Might purchase Black Velvet Chin

[Pikaia]

Ok, I found a few male black velvet chins and I am thinking about purchasing one of them. I wanted to see if you think they look good. She is asking $125 each and they come with a supply of food, dust, hay and a caresheet. What do you think of the price? I don't mind paying that price, but I don't want to be blindly ripped off either. I found her on Hoobly and she seems pretty respectable from her our contact through emails.

What do you guys think? Do they look good? I don't mean breeding/show quality wise.. but that's great if they are.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I asked if she would take $100 (I am a barter at heart LOL) and she said, "Sorry, but the price is firm. You will not be disappointed".

Thanks for your input. I trust you guys to be honest with me.

 

[AZChins]

They look clean and don't appear to have any problems. It's just a picture so it would be impossible to evaluate health from it. As far as quality goes, they're too young to tell at this point.

Does the seller offer a health guarantee on them? $125 is a decent price for a black velvet baby if that is what you are wanting.

 

[Cat75]

How old are they?

 

[Pikaia]

They were born Sept 2nd.

 

[tunes]

Does the seller offer a health guarantee on them?

Very few people offer health guarantees anymore, so I wouldn't expect or ask for one. Too many people have lied and cheated their way to a free chin because of these guarantees. If something happened within the first 2 or 3 days? Then yes, but people are trying to get reimbursed or a new chin after they have had them for 30 days and they mysteriously die but they didn't take it to the vet because they were "too emotional" to find out why.

As far as bartering - I just want to say this - I realize that everybody wants to try and get a deal on something, but generally when a breeder posts an amount for a chin, that's what they want for it. I personally don't appreciate when people say to me, "Oh, will you take less?" $125.00 for a black velvet is really not a lot to ask. It's way less than what others are charging, so to have someone then ask for them to knock $25.00 off (and I mean, really? $25.00?) I would most likely turn away the sale unless you were buying multiples, in which case I am glad to knock off a little because it's more than one. I can also see if the person was asking $400.00 for a chin (which it would have to do laundry and dishes for me to pay), but $125.00 is less than what you would pay in a pet store for a standard.

 

[Pikaia]

Thank you for your input everybody. Yeah, I know my bartering in this case seems kinda silly, but I guess it's just because I am so afraid of being ripped off. I'm really not a cheapskate-seriously. LOL.

Tunes- Would you buy one of these chins personally? Yes, it is less than what a petstore charges. They want $149.99 for standard males. She doesn't say anything about a health guarantee in the AD either.

 

[AZChins]

Many states have laws surrounding the health of animals at time of purchase. Some breeders will give extra time on it. It's always good to see if a breeder will stand behind the health of the animals being sold - at least for the first month or so. I always have to get a statement from the vet about the health of the animal, I won't reimburse anyone if I don't get someone qualified telling me what went wrong.

This is a pet chin, it's a whole different thing than buying a chin for a breeding herd. Ask her a lot of questions and see if you feel comfortable with her. Babies are very cute, so it's easy to just go with it.

 

[Pikaia]

Well, upon the advice of Cat75, I asked how many raisins she was feeding them. In the ad it says they come with a good supply of raisins. She responded by saying, "I feed them no more than 4 raisins a day. I feed them while holding them. This has been a good method for me getting my chins used to being held."


4 RAISINS A DAY?!!! MY GOD! that can't be good. Should I reconsider now after hearing that?!

 

[starleomach]

if it is a pet chinchilla I don't see a problem with it. I agree with Peggy I get annoyed when people try to barter..you don't go to a pet store and negociate... Just a pet peeve of mine with all the emails I get daily. Some people are down right insulting when they try to barter.

125 for a black velvet isn't a rip off IMPO. and as for the health I used to offer a gaurentee but I am thinking of re-wording it or making people sign something. I usually give a week at their new home but there have been a few times reciently I have had issues as they have gone home and immediatly done something I said not too... or even got into the car and cranked the heat up etc..after being warned.

 

[Megan]

I charge between $100-$125 for my black velvet to pet homes (they are sold with a limited pedigree that would be of no use for a breeding animal), or $175+ for the same animal as a breeder. So $125 really is not a bad price for a black. I will take less on certain animals (adults, multiple purchases etc) but my prices are also firm, and I think its rude for people to ask me to lower my prices as mine are normally lower then most breeders in the area.

As for the raisins... You can put him on a proper diet and chances are he would be fine. I also do not offer a warrenty. As soon as the animal leaves my house I don't know what the person is doing with it, or how they are handling the animal. If they feel it is not healthy at the time they get him/her, they do not have to leave with the animal in question.

 

[lauralynne]

Thank you for your input everybody. Yeah, I know my bartering in this case seems kinda silly, but I guess it's just because I am so afraid of being ripped off. I'm really not a cheapskate-seriously. LOL.

Tunes- Would you buy one of these chins personally? Yes, it is less than what a petstore charges. They want $149.99 for standard males. She doesn't say anything about a health guarantee in the AD either.

What one person would pay for a chin may be something totally different to another person.

Think of a car...one person may pay $1000 for the same thing someone else is willing to pay $2500 for.

It wouldn't hurt to make a visit to this person and see how you get along w/ the chin then.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I agree on the price - the breeder is asking a fair price...probably a little less than I'd ask for.

 

[missjess10475]

I think they look pretty. I love black velvets. I paid $125 for mine and got his pedigree, and it was from a very reputable breeder in Indiana. He's gorgeous too! From the pics you posted, they look like they have a nice black face and white bellies. I like the one on the left better tho

 

[Tennyson]

Yeah, the raisins so far in their life is no big deal, what would concern me about it is if she is so lenient on their diet, what else might she be lenient on? Parent's health? In-breeding? Falsifying pedigrees? Breeding lines with Malo?

Obviously these are extremes And a few raisins doesn't a bad breeder make, my mind just always jumps to the worst. I agree with the recommendation for a personal visit-and make sure you specify that it's a visit to meet the chins, not buy them, or you might get forced into buying one when you don't feel entirely comfortable about it Look for signs of bad breeding--does she have records of the kits parents to make sure there are no genetic health problems? Are their living conditions appropriate? etc.

 

[leni]

Yeah, they look cute, but I agree that you should go in person and see them. I think that makes a big difference in determining what you want to decide. I remember when I went to get mine I had a very different thought in my head as to what I wanted, then when I went in person I ended up with something completely different.

 

[tunes]

Yeah, the raisins so far in their life is no big deal, what would concern me about it is if she is so lenient on their diet, what else might she be lenient on? Parent's health? In-breeding? Falsifying pedigrees? Breeding lines with Malo?

I highly doubt that is the case. Many, MANY people feed their chins a crappy diet but are fine in the other aspects of chin husbandry. They simply don't know, or have always done this, or whatever. I know of someone that is a member here that people just loved to death and I know for a fact he feeds babies pretty much from the day they are born 3-4 raisins a day as well as the parents, and people keep buying from him. I know it because he told me. Look how many pet owners that come on with wonderful cages and lots of toys and vet care - yet they shovel in raisins and Charlie Chinchilla. I know Ryerson's give raisins at every show because it helps the chins not to be constipated. Giving raisins does not equal a crappy breeder who in breeds mutant chins.

Susan - My point on the health guarantee is that most people won't do it anymore because they are getting ripped off. I know of one person who had chins transported for her to a buyer in another state, and somehow they "died" in the care of the transporter. No bodies were produced, no vet statements, but the person on the other end expected to get replacement animals. Sorry about your luck, but not happening, not if it was me anyway. Whether it's for a pet or for a breeder shouldn't matter. And, in fact, I believe Empress forbids you from giving a health guarantee if you are a member, though that may have changed. I agree with what was stated above, once they leave my house, I have no clue what is going on. Now, if I sent a chin to Becky and she told me it died after she had it, that would be one thing. I know her, I know her care. I had a chin here that I bought die of malo. I let the breeder know and offered to show the x-rays from the vet. Most people won't do that because it's "too traumatic" to go to the vet (which is just stupid, obviously).

Pikaia - No, I would not buy one of those chins. I don't buy babies. I went through the whole babies are cute stage. Now if I want to see cute babies, I walk out my back door and into the garage.

 

[mishalaa]

I always heard and believed that kits under 6 months old should not be given treats of any kind, so that their digestive tracts don't get upset and build up the proper flora. Is this now chincare myth? I don't even give supplement until they're past 6 months old.

 

[tunes]

No, what you are saying is correct Mish. What I was stating is that just because someone feeds their chins raisins, it doesn't mean they are breeding brother to sister malo chins. I never offer any supplement or raisins or pretty much anything but wood to my chins under 6 months of age.

 

[Tennyson]

Oh definitely tunes, like I said, I just get paranoid I know lots of people do raisins and that they are still fine breeders-I just figure it's safer to be cautious rather than trusting when dealing with someone new-in anything, not just breeders lol

 

[Pikaia]

Wow. Thanks for your input, all of you Looks of good information here to me to soak in.

Carise, from fortinatechins, wrote me again (in regards to a rescue male chinchilla) warning me about keeping males and females in the same room. They will injure eachother because they smell the females. Is this true? I apologize for going off topic. Maybe I should make a new thread?

Gosh, there is soo much too learn about these precious little animals.