Devaluing problem within selling kittycats

[LyricaBlues Resident]

I totally understand the the OP is saying. All I can do at my auctions is encourage breeders to Bring Me Your Designer Cats - the ones you see in your head and then build. I am very clear that selling 'the same cat' over and over is boring for me and for buyers who become jaded.

Case in point: several months ago someone brought me a fur with a particular eye and it sold very high...it was a new combo that looked really pretty. By the following week I had that same combo at Every Single Auction until I actually said Please Stop Bringing me the same cat over and over...the fuxillionth will not get the same price as the original it. It will just cheapen a lovely cat. Add something of your own to what you start with or its just plain Plagiarism (the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.) I would be embarrassed to buy a pair of cats and reproduce them exponentially until the market is flooded with them. It does not show the breeders' skill and sense of style - it shows the lacking of such.

Clue: If you go from auction to auction to set up your cat and cant find a place for yours because there is already one there, its time to color outside the lines

I do several auctions a week and Yes, sometimes something may get past me. But when i see the constant copycat breeders bringing me the result of repetitious breeding of another breeders cats, it bothers me and I do gently remind them I want to see Their cats. LOL I have been known to say ffs if I see one more XX/XX combo I will cry! Its one thing to breed a "truth teller" as I call them, a tightly bred pedigree to lock down and purify some traits, but its something else to plagiarize another's cattery and pass it off as one's own. Just my 2cents... clink clink

[Aubreygrace Starlight]

I agree with everyone on this. I also really try hard to only sell lines i've improved on my own and added traits to etc. But sometimes not all of the offsprings will produce the results i want to carry the line further therefore one or two may be sold but i always try to keep the value pricing aside form when I do sales. and I also gift some to friends. I would rather see my friends get use out of it then menagerie a pretty cat. But yes its been an ongoing problem and it is better to sell your own original work.

[Dimpz Morane]

I can only speak for myself here - but today just experienced the very same thing the OP has mentioned. I was not happy to see my work of 4.5 months so easily plagiarised and being put up for Auction. It especially incensed me because I myself, had not even put this line up for auctions and had only sold 6 kitties.

Luckily the auctioneer agreed with my point of view, and the "breeder" in question swapped to another kitty.

When I purchase a cat - its with the sole intention of improving my cattery, taking the traits needed and working them into a favourite line. Not with the intention of copying the exact kitty for marketing purposes.

But as already mentioned so eloquently by several posts already - we cannot police these situations - and yes - once you sell a cat - its fair game what happens with them afterwards.

Oselkhandro your post has made me seriously rethink my pricing thank you.

[Isobel DeSantis]

As someone who's completely new to KittyCatS, I found this thread fascinating. I would love to breed kitties but have no idea where to start! I'm not in it "for the money" (by which I mean profit is not my #1 motive, interest is) although I would like to charge a fair price if I produce something of value.

If you were starting now, brand new - what would you do? I'm interested in doing projects but I have a LOT to learn. Where to start? I'd love your opinions

[JC Aferdita]

This is usually the issue that arises when you wander from 'I'm completely new and I breed whatever I can' to 'I have a rough idea what I'm doing now and would like to work on a personal project'. Of course there are people that swoop in and only do it for profit, but it's also a part of becoming a breeder in the Addict-community. It's a natural step.
Something I always remind myself of is the Red Tabbie. It was overbred, like intensely so, in the beginning. No one wanted it anymore. Today? It's sought after, and the newer people can't believe that such a pretty fur was so unwanted. Even if someone copies you and the market gets over run with traits. If YOU like the trait, then continue working on your line. Be patient. Your cats are going to be priceless down the line. And since you spent the time on it, and not just copy to mass-produce, they are gunna be some amazing cats and people will value them even more because you actually took the time and energy to make it into a dream cat. Don't worry about the now, think of the future!

[Mirsoul Resident]

(12-28-2015 03:43 AM)Isobel DeSantis Wrote:  As someone who's completely new to KittyCatS, I found this thread fascinating. I would love to breed kitties but have no idea where to start! I'm not in it "for the money" (by which I mean profit is not my #1 motive, interest is) although I would like to charge a fair price if I produce something of value.

If you were starting now, brand new - what would you do? I'm interested in doing projects but I have a LOT to learn. Where to start? I'd love your opinions

This is a great question, and it may help to visit the Build-A-Cat thread. Here you can look at various furs, eyes and other traits. Put them together and see what you like. Breed what you love. I had an old line of Bali Creams that I resurrected when I came back. I put on a new ear, a new tail, and am now trying to get that pesky whisker to pop out. I am also in the process of doing that with a few other lines (Aby Lilcac, Burmese Platinum and a couple others), but adding a couple of new eyes as well.

So find some traits that you like, and start from there. The new web market can help you locate kitties with the traits you want, and will even teleport you directly to them. I would also recommend the Saga Charts (they list traits from Dominate to Recessive). So find your favorites and have fun, that is my advise

And welcome to Kittycats!!

[Isobel DeSantis]

(12-28-2015 10:58 AM)Mirsoul Resident Wrote:  This is a great question, and it may help to visit the Build-A-Cat thread. Here you can look at various furs, eyes and other traits. Put them together and see what you like. Breed what you love. I had an old line of Bali Creams that I resurrected when I came back. I put on a new ear, a new tail, and am now trying to get that pesky whisker to pop out. I am also in the process of doing that with a few other lines (Aby Lilcac, Burmese Platinum and a couple others), but adding a couple of new eyes as well.

So find some traits that you like, and start from there. The new web market can help you locate kitties with the traits you want, and will even teleport you directly to them. I would also recommend the Saga Charts (they list traits from Dominate to Recessive). So find your favorites and have fun, that is my advise

And welcome to Kittycats!!

Thank you so much, Mirsoul I've found the Build-a-Cat page, that's so fun! I suspect the traits that appeal to me (such as the Rainbow eyes) are very old-hat to established breeders but I do take your point of trying to breed something I love anyway. Maybe I'll see if I can create a version of my RL cat (a white angora with bright blue eyes) and go from there.

Where would I find the web market?

Thanks again
Isobel

[Mirsoul Resident]

(12-28-2015 12:09 PM)Isobel DeSantis Wrote:  

(12-28-2015 10:58 AM)Mirsoul Resident Wrote:  This is a great question, and it may help to visit the Build-A-Cat thread. Here you can look at various furs, eyes and other traits. Put them together and see what you like. Breed what you love. I had an old line of Bali Creams that I resurrected when I came back. I put on a new ear, a new tail, and am now trying to get that pesky whisker to pop out. I am also in the process of doing that with a few other lines (Aby Lilcac, Burmese Platinum and a couple others), but adding a couple of new eyes as well.

So find some traits that you like, and start from there. The new web market can help you locate kitties with the traits you want, and will even teleport you directly to them. I would also recommend the Saga Charts (they list traits from Dominate to Recessive). So find your favorites and have fun, that is my advise

And welcome to Kittycats!!

Thank you so much, Mirsoul I've found the Build-a-Cat page, that's so fun! I suspect the traits that appeal to me (such as the Rainbow eyes) are very old-hat to established breeders but I do take your point of trying to breed something I love anyway. Maybe I'll see if I can create a version of my RL cat (a white angora with bright blue eyes) and go from there.

Where would I find the web market?

Thanks again
Isobel

ohhh...that sounds lovely! I had a white cat with blue eyes years ago. There are several blue eyes that you can play with! Here is the link to the web market.

http://www.kittycats.info/market

And I do hope you'll share once you get a copy of your real life cat in Second Life!

[Isobel DeSantis]

(12-28-2015 12:15 PM)Mirsoul Resident Wrote:  ohhh...that sounds lovely! I had a white cat with blue eyes years ago. There are several blue eyes that you can play with! Here is the link to the web market.

http://www.kittycats.info/market

And I do hope you'll share once you get a copy of your real life cat in Second Life!

Thank you so much, I certainly will

[Chastity Pexie]

It is so wonderful to revisit this thread today and to see such an awesome array of responses! Thanks again for being cordial about this and to, also allow this to educate other breeders, both new and old.