Reality check Mike. I am very happy you discovered what Mat is doing in New Jersey. I've been a fan since 2000. But Mat or Brady or Brett are NOT the koi market in America! There are farms , mostly unknown to US consumers, that produce THOUSANDS upon thousands of colored carp for the ornamental pet trade-they are the ones that set the market for competing Japanese tateshita. I would suggest that Petsmart and local garden centers sell 500X the number of fish that Mat and Brady sell in a given year.
The fundamental model behind ALL koi pricing is ,and always has been , about selling lesser fish off the reputation and accomplishments of the top 10% of production. Even Mat and Brady and Brett have 'lesser fish' for sale. That is what supports the price of the higher fish. It is only a few domestic breeders that can price their upper end stock against Japanese middle or upper grade stock. Lets be honest about that.
Mark ups are about the consumer and the consumer has spoken, they want fish that look like show fish for the cheapest price possible.
Last weekend I got a post card in the junk mail inviting me to a wearhouse art sale where I could, and I loosely quote - " Buy reproductions of the masters at reasonable prices and not at exorbident art galley prices". Made me think of the current state of affairs in the koi world !
JR