Buying fish through Pics.....

[aquitori]

Buying fish through Pics.....Seems like more of the norm nowadays, with online auctions and dealers...I know some people have no access to a local dealers. Is it a a good way to shop for koi?

[keokoi]

Buying fish from Pics is a gamble.. Its a fine art to be able to pic out the details in the photo.

This is one of those trust who you buy from. Ultimately you made the descision so one must live with that. The interenet is a highway of information and a social norm now. Many people make friends in different parts of the country. So with one click on "send" you can have your "E" pal go and check it out for you at (X=nishikigoi shop)

Would I buy a fish from a pic? My theory is... Gamble only what you are willing to lose..

Joe

[dcny]

I think it depends. Some are easier to buy from photos (chagoi), others are harder (gin rin). In general, I'm with Keo, it's a gamble.

Then again my eye isn't very good anyway so I probably wouldn't pick up the difference.

-Dan

[dinh]

I agreed with all of you. It is a gamble as Joe said. I did buy one over internet few years ago and turned out to be good. But I will not buy any expensive koi over internet without viewing it in person.

--Dinh

[Sangreaal]

Originally Posted by aquitori

Buying fish through Pics.....Seems like more of the norm nowadays, with online auctions and dealers...I know some people have no access to a local dealers. Is it a a good way to shop for koi?

Buying fish through pics is a crapshoot, unless, as one person said, you know and can trust the seller and his/her ethics, experience, etc. If you're buying in the blind in regards to the seller, your only help is getting really good high resolution pics that you can put into PhotoShop and really blow up the details. Even then....there are diseases to consider that you can't see.

I've bought my best fish from pics, but that's because there's only one place to buy koi up here (that I'm aware), and the place is notorious for parasites and disease. Found this out the hard way and lost ALL of them, including the ones I already had. I'll never buy from that woman again.

Like Dinh said, I too would not buy a really expensive koi without seeing it in person first. Be willing to lose the gamble if you buy from pics. If you can't afford to lose what you're paying in price and shipping, don't do it.

Just my humble opinion,

Marie

[koiloco]

I agree with you guys and with Dinh. I would not buy an expensive koi from just looking at a picture or many pictures as a matter of fact.

Just like us, some koi are MORE PHOTOGENIC than others

[Koimann]

Then what are your comments on buying auction kois by looking at pictures.For example Sakai's or Momotaro's....

[dick benbow]

I've seen many exquisite koi purchased from pictures sent back by Peter Waddington. Knowing that when he sent you a picture you knew the quality was there and you had 24 hrs to get back to him before this very special koi was offered to someone else. So ultimately it does come down to your knowledge and trust of the person selling the koi.

With a photo all you have to determine your selection on is pattern, of which you can pay a lot for without getting the benefits like good skin and true color.

Sakai and MOMo auctions.....these are prestegious events, the very best of the best are offered, no worry about quality here....just the concern of how the heck would you ever be able to pay for such a koi?

The last koi I bought from Photo was from Mat Mc cann's quality koi auction. My male asagi that's coming home in another month. It was his best asagi from that year and I trusted his judgement. I was not disappointed......

[koiloco]

Originally Posted by Koimann

Then what are your comments on buying auction kois by looking at pictures.For example Sakai's or Momotaro's....

As dick said, there's someone there you trust to make the judgement for you. Further more, these koi are no longer in the class that you have to wonder if they are good koi. THEY ARE GOOD OR GREAT KOI, it's just you like them or not and have the $$$ to buy them.

I think that we are talking more about picture transactions domesticly here.

[Sangreaal]

Okay, here is an example of what can happen if you buy from a "reputable" dealer that you don't know but came with good references:



The koi in the blue tub is the picture I went on to choose the fish. There was only one pic offered and no others were forthcoming. The inset pic to the right is the fish I received. Are they the same fish? Yep they are. Lighting and angle on this ginrin made for the misrepresentative pic. Would I have bought the fish had I seen a more natural representation, or met it in person first?

Nope. Someone hit that koi with an ugly stick.

Now that I'm stuck with a bum-ugly koi, I'm making the best of it. Gonna grow it out and see what the ugly duckling turns into. It's an interesting shade of green and bronze, and from my experience with goldfish, this color usually blooms into shades of orange or red. We'll see. I have no illusions at all about this being an olympic hopeful for the shows. Ain't never gonna happen. And it sure isn't worth the money I sent off for it. Even with a return/refund guarantee like this fish had, it wasn't worth the cost of shipping back to the dealer. Nope, shipping charges aren't refundable in every case I know of. So $82 to bring the fish here and $82 to ship it back for refund just wasn't going to happen. To exchange it for yet another koi from the miscreant dealer would have cost me yet another $82 to get it here. I just cut my losses and kept the fish.

So my advice before buying a koi at any price on the general internet market by picture is this: caveat emptor--buyer beware--and know that no matter what, it IS a gamble. How much of a gamble rests soley on the integrity of the seller, whether it be auction, breeder or dealer.

Marie