Judging from what has been said in the AKCA and BKKS threads, is buying koi based on breeders' photos a strict no-no amongst the advanced koi keepers? Obviously seeing the koi "live"is the most ideal situation, but if every single koi purchase warrants a trip to Koi Land, that would be both expensive and time consuming.
I think trust is one factor. If your trusted dealer has seen the koi "live" and strongly recommends it to you, there might be a case for buying it without seeing it "live". What if the dealer has not seen it but the breeder strongly recommended it to him? Where is the line drawn?
Price is another consideration. One might take more risks on a cheaper koi bought out of interest to play/experiment with, but an expensive tategoi would likely warrant a special trip to Japan?
Some advice please? I hope I haven't answered my own questions already!
