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jwenting Resident · 05-30-2015, 05:57 AM

One final word, to put things into perspective:
For the vast majority of people selling on the secondary market, those sales are NOT an attempt to "destroy the market", they're NOT an attempt to "drive others out of business", they're NOT intentionally underpricing their boxes, and they're definitely NOT in it to make a living selling cats.
They're simply looking at what other small sellers are selling for and trying to sell for a similar price to recoup some of the cost of feeding their cats.
As long as their sales bring in more L$ than the cost of renting that stall they're happy campers. When it doesn't for a few weeks, they're probably closing their shop, maybe to reopen again somewhere else a few weeks or months later to try again.

And to many of them the extreme prices charged by some of the big breeders are a source of frustration and bewilderment. "Why would anyone pay 10KL$ for a cat?".

yourbestboy69 Resident · (This post was last modified: 05-30-2015 10:30 PM by yourbestboy69 Resident.)

(05-28-2015 12:57 PM)SweetSinz Resident Wrote: Yes that was/is me. I had to stop the offer since I can't afford to buy all the jewels offered to me at that price, sadly. I set those prices based on what jewels were going for on a major kitty cat sim at auction. That's partly how I know if my prices are in line with the market or not.

That's my logic, should you agree with it or not. Please explain how this has hurt the market if you think it has.

I'm just calling you out on your hypocrisy. We all know that those prices are ones that only distressed sellers would accept and well below the fair market. Your own "Pawn Shop" wording reflects this.

(05-28-2015 04:04 PM)Devilness Chant Wrote: This would be a great topic for a standing thread and let the pricing one sink back to the depths where it belongs, before the slandering gets too out of hand.

Slander? Slander is spoken. Libel is written. And neither one applies if what is spoken or written is true.

(05-30-2015 05:57 AM)jwenting Resident Wrote: One final word, to put things into perspective:
For the vast majority of people selling on the secondary market, those sales are NOT an attempt to "destroy the market", they're NOT an attempt to "drive others out of business", they're NOT intentionally underpricing their boxes, and they're definitely NOT in it to make a living selling cats.
They're simply looking at what other small sellers are selling for and trying to sell for a similar price to recoup some of the cost of feeding their cats.
As long as their sales bring in more L$ than the cost of renting that stall they're happy campers. When it doesn't for a few weeks, they're probably closing their shop, maybe to reopen again somewhere else a few weeks or months later to try again.

And to many of them the extreme prices charged by some of the big breeders are a source of frustration and bewilderment. "Why would anyone pay 10KL$ for a cat?".

Very true.

Inferialis Rappaport · 05-31-2015, 02:10 AM

Quote:jwenting Resident Wrote:
One final word, to put things into perspective:
For the vast majority of people selling on the secondary market, those sales are NOT an attempt to "destroy the market", they're NOT an attempt to "drive others out of business", they're NOT intentionally underpricing their boxes, and they're definitely NOT in it to make a living selling cats.
They're simply looking at what other small sellers are selling for and trying to sell for a similar price to recoup some of the cost of feeding their cats.
As long as their sales bring in more L$ than the cost of renting that stall they're happy campers. When it doesn't for a few weeks, they're probably closing their shop, maybe to reopen again somewhere else a few weeks or months later to try again.

And to many of them the extreme prices charged by some of the big breeders are a source of frustration and bewilderment. "Why would anyone pay 10KL$ for a cat?".

This really sums it up perfectly! Very true words! Thanks for writing this.

LibGwen Resident · (This post was last modified: 05-31-2015 05:54 AM by LibGwen Resident.)

These threads follow the same formula. Someone starts a thread because he or she is confused by price differences or exasperated with people endlessly asking what their cats are worth, then slashing the advised price and asking the advisor to show approval. Then the thread is immediately sidetracked by 1) people complaining that people don't have the guts to price their cats what they're worth, and 2) people complaining that people who have been in business a long time just don't understand the needs of people who are just starting out. And all of them say the same thing: "The market is terrible and it's getting worse!" And then the blame game starts.

Every month, cats are cheaper than they have ever been and people bitterly slam the sellers who have survived year after year that *they* are too expensive. (In other threads they also complain that since cats are cheap, food should be cheap too.)

In seeing this thread cloned again and again I have noticed that what people say is seldom what they think. Especially, they don't say what their gripe actually *is*.

- People aren't buying enough cheap cats to make selling cheap cats profitable.
- If only cats were cheaper, more people would buy them.

These statements are incompatible nonsense. What they are really saying is "If only I could force other people to lower *their* prices and force more people to buy *my* cats."

Bumblebliss Resident · 05-31-2015, 07:33 AM

(05-31-2015 05:23 AM)LibGwen Resident Wrote: These threads follow the same formula. Someone starts a thread because he or she is confused by price differences or exasperated with people endlessly asking what their cats are worth, then slashing the advised price and asking the advisor to show approval. Then the thread is immediately sidetracked by 1) people complaining that people don't have the guts to price their cats what they're worth, and 2) people complaining that people who have been in business a long time just don't understand the needs of people who are just starting out. And all of them say the same thing: "The market is terrible and it's getting worse!" And then the blame game starts.

Every month, cats are cheaper than they have ever been and people bitterly slam the sellers who have survived year after year that *they* are too expensive. (In other threads they also complain that since cats are cheap, food should be cheap too.)

In seeing this thread cloned again and again I have noticed that what people say is seldom what they think. Especially, they don't say what their gripe actually *is*.

- People aren't buying enough cheap cats to make selling cheap cats profitable.
- If only cats were cheaper, more people would buy them.

These statements are incompatible nonsense. What they are really saying is "If only I could force other people to lower *their* prices and force more people to buy *my* cats."

I tend to agree. I think also that there are, and will continue to be, enough people buying food that the KC business is happy also and things will continue as is.

I am totally outside of the 'community' and I think this has helped me a lot. I do what I want when I want, and I am totally unaffected by what others price their cats at. When I choose to sell, I price the cats what I want without a second thought and I don't give a hoot what others think. And I do support my cost of food for my breeders and for my special interest projects that I do not sell to anyone. I buy and I sell what, when and how I want. I like it that way.

Christin73 Resident · 01-09-2016, 08:51 PM

Pricing a kitty is hard especialy for someone like me thats just getting into the selling aspect. I tend to price mine so i can make a little proffit but not to eccess. I don't want to make a ton of money. My theory is you can sell one kitty at high price every once in a while or stick to reasonable prices and sell lot of kitties more often. Just my opinion and business philosify.

CHERRYMeTaL Resident · 01-10-2016, 10:29 AM

(04-15-2015 09:05 AM)TerrorMisu Resident Wrote: It used to be 50-100L per trait for basic kitties .. 200-2000L or more per for the most sought after traits.. now people are selling cats for 100L for 7T or more.. how do we compete w that? I am seeing this happening now with a vengeance. Do we all start selling our cats for 100L to give some competition? Someone said or I read that it costs 700L to produce one kitty? How is the feasible to sell for 100L? I know how one person does it. He sells all the newly traited kitties for 30-100k per cat.. then when the market slumps he sell off his kitties for nothing. Does it mean we all must compromise our integrity and that of our kitty business to stay competitive. Perhaps I will do that? Selling cats to a target market niche "beginners" for 100L does not justify this absurd pricing. It only teaches that there is someone willing to compromise their integrity and value of these lovely kitties. I see this practice detrimental to the market, clearly a desperate person doing desperate things to hang on...just saying!

It really makes me sad and disappointed. What are your thoughts?
PS Happy Tax Day, Americans! I better go finish mine! LOL

Heck no Terror Your kittehs are the bomb and well worth the price HUGGLES ya!

Ivy Lane · 01-10-2016, 12:59 PM

I have been very distressed, I do use the calculator. When the new limited editions came out i started noticing the prices of my other kitties, gorgeous 9 traited kitties with OFW and such what was top of the line just last season and at this point is still the third most recessive whisker, the prices dropped like terror mentioned , 9T kitties just a few days ago worth at least 900 L are now like 300 -500 L ? that is insane...........

Oselkhandro Resident · 01-10-2016, 03:25 PM

It is becoming clear to me that the ONLY kittens that might sell for "reasonable" prices are those that show the newest traits, from whatever is the MOST recent release. Insane, sad, yes indeed..but it is the market as it stands. Is the newest blue eye better than an older blue eye? No, but novelty drives interest...thats human nature. Unfortunately for my finances, I tend to keep my new traited kittens (and I LOVE the Aussie Dark Chocolate fur..grins)

JC Aferdita · 01-11-2016, 06:59 AM

It's just like RL, a new generation of videogame consoles come out. Do people flood to go buy the old consoles? No, they flood to buy the shiny new one. A few smart people uses this opportunity to swoop in and buy the old consoles for cheap prices as people are selling their old to afford the new and the market gets overrun with the old generation of consoles, so prices drop. People are desperately trying to make some money in hopes of affording the shiny new thing. You can use the same reference in fashion.
The keyword for the old stuff is 'last season'. This is a new season we've entered, and it's the new shiny things that are the hot stuff. Not last season. Last season will come back come summer, when the influx of new traits dies down. Perhaps not to thousands and thousands of lindens, but the prices usually increase ever so slightly. As people calm down and start to look at their breeding projects and evaluate what they have versus what they need etc.