Growing the Hobby

[HEADACHE6]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sangreaal Back to the original question before it became a redirected spin Koi don't know dick about commercial interests .

Thank's for keeping us in line ! Sorry about stepping on that last Nerve of Your's !

[Sangreaal]

Yes JR, our Capitalistic nation is all about money, and everything is judged against the almighty dollar, the bottom line, and profit profit profit. It's the culture we've built as a nation and we have to deal with it. It's just ridiculous to think that our hobby of koi keeping will ever successfully be injected into the regular mainstream vein of society with any stability, since many if not most people stepping into it will not weather the work it can take to keep a paradise from turning into a sewer. But a few will...and our subculture of koi kichi will expand to accept them.

I remember not so long ago a thread or post that you made concerning secondary markets for koi. I would think that breeders and dealers and pond builders are thinking along these lines to make their endeavors more profitable. There's a lot of culls to each koi kept for the pet and show market, and I can easily see on eBay what some people are doing with them. *L* In a loose sense, this is a covert expanding of the hobby, but so would marketing fish poop and mulm as a byproduct of ponding for garden fertilizer and amendments. Expanding the market for high end koi for shows will never be a sure shot at profits because there just aren't enough people dedicated or well-to-do enough to run with those big dogs, and in a sense, it is becoming the secondary market....

[The Pond Digger]

I would say a very appropriate way to grow the hobby in more ways than one would be to give away a couple dozen Koi calendars each Christmas. But let me take it one step further.

Don't just buy these calendars from anyone and not just any Koi calendar! Purchase a koi calendar that promotes your favorite breeder and purchase that calendar from your favorite dealer!

This will help promote the hobby, of raising koi, at multiple levels! You help the dealer make a profit keeping them in business to bring Nishikigoi to you, you help the breeder make a profit so they can continue bringing you amazing Nishikigoi season after season and then you put Nishikigoi photos DAILY in the faces of your family & friends in your local community! I should of been a marketing major!

I say 2008 is not too late! I have no doubt there is a dealer that visits this forum that still has some left over calendars that didn't sell before the end of the year. Maybe Koi-Bito members can even get a close out deal on these calendars instead of them just collecting dust on the shelfs!

Getting Nishikigoi in the faces of people one way or another live or in picture is the first step in promoting the hobby of raising koi. Once interest is peaked then the great debate of how to raise in them can be addressed. We better solve the MINIMUM KOI POND requirements before we promote too much!

I'm down for a couple more! I enjoy my Kodama Koi Farm Calendar Daily.

What are you doing TODAY to promote the hobby OF RAISING KOI? Take action and spread your passion!

The Pond Digger Grow Out Stats

Respectfully,

The Pond Digger

[aquitori]

I dont think it is a matter of growing the hobby but the hobbyist growing in understanding about Nishikigoi. It's upto the hobbyist how they want to learn and share going forward. I know alot of Nishikigoi Scholars like JR, Ray Jordan, etc. have taken the path less taken by others who dont have the commitment to do and are willing to share their knowledge for free.

It's easy to join the club and say your growing the hobby when in fact theres many out there who havent joined a club yet and have had koi for many years. The other thing about this hobby is burnout, I have seen many people fill in the pond because they werent educated enough to keep their hobby going or have been down the road of politics to go back to private hobbyist.

To me I am still growing in this hobby in knowledge and as a Nishikigoi Hobbyist.

[saratogatan]

It has happened many times in my town. Existing houses with koi ponds for sale. Buyers get a reduction in price because of the ponds, and owners 'moved' the koi. Before the deal was finalized, the ponds are puntuated and filled in, filter-tanks, plumbing, waterfalss, and everythign and anything that has to do with koi were removed. Most of those ponds are 10,000G plus. On average, owner lost about $250,000 in selling proceed just for having that darn pond in the yard.

stan

[cppond]

Geez, skimming thru, this is not exactly what I was expecting.

I guess I will read thru all this and try to respond as soon as I get a minute.

[KoiCop]

Why do I think we're in for some evangelical outreach from Carl on behalf of his populist World Wide Kook Club?

I'm with JR in belonging to, cherishing and promoting the core koi culture as represented by ZNA -- which is definitely not a numbers game and which does not include the garden ponding mentality. There's no plant forum on 'Bito for a damn good reason.

Our hobby is a serious hobby, and our board is a serious hobbyist's board. Dumbing down the message to 'grow' the numbers would be counter-productive.

So let other boards and other organizations speak for, to, and about these other hobbies and these other hobbyists.

Long live the difference! Long live 'Bito!

[111whalen]

Growing the hobby?
I see lots of contradictions:
More koi lovers makes the price of fish go up?
More koi lovers makes less politics?
More koi lovers improve the quality of fish?
Wow-I can't answer any of these.

[MikeM]

I'm all in favor of growing the hobby... the koi hobby, which means giving those with koi in water gardens the insight to raise their koikeeping to a higher level of skill and appreciation. The more the merrier... and a growing market of kichi gives incentive for continuing the progress in koi development.

[KoiCop]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM . .. which means giving those with koi in water gardens the insight to raise their koikeeping to a higher level of skill and appreciation.

Well said, Mike.

And I do think that both NI and 'Bito provide those that want to grow within the koi hobby the insight which is necessary to both inspire and measure personal growth.