This is a hobby that incorporates many different facets of care, design, and curation. 2 of which are collecting and husbandry. The fact that you need be on top of your collection care to keep them happy is what adds to their value. If torches were crazy hardy and anyone who wanted to keep one could just throw it in their tank and have 14 heads in 6 months, then they wouldn't be worth $$$. It's no different than keeping Acro's or Zoa's the slower growing more sensitive varieties are more expensive. I have a common green torch its beautiful and hardy, it doesn't have the purple/blue tips of the HG but it isn't gonna die if I let my parameters swing a little, the HG on the other hand may not make it.
Stratospheres grow slow and die easy and they are more expensive, Pandoras grow fast and can't be killed....people give them away. Green Slimer grows like a weed and people throw the chunks away because they cant give it away fast enough, but ORA's Pearl Berry may not be so forgiving.
The biggest difference in this type of collecting is that it's not like buying a pair of collectible sneakers or figurines that just sit in their box and retain their value. People who keep higher end corals have either spent a small fortune to buy colonies, or they have nurtured boogers for months or even years to get them to were they can make viable frags or have beautiful colonies of their own. Either way that should not go un-noticed or unappreciated and the way the new collector shows this appreciation is in cash $$$ or equivalent trade. That part is no different than any other hobby that involves collectibles. Some collectibles are just more desirable and valuable.
Some guys like to just have some common hardy corals that look pretty, grow fast, and take a beating and thats ok you can have a very beautiful and bulletproof collection of corals and a stunning tank on a budget that way. Others feel rewarded and apprecieate the challenge when they can keep something special alive and thriving. There are corals out there for everyones budget and skill set and maybe some of the higher end stuff isn't for everyone but for those who do take the leap it can be quite rewarding.
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