Still thinking about it. ... but did get a Showa yesterday.
She was my second choice.
There are several very nice Sanke still available. Some of the best in overall quality do not make a splashy impression due to lack of pattern, so folks pass over the photos. When they get harvested in October, people won't think of them as the same fish. When the 7-incher becomes 16", the importance of quality skin and pigment gets proven and the potential will be clear. The unimportance of pattern also becomes clear. Not so clear now with pattern being the easiest characteristic to see in a photo. It may be 6 years to really see what is meant by 'awesome'. I no longer get a new koi without first identifying one in my pond that I will part with. That makes choosing a bit more complicated. I may have to permanently board a couple at NKF.