KFG,
After starting this thread and learning more about breeders and their responsibility to breed koi to improve and or develop exceptional lineages of their own. I have developed my own opinions regarding the odds of even trying to get decent looking koi are 1/100000 (if you're lucky) Pending on variety of course. And these would not even be show quality, then you may be looking in the realm of 1/2000000 (if you're lucky).
Then try and think deeper into the subject of breeding stock. The only way one can expect to get good offspring is to be sure to get top quality parent stock. Top quality parent stock in my humble opinion will always be unattainable for my budgets. I expect good (not great) parent stock to cost in the range of $10000-$25000 each. From proven and develop lines. At least you will have a good idea of what to expect the fry to be like. Then finally finding a pair of koi that will actually spawn and give quality offspring (a huge unknown). You could have some of the best females and males to spawn, but if they genetically don't match up right, they make "ugly babies." amounting to a negative $20K-$35K. Makes you wonder what Brad Pitt's & Jennifer Aniston's babies will look like...LOL.
Anyway, I think before you start BUYING parent stock, you should spend time understanding where the koi varieties came from, what makes a good koi and how to identify "high-quality" koi, how koi develop, how koi don't develop, how koi can go wrong, how to handle and care (vet care) for koi, how to assess and judge koi attributes and defects, I can go on forever on this...I find each topic fascinating.
For me, I believe that there are many things to learn and experience first hand before jumping into the breeding ring. Just my two cents on to breed or not to breed (Another one of my threads). I think something to think about very seriously. Aloha.