How to choose a dealer

[Louie]

What would be your criteria in developeing a friendship ? Integrity, honest, helpful, willing to let you know when you may be makeing a poor choise. Some one posted you need to create a relationship with a dealer. That is the stepping stone for gaining knowledge . Must great dealers are not just in it for the money it is a love for these great fish that plays an important part in their lives.
When you find such a dealer or dealers you will know how they run their operation and feel comfortable in purchaseing from them. As with any liveing thing problems occur and it is very important to know that your dealer is on top of it and will separate sick fish and not sell them untill they are healthy.
Friendship Through Koi goes a long with club members , fellow hobbyist AND DEALERS
Louie

[aquitori]

Talk about showing fish, there is even a dealer in SoCal that takes returns on fish if they dont do good at a show...Now that is a dealer to buy from. On that note he even takes them back without testing them. Let's just say the shop isnt Shinkokai.

[jckoi]

Lam.
I agree with you about what you say about the dealer.
if the dealers do not treat me well as a customer, it is hard for me to go there again and again even though it is closed to me.
jackson.

[luke frisbee]

good koi for what i can spend.
that is a period at the end of that statement....
I don't need a relationship with a dealer....
I don't need one to tell me what they got, or educate me as to what i need.
i do need to be able to buy fish that I like, with what I got to spend.

I can see quality.
I do quarantine
and I love a project

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by jckoi Lam. I agree with you about what you say about the dealer. if the dealers do not treat me well as a customer, it is hard for me to go there again and again even though it is closed to me. jackson.

Jackson, time heals all wounds...hahahahaha...Jackson if a dealer does you wrong, the only advise I can say is dont go to that dealer again. If you get treated like crap the first time, you will only get treated like crap again.

[l113892]

To Luke's point, the more I know about koi, the less I need to "trust" the dealer, as my education replaces what I might have to rely on as honesty from the dealer.

[Super Kindai]

Quote: Originally Posted by l113892 To Luke's point, the more I know about koi, the less I need to "trust" the dealer, as my education replaces what I might have to rely on as honesty from the dealer.

I agreed with you.

There is some other case, although it won't happen to normal hobbyists like me.
Dealer (and breeder) display their kois that they want to sale......
and everybody want to have a good fish but as matter of fact, real good ones are very few.
Without a truly good & deep relationship with them, they won't sale or show us such kind of precious ones so that we won't have a chance to even encounter with it.........maybe.

[farne230]

I agree with what has been said. I would just add communication is very important to me. The ability to discuss and understand the character of koi, and terms.

[CarolinaGirl]

Quote: Originally Posted by aquitori Talk about showing fish, there is even a dealer in SoCal that takes returns on fish if they dont do good at a show...Now that is a dealer to buy from. On that note he even takes them back without testing them. Let's just say the shop isnt Shinkokai.

personally, that would scare me. I would be afraid he would bring KHV back to his facility. I would be much less likely to buy from a dealer that will accept a fish back from unknown conditions and possible disease exposure.

[MCA]

that dealer is very foolish....avoid like plague.