Pricing Chins by Colour Alone?

[Caroline]

Ok, I may step on toes here and I apologize. But I am wondering about breeders who price and sell their chins on colour alone. If I am going to put out several hundred dollors on say, an extra dark ebony, I want to make sure that they have scored high on their evaluations in several areas and don't just look pretty because they are black. I have seen some extra dark ebonies that have poor conformation and coat quality that I wouldn't pay $100 for.

 

[EMSChins]

Not sure I see a question here?

I am sure that most breeders that price by color adjust that up or down based on other qualities. I know that I do.

 

[CTChin]

I agree Caroline. I think it is mostly back yard breeders that don't have a clue about quality. I love when they post how rare a color is so they can jack up the price.

A lot of the breeders you will find on here are wonderful and will tell you what they like and don't like in a chinchilla you are considering for purchase.

That reminds me...the other day I saw an ad for a rare, beautiful quality dark tan for $180. Problem is it was definitely a beige or very light tan :impatient:

 

[Kylelemler]

Here we do sell mutations for more than standards. When it comes to pets people generally want the colored ones so with supply and domand the mutes sell for more. Or with our show lines we do best with our beiges so they sell for more then our standards. It's hard to compete with standards because everyone from the smallest to largest ranchers should be breeding for quality standards. But we are working to improve them and we think we are getting better, but still plenty of room for improvement. We actually have a waiting list for quality beige males. But the prices are still set with quality in mind. If we have less than ideal beige born it would sell less than say a nice quality standard.

 

[Pookinaround]

I recently had several white males for sale. Two of them had pure Shoots lines from 2 different pairs. I started off asking $50 less for one because the parents of the other one was better and it showed in the kits.

 

[Caroline]

The point here is that there are even members of this forum, who would not be considered backyard breeders that are following this practice and charging high prices for chins on colour alone. It is dangerous to get into the habit of breeding for colour alone in order to make more money..

 

[jags]

I do not price by color alone but when someone wants an x dark eb and say you can not produce enough x dark ebs for what the market demands why would you price them low? To me price them for what you want out of them and in the end people will pay what they feel is ok for them. Many animals on here I would never buy for what the people are asking for them but some do. What really amazes me is what people pay for kits just because of what ranch the parents are from and not what they have done or are. Just because the parents of an animal are from Shoots, Ritterspach, Ryerson, Somavia, Neubauer or any great breeder does not mean they are all great and defiantly does not make the kits great. All top notch breeders produce their fair share of animals that are no more than pet quality and have their place as such or as a pelt.

 

[AZChins]

I breed certain mutations all the time to produce mutation babies. I charge more for different mutations than I do for standards. It's pretty common to do that, but quality and pedigree generally dictate the prices being higher than $140 or $150. Sometimes it comes down to a breeder or rancher goes with what the market will bear for pricing on the mutations. When everyone wants a "white" or "black" chinchilla and the demand is high enough the prices are increased to what people will pay. Also, selling the mutations often helps with just having a business survive financially.

However, I do not agree with charging an incredible price and calling a color rare just to sell it and mislead others. If the price for a mutation is under $200 and it has decent parents, it's not a big deal....BUT, $300 or $400 each just based on color alone could be considered just taking advantage of pet owners.

 

[jags]

Going along with what Susan said, There are NO RARE COLORS OR MUTATIONS. Some may not have as high of numbers but none are RARE.

 

[tunes]

When I first started with chins, an extra dark eb was $400-$600.00. Now you can get them all day long for under $200.00. You pay what you are willing to pay. If you think someone is charging too much, don't buy from them. I, as the seller, have the right to charge whatever I want for my animals. I bought or bred them, cared for them, fed them, etc. If I want to charge $700.00 for a "rare" mosaic I can. That doesn't mean anybody will buy it and it doesn't mean I have to lower my price just because someone doesn't like it.

I look at it like this. There are chinchilla breeders out the wazoo. If you can't find what you want with one, go to another. If you simply HAVE to have that one particular chin, then suck it up and pay the price.

 

[Caroline]

I am not refering to a purchase I have made myself or am planning to make but in general. All things need to be factored into pricing a chin and not just colour alone. I would rather pay several hundred dollars for a standard with exceptional quality than a "rare" colour who is inferior in all other ways.

 

[Caroline]

When I first started with chins, an extra dark eb was $400-$600.00. Now you can get them all day long for under $200.00. You pay what you are willing to pay. If you think someone is charging too much, don't buy from them. I, as the seller, have the right to charge whatever I want for my animals. I bought or bred them, cared for them, fed them, etc. If I want to charge $700.00 for a "rare" mosaic I can. That doesn't mean anybody will buy it and it doesn't mean I have to lower my price just because someone doesn't like it.

I look at it like this. There are chinchilla breeders out the wazoo. If you can't find what you want with one, go to another. If you simply HAVE to have that one particular chin, then suck it up and pay the price.

The point here is that there are breeders, who are setting their prices on colour alone and not the chins other. often more important quailities. Many times they are asking over inflated prices of a chin that has never even been evaluated or properly cared for.

 

[jags]

No one can tell others what to charge. There has always been over inflated prices for less than quality animals and as long as people keep paying those prices there always will be.

 

[tunes]

The point here is that there are breeders, who are setting their prices on colour alone and not the chins other. often more important quailities. Many times they are asking over inflated prices of a chin that has never even been evaluated or properly cared for.

No, the point here is that I can ask any price I want for any animal I sell, as can anybody else. Whether you or anybody else thinks it is over-inflated doesn't matter. What matters is if someone is willing to pay the price I sell for. I've seen people on this forum sell upside down, panda, reverse, polka dotted chins for stupid prices and I've seen people buy them. Well, more power to them. Would I pay it? No. But if someone is willing to, why not?

Case in point - angora chins. There is not a chin on this planet I would pay upwards of $2000.00 for, but plenty of people are paying it. Why charge that? Because they can. Why pay it? Because they want the chin!

 

[Caroline]

No one can tell others what to charge. There has always been over inflated prices for less than quality animals and as long as people keep paying those prices there always will be.

You are correct, but hopefully a discussion like this would get some breeders to stop and think about putting more emphasis on other qualities other than just colour. We can't change everyone but even if just a few change because of this discussion then that is good.

 

[AZChins]

I guess it benefits all breeders when people charge more for chins. If someone pays it, then the price isn't too high. When a backyard breeder charges $300 for a beige chin it makes it easier for me to sell a nice beige for $130. Personally, I am fine with people asking more for the chins. No one HAS to pay what is asked and there is a possibility that it will keep the price of the chins up for all of us. The average price for a chin of any color hasn't gone up at all in the last 10 years or so. I've noticed that people do not want to pay all that much, so I am often very surprised at what some do sell their chins for to pet owners!

The funny thing is that I think anyone with 100 or more chins could probably double their regular prices for the babies that they sell and still not really make much of a profit. Every year around this time I always feel like crying because when I do my taxes I realize how little I make from the effort I put into everything! No one really is making all that much money off of the chins. (I could get a minimum wage job and work full time for less than a month and make more than what I make for an entire year with the chins...it's very sad.)

 

[Caroline]

No, the point here is that I can ask any price I want for any animal I sell, as can anybody else. Whether you or anybody else thinks it is over-inflated doesn't matter. What matters is if someone is willing to pay the price I sell for. I've seen people on this forum sell upside down, panda, reverse, polka dotted chins for stupid prices and I've seen people buy them. Well, more power to them. Would I pay it? No. But if someone is willing to, why not?

Case in point - angora chins. There is not a chin on this planet I would pay upwards of $2000.00 for, but plenty of people are paying it. Why charge that? Because they can. Why pay it? Because they want the chin!

Plus you go to shows, you have lots of experience in evaluating, you have invested many years in breeding right? I am referring to certain breeders who throw up a shingle saying they are breeders, have never been to a show and base their prices on colour without ever even having had their chins evaluated.

 

[tunes]

I used to attend every show I could get to, but not so much anymore. I can't afford the travel and I don't want to join either organization for chins. I have a decent eye and yes I've invested 12 years in breeding. I personally don't overcharge for chins. I would rather get less and see them go to a good home than charge more and have them go to an idiot. What I was trying to get you to understand though is that the person selling the chin can ask whatever they want, whether they are BYB or ethical breeders. No one is going to make them stop doing that, no matter how much someone remarks on it. As long as someone will pay that money, they will charge it.

 

[Caroline]

I used to attend every show I could get to, but not so much anymore. I can't afford the travel and I don't want to join either organization for chins. I have a decent eye and yes I've invested 12 years in breeding. I personally don't overcharge for chins. I would rather get less and see them go to a good home than charge more and have them go to an idiot. What I was trying to get you to understand though is that the person selling the chin can ask whatever they want, whether they are BYB or ethical breeders. No one is going to make them stop doing that, no matter how much someone remarks on it. As long as someone will pay that money, they will charge it.

I totally hear what you are saying.

 

[JoAnne]

We have paid $500.00 for an animal IF it is what we want and have the money and can trust the breeder behind it. It may not have looked any better than another but had the genetics we wanted and the owner had a waiting list. We have had as many $500.00 ones fail to produce, in one case die or just not click with our herd as we have $200 - $300.00 ones. We paid, like many other $4000 for a Gunning Black Velvet when Bob introduced them. We would not do that today, and yes we can get even better quality than that one. The only time we regret paying what we give for an animal is if the breeder misrepresents the product. Obviously we don't do business with that breeder again. If something happens out of the control of the seller we just take the lumps and move on.