Singaporeans act funny

[ckevin]

My observations:

Recently, corals have been traded via bidding systems. Many a time, the purchase price may be 10-30% dearer than wat the most expensive LFS would offer.

LFS owners must be scratching their heads and wondering why customers would not buy his coral at $x but willing to bid for a similar one at $x + $y.

FRankly if you ask me, i don't see a great deal about the corals offered for bidding. I have given away frags of rarer and nicer quality.

Singaporeans are known to bargain hard. Sometimes bargain until veins appear and all types of no budget tactics are used. So why this acts of generosity?

Why pay for taxes and shop rental when only a virtual office is needed?

Any reefer with entrepruenial spirit should reach out to these LFS. Offer to sell their coral via bidding system and share the profits. Win win situation-LFS got himself an administrator and the reefer ###### businessman does not need to keep stock.

Take offence only if there is a guilt conscience. Otherwise, ignore as it is just another grouchy reefer.

[blueheaven]

Same sentiments here

It's a trend now and most sellers hope to sell it for more than when it is bought

And of course there are those who think it is trendy to do this

[mUAr_cHEe]

i like woonming...

i am funny...

i am singaporean...

this one is call fad....

some ppl... just bid bid bid bid bid bid....

*too engrossed in bidding and want the piece badly, but for the moment forgot to get it as a generally good deal*

"YAY!! I GOT IT!!!"

*took a closer look*

*slap forehead*

"DO'H!!!! more $$$ than LFS....."

*go collect coral*

"more brown some more..... "

[ckevin]

I honestly was expecting the first 5 postings to condemn me for being outright.

[wil_lee76]

why why? why we cannot be orginal? Why we always wants to use pirated?? when pple do these, all follow? Monkey see monkey do??? copycat??

IMO, i find that if a item have its value...unique...cannot find elsewhere...then can consider....but sometimes, pple bid and bid...(intention not to buy) and jack upz the whole damnz price...in the end, who gain? Not us...but the seller.......anywaz...i dun like bidding system....cos it reminds me of the bloody COE bidding...!!!!

[RAV-65]

My observations:

Recently, corals have been traded via bidding systems. Many a time, the purchase price may be 10-30% dearer than wat the most expensive LFS would offer.

LFS owners must be scratching their heads and wondering why customers would not buy his coral at $x but willing to bid for a similar one at $x + $y.

FRankly if you ask me, i don't see a great deal about the corals offered for bidding. I have given away frags of rarer and nicer quality.

Singaporeans are known to bargain hard. Sometimes bargain until veins appear and all types of no budget tactics are used. So why this acts of generosity?

Why pay for taxes and shop rental when only a virtual office is needed?

Any reefer with entrepruenial spirit should reach out to these LFS. Offer to sell their coral via bidding system and share the profits. Win win situation-LFS got himself an administrator and the reefer ###### businessman does not need to keep stock.

Take offence only if there is a guilt conscience. Otherwise, ignore as it is just another grouchy reefer.

Hi bro...

I've personally put up a colony of zoos for bid lately... to be honest, the final bidded price exceed my expectations and even the wat I would expect the coral be worth. I end up having to reduce the price of the coral and also end the bidding early to prevent the price from escalating to levels which I cannot phantom. Although I must admit that in the end I made a profit!

In a bidding system, you pay for wat you like... how long have we tolerated someone who has come in to offer ridiculous prices for some of the corals sold? The same buyers have attempted to cut the sellers throat to get a good deal.... Hence the bidding system may have its usefulness.

Like someone mentioned, willing buyer, willing seller, if everyone feels that ur price is too high, nobody will bid... and I still feel that you pay for wat you like...

Juz my $0.02...

[ckevin]

I've personally put up a colony of zoos for bid lately... to be honest, the final bidded price exceed my expectations and even the wat I would expect the coral be worth. I end up having to reduce the price of the coral  and also end the bidding early to prevent the price from escalating to levels which I cannot phantom. Although I must admit that in the end I made a profit!

Rav,

In fact i was silently complementing on the integrity of the whole sale thingy you had going. Very class. My respects.

But you did realise that this act of integrity has immediate copycats too

Someone copied almost your exact words for his sale

I am in agreement of the pay-what-you-want theory. A deal takes place only between willing parties. I have on many occasions offered "cut-throat" prices for items i am interested in. And on these occasions, i most always seek forgiveness from sellers and asked to be ignored should my offer offend them.

Sometimes i win, sometimes i don't. No hard feelings. All business.

I am also not against bidding although it is disturbing to see too much of it in a forum of information and sharing. Anytime you do the "get new posts" , more than 40% are from pasar malam.

This one left bad taste:

Chiller sales

ugly truth

more ugly truths

Open all 3 links and compare the dates and offered price. Doesn't take a PHD to see my point.

I chanced upon the evidence only when i did a search on the chiller brand (NSEW)as it is relatively unknown and i am keen to purchase a second hand chiller on budget.

Just lamentations.No offence

Regards,

Kevin

[ervine]

Like someone mentioned, willing buyer, willing seller, if everyone feels that ur price is too high, nobody will bid... and I still feel that you pay for wat you like...

agreed.. if bot sides happy who are we to say anything?

[ozy]

There may be a few factors affecting this:

1. Generally, life stocks from reefers' tank tends to be more stable, probably has passed the acclimatization from the wild environment to a close system. Such LS tends to have a higher success rate. There is also the minimized risk of parasites and contaminants.

2. Through the wonders of digital photography, many corals have the enhanced appearance when the photos has been published. The enhancements may be delibrate or unintentional due to the enhancing algorithms that camera manufacturers put in the cameras and proudly advertise.

3. I agree that sometimes some singaporeans cannot tahan losing out and sometimes get caught in the heat of bidding.

[Nautical]

no matter how thin you slice a paper, there is always two sides to it.

for those who advocate the bidding system, have you ever thought of people who work together in cahoots !!!!

in flowery language, they push the price high up. if a genuine buyer comes along, okay they made a kill. otherwise, let's wait for a sucker next time.

don't flame me. feel guilty if the shoe fits you.

my $0.02 worth.

[weisoon]

no matter how thin you slice a paper, there is always two sides to it. 

for those who advocate the bidding system, have you ever thought of people who work together in cahoots !!!!   

in flowery language, they push the price high up.  if a genuine buyer comes along, okay they made a kill.  otherwise, let's wait for a sucker next time. 

don't flame me.  feel guilty if the shoe fits you.

my $0.02 worth.

It takes time for people (bidders) to learn and then learn it the hard way. One must learn from ebay and do a bit of searching and 'view' from the sellers' shoes, his strategy of driving the final price up.

[wil_lee76]

It takes time for people (bidders) to learn and then learn it the hard way. One must learn from ebay and do a bit of searching and 'view' from the sellers' shoes, his strategy of driving the final price up.

yes i agree that...learn how to search and look at their posts...but sometimes it hard too lah! i learnt my lesson when i bought some stuffs from reefer which ended up i the 3rd party and paid a higher price compared he bought...what to do? both parties agree mah!

[weisoon]

yes i agree that...learn how to search and look at their posts...but sometimes it hard too lah! i learnt my lesson when i bought some stuffs from reefer which ended up i the 3rd party and paid a higher price compared he bought...what to do? both parties agree mah!

Since the seller can put up a coral for bid, why in the world can't a potential buyer or bidder post the coral's picture and then start a new thread and ask for feedback on the market price which the the LFS is selling for similiar coral (size,colour,etc.)

Don't be shy lah...just ask, surely people will chip in their 2 cents. If shy, then become carrot.

[RAV-65]

I have not detected any traces of people in cahoots to drive the prices up in a bidding system, hopefully there are none such cases so far...

[framerunner]

Hard to say, clone accounts. Based on Singaporean mentally, when got people want --> must be good. So it is possible to hype up the demand by having more people to bid until the minimum selling price that the seller is willing to sell....

I hope there is no such case here but this is one trick i saw from those real pasar malam bidding. Share with you guys what i discovered.....believe it or not.....

Many years back, auction at pasar malam were very popular at the heartlands as the starting price is dirt cheap and sometimes as low as $1.

What i discover is that there are a few "planted" customers to drive up the price. Say i have a crystal vase worth $20 and i put for up bid at $1. When genuine customers bid only $10, my planted agents will bid to win if the selling price is less than $20. I'll do this rather than selling for a lost as afterall, there is always another auction at the next pasar malam. When the cost price is met($20), the job of the agent is done. Next item, next sucker.

[Nautical]

you have exactly echoed my sentiments, bro framerunner.

your illustration of a crystal vase bidding at a pasar malam is a very good example of people acting in cahoots.

also, clone accounts .... (not mentioning buddies) .... were quite rampant in recent time in this src site.

how naiive can one be to wait to detect traces of people in cahoots.

one of the things they don't teach you in Harvard University is called Experience.

[ckevin]

I am always suspicious when i see someone echo something like "wah..damn good offer! SAw it with my 2 damn ###### eyes . Too bad i just bought mine not too long ago(or some similar crap). "

But i trust no one will stoop so low as to use clone accounts to do that. My apologies if my statement hurts over zealous buddies of sellers. I don't mean any ill. Like i say...just suspicious but i award benefit of doubt.

[RAV-65]

I am always suspicious when i see someone echo something like "wah..damn good offer! SAw it with my 2 damn ###### eyes . Too bad i just bought mine not too long ago(or some similar crap). "

But i trust no one will stoop so low as to use clone accounts to do that. My apologies if my statement hurts over zealous buddies of sellers. I don't mean any ill. Like i say...just suspicious but i award benefit of doubt.

Aiyoh... again I'm guilty of this...

Often, if one of the reefers that I know personally posts something for sale and I genuinely tink it's a good offer, I'll post a comment that it is...

As far as I'm concerned, I try to be fair, meaning I dun post for the sake of posting... it must really convince me to be a good deal before I share my $0.02....

Hopefully my judgement hasn't been poor so far...

[ckevin]

Rav,

I think i better hold my tongue . My arrows keep shooting at you unintentionally. But I guess it may be inevitable considering the number of postings you have. Like lucky draw, buy more win more.

I have never had anything against you. Hold no grudge ok?

[RAV-65]

Rav,

I think i better hold my tongue . My arrows keep shooting at you unintentionally. But I guess it may be inevitable considering the number of postings you have. Like lucky draw, buy more win more.

I have never had anything against you. Hold no grudge ok?

No problem lah bro....

I know u mean no malice against me...

[blueheaven]

But seriously, I don't see the purpose of bidding.

If the item put on bid is uncommon and there is a demand for it, I might consider.

But if you put stuff that can be bought at the LFS or are common, what is the intention of bidding?

So that the seller can earn a few bucks?

Have you ever seen a bowl of noodles on bid starting at $0.10 in an auction before?

[ckevin]

But seriously, I don't see the purpose of bidding.

If the item put on bid is uncommon and there is a demand for it, I might consider.

But if you put stuff that can be bought at the LFS or are common, what is the intention of bidding?

So that the seller can earn a few bucks?

Have you ever seen a bowl of noodles on bid starting at $0.10 in an auction before?

I would not have so much contempt for the sellers if i have no prior knowledge of the value and worth of the coral/livestock they put up for bid. But by making simple rounds to the few popular LFS/farms will give you insights you wish you can forget.

Many may be silently cursing me. Sometimes i even question the wisdom in my actions. Is it worth it? And the answer is NO! Not worth a shit. I have neither aspirations of restoring the good old SRC nor am i trying to play the big O reefer brother.

So why am i doing it? I like leh. When i have more time, i will even collect information on the common or popular corals people put up for bid at that time. I will find out where it is readily available and price.

I will then start another thread and put up the information i have collected. The seller can then kiss his sale goodbye. Or even if the sale is made, it will leave an ugly scar on him.

Having said that, i will only do it selectively. People who fit the below checkpoint should watch out:

1) Selling crappy common coral/lifestock and starting bid price too close/exceeding average retail price and gets on my nerves with crappy pics and promising better colors in real.

I have been reefing long enough to know what is common crap and what is gem.

Ok.. i admit.. i am too free..and i am getting old...and grouchy..

[RAV-65]

Ok.. i admit.. i am too free..and i am getting old...and grouchy..

[weisoon]

ckevin,

We need more people like you not only in SRC but all the local reefing forums and as a whole, in Singapore.

打抱不平 ， 有侠仪的好人 ， 打倒小人 ！

Also those who buy from Pasar Malam at a cheap price and then re-sell them for a profit. Most despicable.

[lightningstrike]

ckevin,

We need more people like you not only in SRC but all the local reefing forums and as a whole, in Singapore.

打抱不平 ， 有侠仪的好人 ， 打倒小人 ！

Also those who buy from Pasar Malam at a cheap price and then re-sell them for a profit. Most despicable.

wow bro, me long time no kayp in src, suddenly got this kind of ppl ar?