Re: Chirs can do it

[Frauley Elson <fraulels at videotron_ca>]

Chris Browning wrote:
some peopleARE out to make a profit and screw over people like me. How
come this guy Tony can sell me 5 Jos Plateu, 4 Australe, AND a spawn!
> ing mop full of eggs for 85, when this Bill guy can only sell me 2 fish for 60 dollars?!?!?! And the 85 includes everything, shipping and all that! At that rate, this Bill guy should atleast be giving 5 fish!


Chris,,
Fish prices follow different logics. One guy will sell for what he can
get, and charge $60 a pair. Justified? It's commercial and a free market
approach. They usually burn out or end up in their personal "finron"
scandals.

Others will look at what they think the real money value of a fish is,
and maybe add a little more not to have the money, but to make the buyer
a bit more serious about taking care of the creature. One dollar fish
get treated like one dollar fish.

In a club like the AKA, there are people who believe in the idea of the
"hobby". They'll sell a rare fish for a fairly inexpensive price to make
sure other breeders have it, and to get people interested in these fish.
The buyer is expected to give something (activity, etc) back to the
club, to keep it possible. You don't often encounter this in the cichlid
hobby.

There are all kinds of grades in between, but this is my vision of
killie pricing. Take your time, find people who share your approach and
build a network. Joining the AKA is a good start, if you recognize it's
a volunteer group that isn't highly structured. It doesn't provide
services (in the fast food way), it more or less enables them by letting
you find your way within the loose association. You won't be a client or
be served by the group, but with a little initiative and patience,
you'll get more from the AKA members than you can imagine.

There's the JAKA, the journal. One issue is good, but it doesn't
necessarily seem like a lot. You read it, you put it down, you wait a
few months for the next one. But if you stick with it - I now have a
little shelf with a few years' worth of JAKAs on it, and that shelf is
an incredible resource. The AKA kind of works like that too.

Gary Elson
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