[RayJordan]

I enjoy helping people buy baby koi. Our our club's annual spring event I was one of the seminar speakers and talked about buying baby koi. Showed lots of photos of examples of what not to buy and also what to look for depending on if you wanted them to look best at a small size or later at a larger size.

Afterwards I had quite a few of the attendees ask me to help them pick out a koi. I would find out what their budget was and then take them to tanks that fit their budget and ask them what kind of koi they liked. It is always interesting to see the different types of koi that attract new buyers. People of eastern cultures usually like mostly Gosanke with simple patterns. Western cultures often like the metallics and Gin Rin types with more complicated patterns.

Once they decide what type they want to buy I get them to point out 4-5 koi that appeal to them in the tank. I net and put these in a tub then I ask them to decide if they want their koi to look best at a small or large size. I point out which koi appear to be better now and which will likely be better later and explain why. Then I remove the ones that do not fit their goal. I might get them to pick out a few more in the tank to add to the tub that fit their goal of now or later to insure they have several koi to choose from. Then I ask them to pick two koi with the best body shape. Then pick the two with the best red. Then pick the best combintion of body and red. They end up with a mini koi appreciation lession and hopefully a pretty nice koi of their choice.

Sometimes the new buyers that have read a few books or spent a little time on the internet are driven by pattern and pick koi with poor body shape or weak red or both. I try to gently refocus them on buying better quality koi but sometimes they are adamant on buying pattern. Either way they with get the most important lesson from watching their koi they selected develop.

Occasionally I have someone that just wants me to pick out their koi for them. One guy this weekend wanted six $100 koi "all different types and the best in the tank he said." Best what I asked. You decide he said so I picked 3 for now and 3 for later. Makes you really appreciate the new hobbyists that want to learn to appreciate koi. and are interested in learning how koi develop.