Pricing

[Aika Nirvana]

I'm new to KittyCats and was wondering if there is an ongoing discussion on pricing? Where would I look for information on this? Thanks

[anna Acanthus]

There's a group called - KittyCatS Price Check

[Aika Nirvana]

(02-26-2012 02:47 AM)anna acanthus Wrote:  There's a group called - KittyCatS Price Check

I'm in that group but it's rare that anyone answers. So i was hoping for a bit more guidance from experienced people

[Saga Felix]

Hello Aika, and welcome to KittyCatS :-)

The question about pricing is often asked by new breeders, and very often we simply do not know what to say, so often you will find very few answers. The market changes ALL the time - what cost 20k last month can now be acquired for 5k or less, and the cat that sat in the corner of a shop for 3 months, un-sold for 500L, may suddenly strike someone's fancy at an auction and start a regular bid war, bringing the price up to many thousands. -Or vice versa, of course!

I have been a KittyCatS auctioneer for almost a year now, and I wrote up some genetic lectures etc, so people often look to me for answers about stuff - and pricing, too. But on that particular subject, I am as clueless as anyone else. I too ask around when trying to price my cats for sale - I too am in doubt every time.

The KittyCatS market works like any other free market - by supply & demand. -And that changes, ALL the time. Cats that are new and rare bring high prices, but EVERY time one of those cats get a kitten, rarity goes down - and hence also the price for that particular breed. Meanwhile, someone added some desirable traits to that breed, and prices goes haywire again - and then KittyCatS release some new special edition, everyone spends all their money on that, and for the next 2-3 weeks, it's damn impossible to get a reasonable price for anything at all.

So I am sorry, but there are no definite answers to your question. The best you can do is join advert-groups and see what people sell their cats for, and visit cat markets and auctions for the same. Those who bother following the market also prosper from it - but it takes time and effort, true.
I for one rarely have time to follow it as well as I'd like, but then I am in the lucky position to know someone who does. -And can ask "Hey, what do this-and-that breed go for these days?".

I am afraid few will know what to say when asked "Hey, tell me about pricing"... but if you ask "I saw this cat for this price, is that reasonable?" or "I have this cat, does anyone have a clue what it may be worth?", the questions are more specific and more people will be able to answer.
Believe me, when you do not get an answer, it is NOT about hostility towards new people or anything - on the contrary! We LOVE when more breeders come to KittyCatS! -We just simply do not always know what to say when asked that dreaded pricing-question.

While this of course doesn't at all answer your question, I do hope I at least managed to tell you WHY your question is so very hard to answer - and ask you please to not get too discouraged by the lack of those answers ;-)

Best of luck with your KittyCatS - and please do continue to ask in chat when in doubt. If people know, they will share

Saga

[Sanura Snowpaw]

I agree with Saga after auctioning for about a year I still can't tell you exactly what a cat might be worth to another person at any given moment there can simply be to many variables. I simply don't have time to follow the market on a general basis.

Two pieces of advice I can offer are price your cat what you would be willing to pay for it and to if it would make you sad to see a cat sell for x amount then don't price it that low.

[Sara Franco]

I'm kinda new too and had the same question but I will try to ask more specific ones.

Is fur the most important trait that affects price? And probably eyes too? Personally ears, tails and whiskers don't make difference to me but I dunno about others.

I checked the dominance order of traits document. And I hve to say it is very useful and really a great work. But I need to know if recessive traits are always with higher prices because they are harder to get or prices just depend on what other breeders demand?

Thanks in advance

[Saga Felix]

Hi Sara,

No, the most recessive is not almost the highest priced - but it is a factor to count in for sure. Highest priced cats have a fur or eyes or trait(s) are are both new, recessive and rare... -And then the price of course sky-rockets if several such traits are present.

Other than that, it's up to people what they weigh most. -And people can also change their minds ever so often Personally, I had this grand idea of breeding the most recessive traits together in one cat, but I realised that 1: It is absolutely impossible, as I can't breed fast enough to keep up with the release/discovery of new traits, and 2: The most recessive traits are not the cutest and those I want most... ;-)

But it all comes down to personal preference. Some people weight mysterious eye shape & small pupils so high that they'd probably never buy a cat without these traits (The so-called "perfect eye"), while others care all about a cute tail, a realistic eye colour... and meanwhile, most of us also stray from whatever we like best, and simply follow the hype and go for whatever is new and hot.
-Some people count traits like crazy (Myself included, ahem ), while others couldn't care less about the NUMBER of traits, as long as the one they desire is there. I even met people who'd never buy a shaded cat, as they think it looks silly. -So, the perfect cat for them would be a "trash-cat" for the trait-counters - it lacks the shade!

Again, I can't really answer your questions with a "yes" or "no". If I could, the whole KittyCatS second market would be a lot less exciting, right?

I hope my answer is of some help anyway - otherwise feel free to ask again, and wait for someone else's opinion. -There are as many of those as there are people ;-)

Saga

[Sara Franco]

Thanks for your reply But I need more help with an example if possible. Will tell you bout a cat I have and you may tell me how you price her and depends on what if you don't mind.

I have this cat with good fur and eyes. She got garbera purple hidden eyes too but has some gensis traits so I cant decide how to price her. She is 62 days old. I would put her for sale in a week. I know her age is not good and would like to know how would you price her if she was young too.

Fur: Snowshoe - Bluepoint
Eyes: Odyssey Dream (Curious|Big)
Shade: Natural
Tail: :Genesis
Ears: Genesis
Whiskers: White (Guitar)
Size: Normal

Thanks so much!

[Saga Felix]

Hello Sara,

All I can do is give my opinion - others may think I am completely wrong. -And if so, feel free to comment or correct, anyone

But here goes - in my opinion, this cat is not worth even trying to sell, unless it hides something really awesome underneath the shown traits. The Snowshoe Bluepoints have never really been popular, not even back when they were the 2nd most recessive fur of all, and now they're just... well, overlooked and forgotten, more or less
The Odyssey Dream eyes look great, always have - but they're no big seller in themselves. -And besides that, all there is to show is white whiskers...

If you're lucky, you could maybe sell her on pure cuteness for a few hundred - someone may come by who looks for JUST that kind of cat - but if it was my cat, I'd send it to Menagerie for 50 kitty-dollars before feeding it any longer, if I was not going to breed it anyway.

I am sorry if I sound harsh towards your cat... I am sure she's a cutie (they ALL are! ), but well... this is my opinion. Best of luck with her, no matter what you decide

Saga

P.S. Hundreds of my previous cats all agree: Menagerie IS an awesome place... ;-)

[Sara Franco]

Lol no it is ok. I wasn' expecting a high price anyway I thought she might worth 500 or so. And I'm breeding that's why I haven't sold her yet. She passed a Garbera purple eyes to a kitten so far. Dunno about the hidden fur yet. So she doesn't even worth 500?

Thanks so much for your help