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Etiquette in Buying Koi (Page 2 of 2)
by Elmer Epistola
Posted: September 15, 2004
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Needless to say, I went home without a koi
that day. Wiser from that experience, I came up with this compilation of
etiquette in buying koi, collated from various sources.
1. Don't ask the koi dealer to 'bowl'
or put in an inspection vat every single koi you find interesting. Only
those that you are seriously considering for actual purchase should be subjected
to the stress of being inspected in a vat. Thus, try to narrow down your
selection in the pond first before asking the final contenders to be bowled for
inspection.
2. Don't over-inspect the koi to the
point of almost dissecting it, especially if you're just buying a hundred-peso
fish. Inspection stresses the fish and can even lead to injury if they
finally decide to escape. Of course, it is also wrong to simply buy a koi
without inspecting it. Just be considerate of the koi and the dealer when
doing your inspection. Remember too that you're tying up the dealer while
he's letting you inspect his fish.
Figure 1. Inspecting a koi in a vat
is stressful.
Do it only to fish you're planning to buy.
3. Wait for your turn. If
someone is looking at a koi in a bowl or vat, do not tell the dealer that you
want to buy it. His or her being there to inspect the koi first gives him
or her exclusive right to decide if he or she wants to purchase it. That
is, for that moment at least. If the koi is returned to the pond, then
it's your turn to have a look at it, and nobody else should try to take that koi
away from you while you're inspecting it.
4. Should you haggle or not? It
depends. If you're well-acquainted with the store owner or dealer, then
they will probably allow you to. Stores in Cartimar will generally
let you haggle for a lower price, while those in big malls would not.
You're also more likely to get a bigger discount if you're a big spender in
their store.
5. Don't 'insult' the fish that a
buyer has decided to purchase. Remember that people should buy koi based
on what they like, and not what others like. Some of us are so eager to
show our koi judging skills that we sometimes end up pointing out all the flaws
in a koi that someone has already purchased. This not only disappoints the
buyer but likewise offends the seller.
Every trip to the koi store should be an
enjoyable and fulfilling one. This can only happen if we all show
consideration for all others in the store, including the koi. It's just a
matter of having etiquette when buying koi.
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