This is a great thread, and one I'm watching closely. This is my first year of actually going to a dealer and picking out my fish. So I was the guy saying "how much for fish in this pond/tank?" Having only bought a few koi from a nursery nearby, I was used to a price above each different tank. Imagine what I thought when I heard "well, tell me which one you like, and I'll tell you how much". This goes against EVERYTHING I've ever associated with making a purchase. Could you imagine going into a car dealership, finding a salesman, then going on and on about what you like about a car, why you want that car, and then asking how much with nothing else to compare it to price wise?? Might as well just give him the deed to your house!
I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable with this arrangement, however, it's the one I will have to work with. I hope my approach to shopping, while uneducated in the koi purchasing world, will serve me well:
1 - Don't be an ass. Period. Already been stated, but the minute you start trying to de-value the fish the dealer/breeder has, you best just leave. When selling vehicles after I've upgraded, I won't even sell my car to someone who starts to pick it apart. I'm aware of it's virtues/setbacks and have priced it accordingly. There's always
some wiggle room, but if you insult me or whatever I'm selling... the price becomes hard and fast PDQ. If you honestly feel it's a rip off. Leave, you won't get anywhere insulting the fish or the dealer.
2 - Give respect to get respect. Be honest about your budget, and what you hope to achieve. I think the fish that I've purchased have been pretty nice deals and I didn't haggle one bit. I gave a price range I was comfortable with, and a description of what I hoped to accomplish with the fish. He did the rest and I think he went out of his way to stretch my dollar as far as he could. Without gushing like a school kid, show some appreciation as well. If you feel he gave you a great deal, thank him for it. Recognition is nice.
3 - Support your dealer; bring friends along that are starting out in Koi. If your dealer is holding an event of some sort. Attend. Share your positive experiences with others if asked. Word of mouth is simply the best advertising there is, no matter the industry.
4 - Don't waste the dealers time by having him bowl fish you can't afford, or aren't interested in buying. You wanna dream? Go to a show. I don't go to the Chevy dealership and ask to test drive the corvette when I'm looking for a truck.
5 - "Please and thank you's". No matter what you're doing or where you are... can't say enough about the mileage of these two.
6 - Read the play; If it's a slow day for them, and you get the vibe he's not in a rush, ask some questions. I've learned a lot from my dealer about everything from fish to why one net is better than another. Not only am I getting an education, people enjoy sharing what they know with others. (if they didn't, forums such as this wouldn't exist)
Anyway... these are just some random thoughts about my experience thus far. The usual disclaimer of course that I'm a newbie, I really don't have a clue about Koi yet, but I have been buying things my entire life...
Grant