| When the 555 Event began a few years ago, the ones selected for it were priced at $555, which included mud pond for the summer. You are buying a nisai based on a tosai photo. Last year some of the tosai included were higher priced and some lesser priced. I understand that there may be some included this year that in the past would have been held in reserve and not seen by the buying public until the breeder was ready to let them go. If that's right, there will be some rather high prices on a few.
My personal opinion is that 90% or so of the tosai turn out to be worth their price or more. Some that have unimpressive patterns turn out to have the quality and body as nisai that allows you see the potential to be impressive when 4 years old. Folks get used to looking at tosai based on pattern and finish as they would be judged at a show. So, they can have difficulty understanding what they see when looking at tosai that have been selected based on future potential, not how they look today. Some will turn out male, and many of those IMO are nonetheless worth the price as nisai, although you may not want it. There is the nagging 10% or so that do not turn out as well as hoped or suffer an injury, etc., etc., which I'd value at less than the price. Mud ponds are a gamble. Tosai are a gamble. And, the best tosai can look pretty blah in a photo. The preview photos include some Sanke that are rather blotchy looking right now. These immediately caught my eye because I've seen that look before in Mat's Sanke. The Hi is very immature, there is temporary 'baby sumi' and the beginnings of consolidating adult sumi. These are the sort Mat selects based on pigment quality. They may well remain rather plain as nisai, but by then a person can see the potential much better. They are not fish that would be imported as tosai. And some may well be koi that you'd not likely see imported even as nisai.
Unless a person is a real gambler, or highly self-confident, I strongly recommend getting the insurance. Unless the terms have changed, if you are unhappy with the fish at harvest, you can turn it in for full credit toward another purchase (including the insurance premium); or, you can get a cash refund (less the premium). Last year I ended up with two males. Thanks to the insurance, I was able to decline them and apply the credit to purchase a 3-year old female Kohaku that I think is an awesome animal. With the insurance, I basically think of it as creating a koi savings account. I'm sure there will be a koi on the farm I want, so it is risk-free from my perspective.
I have a short list of 8 I'm looking at. This year I'm going to try to limit myself to one or two. |