# Ridiculous Goldfish prices!



## Big Fate (Mar 15, 2011)

Can someone please explain this to me, because I'm lost and don't understand why people actually pay Top Tier prices for some Goldfish?

I've been on a few Goldfish Auction sites and noticed they go anywhere from 49.99-299.99 for one fish?

Does this fish come with a pedigree? lol I'm assuming they are show only fish but really?

I see the same Orandas at my LFS for 29.99 tops. Also I just purchased a Calico Ryukin for 14.99 then saw the same one that looked very identical on a auction site for 129.99?!

Can someone please break this down to me.. I'm just no getting it.


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## amberjade (May 28, 2010)

Yeah, a lot of the expensive fish are show fish - selective breeding and all that. But basically, the way I see it, something is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. Someone buying from a business perspective will be more calculating and perhaps more conservative than someone buying from the heart. 
So - to each their own, really. 
Oh, and I saw an albino betta for sale with a buy it now of $2000 once!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## brownmane (Jan 7, 2011)

:dunno: Maybe fish are like any other pet. Look at what people pay for some types of dogs and cats.


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## Big Fate (Mar 15, 2011)

amberjade said:


> Yeah, a lot of the expensive fish are show fish - selective breeding and all that. But basically, the way I see it, something is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. Someone buying from a business perspective will be more calculating and perhaps more conservative than someone buying from the heart.
> So - to each their own, really.
> Oh, and I saw an albino betta for sale with a buy it now of $2000 once!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Thats crazy 2000 dollars!! I guess if people willing to dish that kinda money out for a fish then more power to them...



brownmane said:


> :dunno: Maybe fish are like any other pet. Look at what people pay for some types of dogs and cats.


No comparison... Fish is a great pet to keep, but, is no dog.

Atleast my dog will guard my house lol Whats the 300 dollar fish gonna do? Hop out his tank and fish tackle the theif? lol


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## brownmane (Jan 7, 2011)

No comparison... Fish is a great pet to keep, but, is no dog.

Atleast my dog will guard my house lol Whats the 300 dollar fish gonna do? Hop out his tank and fish tackle the theif? lol[/quote]

Good one! I have 3 attack cats:lol:


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## Bigguy71 (Apr 8, 2011)

amberjade said:


> Yeah, a lot of the expensive fish are show fish - selective breeding and all that. But basically, the way I see it, something is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. Someone buying from a business perspective will be more calculating and perhaps more conservative than someone buying from the heart.
> So - to each their own, really.
> Oh, and I saw an albino betta for sale with a buy it now of $2000 once!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


$2000 , did it come with a 20 karat gold trimmed betta bowl? I bought a pure white, not clear whitish body for $17. you cant go on certain webs sites or auctions because everyone involved wants to make there cut. I also bought a zebra pleco L46 15 years ago & paid 50, went to see about another recently they average 195.00 online and my LPS said 120.00


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## amberjade (May 28, 2010)

It's crazy! And what guarantee do you have that the fish is for real? 
Granted, real albino bettas are rare - and I'm talking the pink eyes and all. But I would never consider buying a pet - rare, show, breeder, species - for that kind of money. I'll just admire pics of them! LOL
Yeah, the more people involved, the more money is involved. Crazy, like I said.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Big Fate (Mar 15, 2011)

I guess it comes down to breeding.

If you cross 2 30 dollar fishes you probably end up with a feeder.

But if you cross 2 300 dollar fish you'd probably end up with a 30 dollar fish... which you can then double your money up if you know what you're doing...

But, just for a pet.... NO WAY


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

Actually it's more than that.. If the average joe tried to breed fish, then you're right.. They'd be valuable, but worth less than the parents...

A pro breeder can get the offspring, cull the inferior ones, and end up with fish more valuable than the ones he started with.

Also, ever heard of fish shows? You can win a lot of money... And albino bettas being rare is an understatement...

Pretty much anything can be bred to be albino and sold... (albino tetras, cories, etc) but no one has ever figured out how to breed them...


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## Big Fate (Mar 15, 2011)

redchigh said:


> Actually it's more than that.. If the average joe tried to breed fish, then you're right.. They'd be valuable, but worth less than the parents...
> 
> A pro breeder can get the offspring, cull the inferior ones, and end up with fish more valuable than the ones he started with.
> 
> ...


I've been wanting to get more in depth of breeding... if you really know what you're doing you could make a killing...


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## Bigguy71 (Apr 8, 2011)

Big Fate said:


> I've been wanting to get more in depth of breeding... if you really know what you're doing you could make a killing...


I've bred some fish and found that if your not connected or you dont have your own established business your gonna get nickel and dimed on the price. I sold some for basically half of their retail price and once was offered 15 cents per fish which they would turn around and sell for $3 - $4 .


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## Teishokue (Mar 10, 2011)

show fish or a pure bred such as an endler. depending on quality for example a SSS rank CRS could cost alot just for the strand of an SSS.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Lets not even go to the Japanese koi:lol:. They get insane with those. There are fish shows around here, they are fun. I always take way too many pictures. It is all in the breeding. You can get a run of the mill or pure strain guppy for $3 or less around here easy. Yet, there are a number of show quality strains in the local club and at auction a trio can run $20 or more easy. 

What you are breeding and quality is key... it needs to have demand and you need a way ideally to sell it straight to someone else, don't deal with store credit if you don't have to. Shops around here give you 1/3 of retail price when you sell fish, which is fine IF you are trying to get rid of them. If your goal is to actually sell them then its the wrong approach... This is a hobby for me nothing more, but I can easily sell $100 or more in excess plants online in a summer. Auctions are hit and miss. I buy and sell so break even in costs usually. I just got $71 in the mail from the last auction, so I made like a whole $5 over what I spent there:lol:. Thats not the point really though, new stuff is WAY cooler then the stuff I got rid of. BTW its way easier to sell plants then fish IMO...


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## Teishokue (Mar 10, 2011)

guppy strains are easy to find but pure bred ENDLERs are difficult. some range anywhere from 200-2000 each fish, depending on which strain is it. usually a P1 strain will be high. as for strains such as leopard, cobras and stuff like that. those are hybrid strains which are easy to find. but endlers are different from hybrid/wilds. 

sad to say, but my friend sells his pond caught gold fish for $10 each -.- im amazed how many he sold. as for me goldfish/koi's are not for me... i like small fish.


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

I guess I am just easier to please then others. I can't imagine spending that much for a fish. I am perfectly happy with my fish that range from $5.99-$25.99 in price. I felt I was treating myself with the $25.99 fish and actually, I didn't pay for him, I traded a bunch of guppy fry.  Maybe I am cheap??


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Teishokue said:


> guppy strains are easy to find but pure bred ENDLERs are difficult. some range anywhere from 200-2000 each fish, depending on which strain is it. usually a P1 strain will be high. as for strains such as leopard, cobras and stuff like that. those are hybrid strains which are easy to find. but endlers are different from hybrid/wilds.
> 
> sad to say, but my friend sells his pond caught gold fish for $10 each -.- im amazed how many he sold. as for me goldfish/koi's are not for me... i like small fish.


I've never seen anywhere near that price for endlers. Depends on your location though and sources I guess. Swampriveraquatics.com has just about everything to do with endlers. I got my black bar endlers locally and they are suppose to be a pure strain. I got them for $1 each and have given away, sold, and culled hundreds of them in my efforts to get rid of them now. You can get a run of the mill 'unknown' endler from a shop for like $4. The show guppies like full reds and Moscows always sell for more at auctions. Think the only livebearer that sold similarly this time was Xiphophorus Alvarezi.

I like small fish as well, but also fish that get REALLY big which I have no room for... I'm not a big livebearer fan especially with guppies and endlers, I like the species that look more natural. 

Some fish always seem to maintain demand, like BN plecos.


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## Teishokue (Mar 10, 2011)

the point here is "suppose" cant tell unless you have recieved them from awarded endlers. ive research guppies and endlers are too mixed in this world that there almost is no pure bred. yours are most likely line bred.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Dunno, with one of the larger aquarium societies local I know someone is keeping 'pure' endlers. If mine are pure or not I couldn't care since I am trying to get rid of the silly things:roll:. I would like to see ANY endler that has gone for $200 let alone 2K. 

Most offered for a fish that I know of was a platinum arowana for like 400K, offer was refused. lol!


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## Big Fate (Mar 15, 2011)

Mikaila31 said:


> Dunno, with one of the larger aquarium societies local I know someone is keeping 'pure' endlers. If mine are pure or not I couldn't care since I am trying to get rid of the silly things:roll:. I would like to see ANY endler that has gone for $200 let alone 2K.
> 
> Most offered for a fish that I know of was a platinum arowana for like 400K, offer was refused. lol!


Thats even more Ridiculous!!


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## Guppie luver (Feb 2, 2011)

brownmane said:


> No comparison... Fish is a great pet to keep, but, is no dog.
> 
> Atleast my dog will guard my house lol Whats the 300 dollar fish gonna do? Hop out his tank and fish tackle the theif? lol


Good one! I have 3 attack cats:lol:[/quote]


OMG I have 2/3 of my cats are attac cats well maby more like 1 can do damege but is scared of most things and one is very sciol but when u bug her she eats your face and one is 17 so no help but he did make a black lab run home crying with a blody gash when he was 17!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol::shock::shock:


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