In praise of the "garage vendors!"

mpoletti · Apr 23, 2014

Haha. I try not to go into my garage these days Scott

I know plenty of people who have started as hobbyists and then have made the jump over. For me, that's never been an inspiration, I'll leave that stuff up to the professionals

butters417 · Apr 23, 2014

great read, well said

Papadovak · Apr 23, 2014

Great read. I actually just met a "garage vendor" and I'll definitely be going back!

AJsTank · Apr 23, 2014

I get so sick and tired of walking into a LFS and all they do is bash the other fish stores. A lot of them do it my area. It's nice when someone like Scott praises other businesses and competitors. It says a lot about who he is and how he does business. You always have great write ups and feed back for our community.

uniquecorals · Apr 23, 2014

AJsTank said:
I get so sick and tired of walking into a LFS and all they do is bash the other fish stores. A lot of them do it my area. It's nice when someone like Scott praises other businesses and competitors. It says a lot about who he is and how he does business. You always have great write ups and feed back for our community.

Thanks for the kind words... I give credit where credit is due, and I am okay with taking and giving a little beating when it's deserved. We need to self police ourselves as an industry, IMO, before government does it for us.

Really, I think we're all on the same side, vendors, hobbyists, collectors...Sure, those of us in the industry want to make a living, but not at the expense of the natural environment. As far as competition is concerned, I have always felt that it's better to concentrate on our own business and follow our plan than to constantly worry about matching the other guys' every move, and let it go at that. At the end of the day, we're still reefers. I have greatly enjoyed watching a few of my fave vendors blossom and grow in their own way...It's great to see nice guys like Adam at Battle Corals, who I have huge respect for, get the props they deserve. I hate seeing vendors bash other vendors. To me, it's the sign of an insecure business.

That being said, I am for healthy competition in a free market, and, sure, after you get a couple of gin and tonics in me at a MACNA, I might let my guard down and suggest that business is like war, and the goal is to smash, pulverize, demoralize, and eliminate the competition! That's the Marketing major in me! The reality, however, is that we all need each other, and I love seeing great people doing great work, as many of our fellow vendors in this forum do. I have a healthy respect for anyone who follows a dream, as long as they do it legally, originally, with class, and without bashing others in the process.

-Scott