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Triple P, there is a class of dealer in Japan that is really a broker/dealer. there are actually quite a few but not as many as in the 1980s and early 90s when it was easy to pick off the 'low hanging fruit' as people were just not as sophisticated about koi as they are today. What these guys would do is go to the mountains and look for fish with minor deformities or injuries and photo them and then fire off 10-25 pictures to a host of foreigners trying to buy koi 'direct'. The breeders were no part of the transactions. Sometimes these fish would come from auctions but mostly from reputable breeders just blowing out 'failures and tragedies'. Some very common ones were bent spine, deformed fins, broken dorsal or anal fin bones. Broken tail bones that grew deformed. One pec larger than another, head deformities, mouth deformities ( especially showa), beginning of hikkui etc. America was something of a dumping zone during that time. They should get some credit however as they did inspire local dealers and serious hobbyists to get on a plane and go buy their own fish direct after an experience or two with these chaps! LOls
Today they still exist but have become guides and advisors mostly. Some come over here with fish to sell a couple of times a year. Others now work the Asian markets mostly. Soem have gotten into other businesses around import/export , especially the seafood industry. It's just business, I guess.
JR
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