The Thousand Dollar Shrimp

[timebomb]

Hi, folks,

I heard a rumour the other day that there's a 3 thousand dollar Crystal Red Shrimp for sale in Nature Aquarium at Balestier Road. So I went there this afternoon to take a look. However, the owner said the $3000 shrimp has been returned to its owner. What was still available though, was a shrimp that costs far less, just a thousand dollars It was kept in a container floating in a tank full of Cherry Shrimps.

Here are some pictures:







Don't ask me why the shrimp costs so much but the owner said its got something to do with the colour bands on its body - the fact they are very distinct and well-defined. But I compared the pictures of this shrimp with the ones I took earlier of the normal Crystal Reds that go for only $20 a piece and I have to say there isn't a big deal of difference.

Here are pictures of $20 Crystal Reds:




By the way, a thousand Sing dollars is about USD 600.

Loh K L

[FC]

I just do not think any sane mind would pay for it. After all, there are no lack of beautiful shrimp species to choose from.

Perhaps, another "Luohan" style marketing?

[BFG]

I think my colleague won't believe what I would tell them tomorrow. I had brought them down to Nature Aquarium to show them the shrimps. What I didn't know then that there was a grade that cost $100++ each. I was trying to shock them that the shrimp cost $20 each but when 1 of them ask the store owner, he told my colleague it cost $100++. I myself was even shocked!!! And now, when you post this......

I agree with you. I myself can't tell the difference between the different grade. Looks like the next fad has started.......I'm waiting until there's some mystery symbol on it's body. Maybe some numbers might pop out too for the 4-d punters!

[Robert]

Hi,
this shrimp is nice yes but worth 1000$? If a person would hand carry 2 pieces of V band CRS with 1 line plus white tail directly from a Japanese shop, it costs $200 Euro each. I do not know why this type has such a high price in Singapore as the standard of living is lower than in Japan. The $1000 shrimp is about $400 worth in Japan.

regards
Robert

[RonWill]

Never cease to fascinate me how heavenly prices can stir up interest and if these shrimps are worth more than their weight in gold (and easier to sell), perhaps I should be breeding shrimps instead. Besides, I like 'em better than Luohans

I'm just thinking aloud.... but if the asking price is $100 for a killifish, I wonder how many people would call me mad. Then again, I'm positive there are more CRS than killies in SG, so which is 'rarer'??

[Scott_sg]

I noticed the other day the shops around here (North) a few now have signs out saying they have shrimps... Is this the next fighting fish/bubble tea/louhan thing?

The one at yishun had half a dozen types - after they cleared out the marine (after the nemo craze).

Scott.

[budak]

I am looking forward to the day when CRS will be offered en masse at closing-down rates....

I had an inkling something like this was on its way ...

[keehoe]

Hi all. The shrimp does not worth that much. Because the 1000 dollar shrimp "red dot" on the body is not round.

It is still a valuable shrimp even though it lost much of its white segment consider the little white dot near its head. Assuming the other side of the shrimp had that too.

Second shrimp also doesn't worth 20dollars. Because the White part of the body had turn clear.

The name: crystal red means
1) They have red in their colouration
2) They are fragile like crystal.

It is cheap depends on who you talk to ^^

[BFG]

I am looking forward to the day when CRS will be offered en masse at closing-down rates....

[Green Baron]

This is another one of those 'Lohan fish' type marketing scam to make the $50 CRS look cheap ;-)

It never ceased to amaze me how pepople are so easily tricked by such scam ! $1000 shrimp, $500 moss, the list goes on ....

[keehoe]

I can see why it is expensive. But 1000, thats a little too much.

[keehoe]

Never cease to fascinate me how heavenly prices can stir up interest and if these shrimps are worth more than their weight in gold (and easier to sell), perhaps I should be breeding shrimps instead. Besides, I like 'em better than Luohans

I'm just thinking aloud.... but if the asking price is $100 for a killifish, I wonder how many people would call me mad. Then again, I'm positive there are more CRS than killies in SG, so which is 'rarer'??

Hi Ron, Similar to your macrostoma (168 per pair at street price). The 20 dollars shrimp is quite cheap.

The advantage is: They will live peacefully together with other tank mate provided that others don't eat them.

Street price for CRS cheapest is 7 dollar. Imagine one of these day your N.Rachovii decided to have an expensive lunch.....

[timebomb]

I'm just thinking aloud.... but if the asking price is $100 for a killifish, I wonder how many people would call me mad. Then again, I'm positive there are more CRS than killies in SG, so which is 'rarer'??

Certainly, Killies are rarer but in the marketplace, supply is just one factor in the equation. There's also demand. The Crystal Red Shrimps are less rare than Killies but the demand for them is higher. No one will say you're mad if you ask for $100 for your Killie but the real question is - would there be a buyer?

I think Gan and Freddy hit the nail on the head when they compared the thousand dollar shrimp to Luohan-styled marketing. People are not stupid but you'll be surprised how many will fall for clever marketing. Scott mentioned bubble tea but he probably wasn't around in Singapore during the Hello Kitty craze.

You can't fool all the people all of the time but with clever marketing, you can fool most of the people some of the time. And that's all you need to make a bundle.

Loh K L

[damnit]

You can't fool all the people all of the time but with clever marketing, you can fool most of the people some of the time. And that's all you need to make a bundle.

Loh K L

I find this sentence very true indeed. God knows how big a bundle those luohan breeders made during the luo-han-gives-true-4d days!!!

Taken another look at the picture and I'll gladly take away 50 $20 crystal-red shrimps anyday

[keehoe]

Photo of my 300 dollar shrimp. (Not that it cost so much or selling for that much) But it is saving me that much as i really wanted to setup a planted tank with a big colony of cystal red shrimp. Looks good.










Now comes the moment of truth. Looking at the lady shrimp from down under. Thats why it is so valuable to me ^^

[stormhawk]

The price of the CRS is dependent on the intensity of the banding on the body, which more or less makes it a certain grade. Pricing differs from grade to grade.

While some may find it absurd, people, especially in Japan, are willing to pay exorbitant prices for this smallish crustacean, especially if they're of the S-grade. A thousand dollars is a heavenly price indeed but is of no concern to those with deep pockets.

There is a Japanese man living in Singapore who breeds and sells them. If anyone wants to know who he is, try searching AQ or Petfrd.

[damnit]

There is a Japanese man living in Singapore who breeds and sells them. If anyone wants to know who he is, try searching AQ or Petfrd.

In fact, most of the local CRS are supplied by this man only. He has been breeding them for years from what I know. Last heard Japanese are willing to pay up to $7,000 for a white dominant CRS.

There's also a local site http://www.shrimpnow.com for shrimp lovers

[jojoe]

HI,
You mean you bought all your crs at S$300 or 1 pc at S$300 ?

Photo of my 300 dollar shrimp. (Not that it cost so much or selling for that much) But it is saving me that much as i really wanted to setup a planted tank with a big colony of cystal red shrimp. Looks good.

[Edit 17 Jan 06 : Please do not quote the whole post. Thanks]

[silane]

For a good quality of CRS that look like in the first pic, it can cost 20,000 to 30,000Yen in Japan, provided it white is better.

It is not easy to have such offsprings even though the parents can look better, that's why it can comment such a price. Unlike guppies, for high grade CRS, the %age of true breed is very low.

[silane]

While some may find it absurd, people, especially in Japan, are willing to pay exorbitant prices for this smallish crustacean, especially if they're of the S-grade. A thousand dollars is a heavenly price indeed but is of no concern to those with deep pockets.

S grade is very affordable now, and quite easy to breed true, and that could be the reason for it cheap price. The challenge now is to breed SSS, a respectable hinomaru CRS is about $1000 for now, unlike a year ago, that was like $4000. But still some CRS can command $5000 with it rare pattern.