| why go to Japan
I think that I have an answer to one of your questions. I think that the reason that you are not able to find good examples of the fish of famous breeders at your local dealer is due to the nature of "the product." A fish is not an easily sold item and does not store well. Stuff happens: they get sick, scared, loose their pattern, etc. Also, picking out a koi is a subjective decision. What one person likes, another may not. The high end customer is likely to be very descriminating. An investment of $10,00, $20,00, $30,00 and up for a Dainichi fish may end up being worth nothing and the fish might never sell. This is a lot of money for a dealer to tie up in one fish and there are not many people out there who will pay $10,00 and up for a fish. There are many, many more hobbiests who pay $1,000 for a fish than those who will pay $50,000. This might be why dealers prefer to get approval in advance from the customer before purchasing an expensive fish for them in Japan or the client visits Japan with his dealer to help pick the fish themselves.
The perishable nature of the product has to be taken into account when pondering the profit margin. How many are lost or damaged between the breeder in Japan and the pond? And, they just keep on eating, and eating, and eating.
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