Blind Buying Your Koi

What you see is what you get. This is a phrase that can be interpreted in many different ways, and for a koi owner looking to purchase his next koi, it is one that he would prefer to hear. And depending on the price, a phrase that he will absolutely have to hear.

The prospect of blind buying leaves veteran koi enthusiasts cold. And for good reason. Sometimes, the photos can be a little more than misleading. A novice buyer looking at this photograph beneath a headline that reads, “Koi Fish for Sale starting at $22.50” will no doubt be disappointed (and potentially furious) to find that the koi in the box doesn’t even vaguely resemble the pictured high-quality koi.

Blind Luck?

Blind buying koi is not always a negative, however. In some instances, buying koi is more about getting a pretty and healthy fish. Lineage and quality grade, body conformation and slightly crooked fins don’t matter. It is about getting koi (usually in bulk) at a good price.

For some owners, the cheaper alternative is not a terrible starting point either. Especially for those that are just getting their feet wet in koi ownership. They don’t mind the “buyer beware” warning as long as the koi is alive and looks good.

It is a sensibility that can keep quality koi purveyors up nights. Do they sacrifice sales of the higher-grade koi—with the higher price tag—for the volume of lower-grade koi in bulk?

Blinding for Sellers?

Provided there is transparency (and there should ALWAYS be transparency), blind buys can also be of benefit for koi farms. They can be helpful in controlling inventory by moving out the more generic stock and freeing up the tank space to keep stock fresh.

And luckily for those that sell koi, almost every hobbyist-turned-enthusiast will tell you owning koi is like eating Frito Lays—you can’t have just one. And besides, living jewels love the company. As the fascination turns into infatuation, the appreciation for quality (and understanding what denotes quality) becomes more pronounced.

What You See

Also, real aficionados won’t buy blind. As koi owners become more informed, so does their demand for better-quality fish. Those informed owners will very much expect that photo to look exactly like what they put in their pond.

It is also important to bear in mind that some of your living jewels can change colors and patterns over the course of their lives. Kumonryu and Kikokuryu, for example, will change their patternation, so occasionally the “big reveal” out of the box will be a little different.

There are lots of online koi sellers. The onus is for enthusiasts to find one that they trust. A little homework and some good recommendations can go a long way in helping to make an informed decision.

Of course, there are those instances (which aren’t as prevalent as many think) where things don’t go according to plan. A reputable koi “store” will have contingencies for problems that might arise. And at Next Day Koi, we do.

Our process is designed to ensure the best possible quality of koi fish for sale, as well as service that keeps our customers coming back. If you have questions regarding our commitment to our customers and the service we provide, you can take it from some of them.