I am curious & looking for honesty

[dick benbow]

what an incredible quote joe! " Your tastes grow but your wallet don't" WOW you hit the nail right on the head!!!!!

[Surfhead]

never been so I can't comment on the culture of buying fish. But you asked if it was cheaper to buy in Japan. I would have to guess its probably not. Not even factoring in the cost of the trip (airline, hotel, food, taxis etc) you will not get much of a discount and you still have freight ($500 per box) and the broker fees (20%) plus as JR stated, the brokers can rip you off if your not careful. So buying in Japan can be expensive indeed. Also, a breeder will give a licensed dealer a discount as they will come in a buy hundreds, if not thousands of koi over the course of a year. Also, the dealer will ship in bulk and that will greatly reduce the shipping costs per fish. Of course there are many variables but I would be willing to bet that it will cost you the same to buy in Japan and ship it over as it would to just buy from a dealer here (depends on the dealer of course). Now if you take into account the culture, perhaps if you are a friend of a breeder and have been there many times, they might have special pricing just for you and you can avoid the broker fees. So in that case maybe it would be cheaper to buy in Japan.


of course the education you get from a buying trip in Japan is worth every penny I am sure. Gonna have to do that one of these days.

[maryland_ponder]

I fully understand the way most Japanese do business & JR is on the money there. Fortunately for me my Uncle was in the service of Ambassador William C. Bullitt in Asia after WW II. He has enlightened me in many of the intricacies of the various cultures in Asia. I am somewhat surprised at the ethics levels of these traveling tour guide dealers. JR are these Japanese or Foreign guides/dealers that you refer too?



I am interested in a list of the best & most reputable dealers in the US of imported Japanese fish. I also have ZERO problems buying quality domestic fish so I would like opinions on the best of the best breeders here as well.



AGAIN I have gleaned a few golden nuggets from this board.



My Great Grandfather once told me that everyone in this world does at least one thing better than you do....find out what that thing is & steal that knowledge from them!!!!

[MikeM]

Maryland: Remember that all dealers (and breeders) are selling. That's how they make a living. The question you should ask is: Is this dealer selling me what I want, or is he selling me something different from what I want? Is he trying to learn my interests, or is he telling me what he thinks I want to hear? Is he trying to teach me something so I'll understand what I am seeing, or is he just giving the spiel? A good dealer teaches as much as he pitches; tries to meet your needs, not create your needs.

[koiczar]

Maryland,

There has been a wealth of knowledge posted on this thread, especially from JR and PapaBear. What JR said about the brokers/guides and even some of the breeders is spot on. I witnessed first hand how underhanded breeders can be even with dealers - you buy fish and when they arrive there are a few that aren't included - somehow there were substitutes in their place and the subs were also VERY SUB QUALITY. Building relationships is part of this business for dealers and if you are just beginning a relationship with a breeder make sure you take pictures of the stock you buy when you buy it. If in fact the above happens, have your broker take care of it, but IMHO, don't let them get away with it. Make sure you let them (breeder) know that you know.

Dealers, as stated before, can only afford to buy fish they can sell. They have to also be good at marketing to help sell the fish they bring in. I agree with what was said before, I think by Luke, that a dealer should inquire as to your personal taste/preferences before even showing you any of his stock. Why show you fish you can't afford and waste his time. He will show you fish (as the breeders in Japan do with him) that they know you can afford and what level of the hobby you are at. The breeder won't usually show you his tategoi unless he knows you can #1-afford the price and #2-understand and appreciate what you are looking at.