Well, first off. To me at least, a lot of people have forgotten what frag trading is all about. Back in the day (not that long ago actually) frags were just that, a fragment, not a whole mushroom but a pizza slice, that was a frag. Now people are like I’ll trade you a frag and get bent when they only get one or four shrooms, that my friends is a small colony. We as a group can decide and vote what makes a frag if need be. I can understand people not wanting a fragment of a species, wait for growth is such a pain in the rump, so maybe a single shroom would constitute a fragment. Shipping, that depends on the species. Zoos and xenia don’t do very well in shipping other then over night, so I have seen in past experiences. No frag/ species should be in shipping more then 4 days maybe 5, so priority mail is perfect. I did a lot of frag trading with the disposable glad Tupperware containers a zip lock freezer bag some crunched up newspaper and a heat pack or throw away ice pack from rite aid. With shipping, any one who uses the usps knows that forty dollars in shipping charges is making the shipper some coins on the inside. That why when I frag trade lets say “ I trade with X member you pay for shipping on your end and I’ll pay for shipping on my end” its that easy we are trading no money should be exchanged. Now new X member wants a frag of something but has nothing to trade, ok not a problem. I normally will charge fifty to seventy five cents a polyp or 5 dollars a shroom for rare colorful shrooms and two dollars and fifty cents for brown-red-blue and fifty to seventy five cents a slice for shrooms. I will ask “what’s your zip code“, I pack up everything and place it on a food scale (1.99 at cvs) add maybe a pound for frag and rubble rock and email them back with weight and the cost I got from the usps web site let them see the cost also. Then when I mail it out the price tag goes on the box, so that way no one ever thinks I’m trying to make some coinage on shipping cost. Shipping should not be costing any one close to forty bucks, that’s just a scumbag move on the sellers part. Frag trading Is a cheap and fun way to add to your collection and allows “you” the opportunity to acquire species that maybe your lfs don’t carry. These kind of clubs are not meant to be a money maker but a fun way to meet your fellow collector and bragging rights, “yeah, X member has some awesome XXXX, you got trade with him” Kind of like show cars except a lot cheaper. Also with surprise frag trading, I have read some concerns with people not wanting some types of coral and that understandable, trust me I know. I have a piece of stag horn that I really did not want. Anyway, We can kind of limit that as to “ hey any one want to surprise trade with me? the surprise is in the XXX family or XXX family” That way you can know it’s in the species rang you are looking for, but not know what it is exactly. For the new members that have nothing to trade, I think no frag should cost more then fifteen bucks, really not even six to eight polyps of PPE should cost more then fifteen bucks plus shipping. I trade a piece of rubble rock of fire and ice and my sprite (lemon lime) polyps for fifteen buck) I would like to see this be a fun experience and maybe down the road this can become a meet and greet. Keep the ideas coming and lets get this baby off the ground. King if you would post you email again for possible members to get on the list, that would be great. I have to see if I can find a free web board or something. I’m sure the mods will be or already up in arms about this.
