for quality fish that will actually survive in local aquarists' tanks is a real value added. We know our fish haven't moved around a dozen times or been subjected to strange meds, stressful shipping, saline fry contexts, etc. We're totally confident that our fish are healthy and will move along to customers in good condition. And that's going to be good for business. Those customers will come back to _that_ store, and remember _those_ fish. And so will the LFS owner. 

You might not think it's a big deal, but when you care about a business and share values in the hobby, good things happen!

Edited January 26, 2021 by Fish Folk

[Taylor]

Thanks for the info. Im not in it for money either, actually i.m running outta supplies so credit/barter system works for me, just dont wanna leave to much on the table if ya knkw what i mean. Dont wanna go in a .25 and could  be getting 1.25. I know if im gonna actually make money i need to sell them retail online my self just takes even More supplies so untill then ill try to trade.  

[Fish Folk]

15 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

I assume we'll probably get about $65.00 in cash tomorrow.

Followup -- got $60 cash for fish brought in today to our LFS. $5 short of my estimate. I could push for more, but next time around that adds friction. I'd have liked to get more for the Electric Blue Acaras. They're so gorgeous . . . but business is business, and the owner knows what will and won't really sell. Now, if I have brought in 100x guppies, 50x males / 50x females, he'd have given me at least $100 outright -- maybe more. He can't keep guppies that ship in alive. 

Photo of the Acaras . . . 💙

 

[ChefConfit]

It's all about the market in your area and how long the store owner thinks it will take to sell them. 

For example most stores go thru a ton of guppies every week so the store may be willing to pay a higher percentage of their retail price because the of keeping that fish until it sells are likely to be lower. 

Meanwhile if there isn't a big cichlid market in your area or the store you're selling g to specializes in community fish those cichlids you bring in might only get you 5-10% of retail because the store is going to take on the cost of keeping them happy and healthy until they sell which may be a long time if at all. 

Also don't forget you are competing with a wholesaler when you sell to the LFS. Hobbyist bred doesn't automatically mean better. You need to beat the wholesaler either quality, price or reliability. Maybe even 2 or 3 of those. 

For example if you're LFS has trouble getting in blue dream shrimp from their wholesaler and you bring some in don't expect too dollar the first couple times but once they see yours look better and have a better survival rate and you have them for them every month so you're a reliable source they might be willing to pay more than they would from a wholesaler. 

There's no harm in asking for as much as 50% retail but know that 20-30% seems to be what a lot of stores pay and even less if they might have trouble selling it fast. 

[Taylor]

Thanks for your responses,