Just noticed people were still replying on my thread (cool) yes it's just me
Just wanted to address something that's been brought up here by a few people and that's the types of kitties available at Auctions. I personally don't breed your average Kitty meaning I like to breed traits that are long retired or in danger of being completely bred out such as the Odyssey Splash eye, I mean when was the last time you saw that ?? (Today coz I'm breeding it lol, joke) but seriously, I breed traits you don't see every day and yes I have been guilty of putting kitties in Auction with that "One Trait", in my case it was snappy whisker on a Pink and White (shudders) but that was nearly because it was from a project and I didn't need it (it was the fur I didn't need, no offence). I also like to mix things up a little by breeding older/retired/dom traits and newer/recessive traits together on one kitty.
But I agree, Auctions are beginning to become carbon copies of each other, you get to the point where you can almost guess which kitties are going to be in the line up before you spy them or the line up. I personally put this down to three things. Investment, Imagination or lack of and Teaching.
Teaching: Too many newer breeders are hearing Recessive Recessive Recessive, Recessive is the best ............. sorry but NOOOOOOOOO it really isn't. As Poison likes to say, with recessive traits there's no wiggle room. Like when everyone bred the Dry Olive to the Onyx and now people are cursed with the Dry Olive coming through on the Onyx eyes, there's no wiggle room. Hands up, yes I did do that but since I got wiser and actually bred my Onyx to a Peach Bellini of all things BUT it it's doing the trick, so far from 3 lines, I've not had Dry Olive (YAY). We need to teach differently and stop telling newer breeders Recessive is best.
Imagination: This is where I'm going to get it in the neck (not the perosn, British saying) some (quite a lot) breeders have lost their imagination. I can sit at an auction and look at a kitty and think, what if I switched that eye for this eye or put this fur on it, is it even possible ? How many people ACTUALLY do that ?? Currently I'm working on the Maine Coon Silver Tortoiseshell with Odyssey Splash eyes. It looks very funky but at the same time, keeping to lesser seen traits alive.
Investment: Most people just aren't willing to invest time in working lines for generations and generations, refining them, making "pure lines" so to speak. Now I'm gonna let a secret out the bag, on a shelf in my cattery is a box with lots of little boxes in it and in each box is a pair of kitties from almost every pair of kitties I've bred in the past 12-18 months (I say almost because some pairings REALLY didn't work). In some cases I have two pairs. I understand some people haven't the time, money etc to do this but sooooo many breeders really could instead of pumping out the same kitties as Fred and Wilma on the next panel.
Looking at or changing at least one of these would soooooo help bring variety and the "Elite" kitties (Stolen from Devilness Chant) back to Auctions. Something else that'll make me more unpopular with Auctioneers than I already am (breathes) .......... Thinking outside of the box as far as Auctions goes. I know that a certain Auctioneer (Poison) has been doing things a little different with the Lives Auctions and soon the Boutique Auctions but I think more thinking outside of the box would help. Too many times you tp to the auction, sit down, have an hour plus long Auction of the same thing as the last one and then Auction over and to the next one. I KNOW how hard Auctioneers have it from experience BUT I think that's something the community can help with, people just need to reach out.
Well that's it from me, I'll go back to my little corner of SL but please have a think on what I've said and these are only my own opinions.
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Again, this is not meant as an attack on any breeder, Auctioneer, Auction, Sim or Sim Owner.
Have fun breeding those KittyCatS!
More Cancellations .... what's going on breeders ??
