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TOPIC | [Guide]So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2
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So, You Want to Start a Hatchery? (Version 2.0)
From the author of the original So You Want to Start a Hatchery - Updated to be bigger, better, and more comprehensive!

Welcome everyone to the NEW and UPDATED version of my hatchery guide! I'm back in the game after 3 years away, and a lot has changed. Please feel free to recommend resources and other guides to be added here, and ask questions in this thread!
Table of Contents

Decide on a Theme | Research | Make a Plan | Make Contacts
Buy Your First Breeders | Pricing | Name your Hatchery
Build Your Thread | Thread Titles | Sales | Resources Masterpost



Before you begin: Is starting a hatchery really for you?

This is a very important question you will have to answer before you even get your feet wet with the whole “hatchery” thing. What kind of breeding operation are you wanting to run? Everyone on Flight Rising breeds dragons, but not everyone has a hatchery.

A hatchery is distinct from simply breeding dragons and selling them, and you do not have to have a hatchery to do this. Not every “sales” thread constitutes a hatchery.

So what does?

A hatchery is a large breeding operation that specializes in a theme and has a highly organized and scheduled breeding regimen.

If you want the freedom to breed whatever you want, whenever you want, and sell the hatchlings, you should look into making a more casual sales thread and selling dragons to people looking on the “dragons wanted” forum, without worrying about the organization required to run a full scale hatchery.

If you’ve read this far and decided that you want to put the time and energy into running a full scale hatchery, you have some decisions to make. Let's begin.
So, You Want to Start a Hatchery? (Version 2.0)
From the author of the original So You Want to Start a Hatchery - Updated to be bigger, better, and more comprehensive!

Welcome everyone to the NEW and UPDATED version of my hatchery guide! I'm back in the game after 3 years away, and a lot has changed. Please feel free to recommend resources and other guides to be added here, and ask questions in this thread!
Table of Contents

Decide on a Theme | Research | Make a Plan | Make Contacts
Buy Your First Breeders | Pricing | Name your Hatchery
Build Your Thread | Thread Titles | Sales | Resources Masterpost



Before you begin: Is starting a hatchery really for you?

This is a very important question you will have to answer before you even get your feet wet with the whole “hatchery” thing. What kind of breeding operation are you wanting to run? Everyone on Flight Rising breeds dragons, but not everyone has a hatchery.

A hatchery is distinct from simply breeding dragons and selling them, and you do not have to have a hatchery to do this. Not every “sales” thread constitutes a hatchery.

So what does?

A hatchery is a large breeding operation that specializes in a theme and has a highly organized and scheduled breeding regimen.

If you want the freedom to breed whatever you want, whenever you want, and sell the hatchlings, you should look into making a more casual sales thread and selling dragons to people looking on the “dragons wanted” forum, without worrying about the organization required to run a full scale hatchery.

If you’ve read this far and decided that you want to put the time and energy into running a full scale hatchery, you have some decisions to make. Let's begin.
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns
[center][size=2]Decide on a Theme|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182307]Research[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182340]Make a Plan[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182374]Make Contacts[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182403]Buy Your First Breeders[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182505]Pricing[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182629]Name your Hatchery[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182700]Build Your Thread[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182753]Thread Titles[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182910]Sales[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182928]Resources Masterpost[/url][/size] ----- [b][size=4]Decide on a Theme[/size][/b][/center] I highly recommend all hatcheries have some kind of "theme." [b][i]When people buy from hatcheries, they are in the market for something specific.[/i][/b] Having a theme doesn't mean that you lack creative freedom, but it is essential to have a vision of what your hatchery is going to be producing. Whatever your theme is, you want to make sure it’s clear to your potential customer exactly what they will be getting at your hatchery. I suggest going and browsing the Dragons for Sale forum and seeing how different hatcheries specialize. There are tons of possibilities and I'm sure you could come up with one that will give you creative freedom and incorporates what you want to breed. [b]Here are some common theme ideas: [/b] [list] [*]Color Themes: Rare Colors, Pastels, Pastel Goth, Classic Gloth, Tree Dragons, specific wing colors, Doubles, Triples, Monochrome XYZ, Black and White, etc. [*]Specific Breeds: Imps, Coatls, Skydancers, etc. [*]Subspecies [*]Specific Gene Combos: Iri/Shim, Gembond, Capsule, Poison/Toxin, etc. [*]Food: Cakes, candy, traditional foods, etc. [*]Celestial themes: constellations, starmap/constellation combos, zodiacs, angels and devils, etc. [*]Fandoms [*]Flags: Pride flags, country flags, city flags [*]Lore and Roleplaying [/list] [center][b]Resources for Themes[/b][/center] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?board=gde&id=1150905&p=mb]Color Theory with Dragons[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2726741][GUIDE] UPDATED Breeding Rarity Hub Charts[/url] [url=http://fr.fintastic.net]Color Range Predictor (External Link)[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1771018][Guide] Sub-Species V2[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2648863]Ultimate Subspecies Guide[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2310830]Comprehensive Gene Guide[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2675512]Genes that (technically) Combine[/url]

I highly recommend all hatcheries have some kind of "theme."

When people buy from hatcheries, they are in the market for something specific. Having a theme doesn't mean that you lack creative freedom, but it is essential to have a vision of what your hatchery is going to be producing. Whatever your theme is, you want to make sure it’s clear to your potential customer exactly what they will be getting at your hatchery.

I suggest going and browsing the Dragons for Sale forum and seeing how different hatcheries specialize. There are tons of possibilities and I'm sure you could come up with one that will give you creative freedom and incorporates what you want to breed.

Here are some common theme ideas:
  • Color Themes: Rare Colors, Pastels, Pastel Goth, Classic Gloth, Tree Dragons, specific wing colors, Doubles, Triples, Monochrome XYZ, Black and White, etc.
  • Specific Breeds: Imps, Coatls, Skydancers, etc.
  • Subspecies
  • Specific Gene Combos: Iri/Shim, Gembond, Capsule, Poison/Toxin, etc.
  • Food: Cakes, candy, traditional foods, etc.
  • Celestial themes: constellations, starmap/constellation combos, zodiacs, angels and devils, etc.
  • Fandoms
  • Flags: Pride flags, country flags, city flags
  • Lore and Roleplaying
Resources for Themes

Color Theory with Dragons
[GUIDE] UPDATED Breeding Rarity Hub Charts
Color Range Predictor (External Link)
[Guide] Sub-Species V2
Ultimate Subspecies Guide
Comprehensive Gene Guide
Genes that (technically) Combine
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns

Before you run off to build a hatchery thread, you need to research and think about how you're going to organize your operation.

Prowl the Dragon Sales forum and look at how other hatcheries operate. Pay particular attention to threads that have a similar theme as the one you want and decide how you are going to distinguish yourself from the competition.

Look at how the threads are organized, what their rules for sales are, if they’re part of breeder’s associations and how often they put up pairs. Take notes on the ideas you really like, and ideas you really don't like (so you can avoid them).


Rules

Every hatchery needs some rules. I've noted down some of the more common rules I've seen across multiple hatcheries. This is also the section to take note about discount policies or other case-by-case rules you might want to adopt.

- Accepted Gem/Treasure Ratio (Average is around 1:950 - 1:1000 as of 8/2019)
- Please name dragons before exalting
- First Come, First serve
- Discounts are only applied on request
- Behave yourself (be respectful)

While doing research, try to look at the hatcheries through different lenses. Visit one and look as if you were a buyer. Visit another and pretend you’re an affiliate looking for affiliate discounts and services. Visit yet another and look at it as if it were your own thread, pay attention to anything you’d want to change. This exercise will give you a well rounded view of these threads and help you decide how to design your own.

Resources for Research
Dragon Population Tracking
Hatchery Directory 4.0

Before you run off to build a hatchery thread, you need to research and think about how you're going to organize your operation.

Prowl the Dragon Sales forum and look at how other hatcheries operate. Pay particular attention to threads that have a similar theme as the one you want and decide how you are going to distinguish yourself from the competition.

Look at how the threads are organized, what their rules for sales are, if they’re part of breeder’s associations and how often they put up pairs. Take notes on the ideas you really like, and ideas you really don't like (so you can avoid them).


Rules

Every hatchery needs some rules. I've noted down some of the more common rules I've seen across multiple hatcheries. This is also the section to take note about discount policies or other case-by-case rules you might want to adopt.

- Accepted Gem/Treasure Ratio (Average is around 1:950 - 1:1000 as of 8/2019)
- Please name dragons before exalting
- First Come, First serve
- Discounts are only applied on request
- Behave yourself (be respectful)

While doing research, try to look at the hatcheries through different lenses. Visit one and look as if you were a buyer. Visit another and pretend you’re an affiliate looking for affiliate discounts and services. Visit yet another and look at it as if it were your own thread, pay attention to anything you’d want to change. This exercise will give you a well rounded view of these threads and help you decide how to design your own.

Resources for Research
Dragon Population Tracking
Hatchery Directory 4.0
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns
[center][size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182194]Decide on a Theme[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182307]Research[/url]|Make a Plan|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182374]Make Contacts[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182403]Buy Your First Breeders[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182505]Pricing[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182629]Name your Hatchery[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182700]Build Your Thread[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182753]Thread Titles[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182910]Sales[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182928]Resources Masterpost[/url][/size] ----- [size=4][b]Make a Plan[/b][/size][/center] Now that you’ve done a little research, it's time to make a clear plan for your hatchery. You want to know the following things before you buy a single dragon or make a single investment: [list] [*]Decide if your current Flight is the right one, or if you might want to change it so that the eye color of your hatchlings matches your theme a little better [*]Make a list of any special services you’d like to offer. Some hatcheries provide nest rentals, studding services, custom eye colors, etc. [*]Decide how many pairs you will need. There is no magical formula for this, it all depends on what your goals are. A small hatchery can be successful with only 2 or 3 breeding pairs. At it’s peak, my last hatchery had around 30 pairs. Some things to consider: how often you want to hatch eggs (every day? Every 2 days? Less?); the breeding cooldown for dragons (if they have a longer cooldown, you’ll probably want more pairs in total); your target market (an exalt fodder factory would want lots of pairs with low cooldowns, where as a high end dragon boutique might be able to only have 2 or 3 pairs with very long cooldowns) [*]Allot lair space for your personal collection. Chances are that you have at least a few sentimental dragons that don’t fit in with your hatchery but you want to keep. Decide how many breeding pairs you’re keeping for personal use and give yourself a little wiggle room here. [/list] Once you’ve done that, you should start to have some idea of what you’ll need in terms of lair space, nests, and other “infrastructure” costs. [b]There are a lot of hidden costs in starting up a hatchery and most of them come from these behind the scenes costs.[/b] You will need to buy lair space and nests, maybe expand your hibernal lair, maybe change your flight. All of this will cost you treasure and gems. Take your plan above and go through it section by section to determine what you’ll need to buy before you buy any dragons. We’ll go through it together. If you’ve decided you need to change your flight so your eye color is more desirable for the theme of your hatchery, you should do that first. That way your brand is consistent from day 1. Changing flights is free the first time, and costs [b]1500 gems[/b] for each time after that. If you’ve decided to offer nest rentals, you need to decide how many nests you will rent out. Reserve those [i]only[/i] for rentals and resist the temptation to use them for your own hatchery or personal dragons when they’re sitting empty. If you’ve decided to offer stud services, will those studs be dragons from your designated breeding pairs, or singles? If they’re going to be part of your breeding pairs, remember that this will affect their breeding cooldown and how often they can breed. If you’re going to have additional singles for studding, you need to take that into account for lair space. Look at how many pairs you have, how many single studs you have, your personal dragons, and then allow for extra empty space as you need. I suggest calculating 4 empty spaces for offspring for each nest you have. So if you’ve maxed out at 5 nests, keep at least 20 spaces empty for offspring. If you’re offering nest rentals, add 2 more spaces for each nest you’re renting out (for the parents). [b]Dragons will always be there, but lair space is finite.[/b] It might seem frustrating to buy all these lair expansions before you’re even using them, but trust me- I learned this the hard way. You don’t want to get backed up with eggs you can’t hatch or have to exalt some dragons you wanted to sell because you want out of space. Following this rule of thumb should give you enough room to maneuver. This doesn’t mean you can’t grow slowly. I actually recommend starting your hatchery with the minimum number of pairs you think you'll need. Just do these calculations for your starting numbers. [b]From then on always buy lair space before buying more dragons.[/b] It will save you a lot of heartache in the long run. [center][b]Resources for Planning[/b][/center] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/209998/1]Lair and Nest Expansion Costs[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2020862][TOOLS] Super Lair SS and Breeding Lab[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2630462]Hibernal Den Items - Complete Guide[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2706633]Lair Keeper and Pair Workshop[/url]

Now that you’ve done a little research, it's time to make a clear plan for your hatchery. You want to know the following things before you buy a single dragon or make a single investment:
  • Decide if your current Flight is the right one, or if you might want to change it so that the eye color of your hatchlings matches your theme a little better
  • Make a list of any special services you’d like to offer. Some hatcheries provide nest rentals, studding services, custom eye colors, etc.
  • Decide how many pairs you will need. There is no magical formula for this, it all depends on what your goals are. A small hatchery can be successful with only 2 or 3 breeding pairs. At it’s peak, my last hatchery had around 30 pairs. Some things to consider: how often you want to hatch eggs (every day? Every 2 days? Less?); the breeding cooldown for dragons (if they have a longer cooldown, you’ll probably want more pairs in total); your target market (an exalt fodder factory would want lots of pairs with low cooldowns, where as a high end dragon boutique might be able to only have 2 or 3 pairs with very long cooldowns)
  • Allot lair space for your personal collection. Chances are that you have at least a few sentimental dragons that don’t fit in with your hatchery but you want to keep. Decide how many breeding pairs you’re keeping for personal use and give yourself a little wiggle room here.

Once you’ve done that, you should start to have some idea of what you’ll need in terms of lair space, nests, and other “infrastructure” costs. There are a lot of hidden costs in starting up a hatchery and most of them come from these behind the scenes costs. You will need to buy lair space and nests, maybe expand your hibernal lair, maybe change your flight. All of this will cost you treasure and gems.

Take your plan above and go through it section by section to determine what you’ll need to buy before you buy any dragons. We’ll go through it together.

If you’ve decided you need to change your flight so your eye color is more desirable for the theme of your hatchery, you should do that first. That way your brand is consistent from day 1. Changing flights is free the first time, and costs 1500 gems for each time after that.

If you’ve decided to offer nest rentals, you need to decide how many nests you will rent out. Reserve those only for rentals and resist the temptation to use them for your own hatchery or personal dragons when they’re sitting empty.

If you’ve decided to offer stud services, will those studs be dragons from your designated breeding pairs, or singles? If they’re going to be part of your breeding pairs, remember that this will affect their breeding cooldown and how often they can breed. If you’re going to have additional singles for studding, you need to take that into account for lair space.

Look at how many pairs you have, how many single studs you have, your personal dragons, and then allow for extra empty space as you need. I suggest calculating 4 empty spaces for offspring for each nest you have. So if you’ve maxed out at 5 nests, keep at least 20 spaces empty for offspring. If you’re offering nest rentals, add 2 more spaces for each nest you’re renting out (for the parents).

Dragons will always be there, but lair space is finite. It might seem frustrating to buy all these lair expansions before you’re even using them, but trust me- I learned this the hard way. You don’t want to get backed up with eggs you can’t hatch or have to exalt some dragons you wanted to sell because you want out of space. Following this rule of thumb should give you enough room to maneuver.

This doesn’t mean you can’t grow slowly. I actually recommend starting your hatchery with the minimum number of pairs you think you'll need. Just do these calculations for your starting numbers. From then on always buy lair space before buying more dragons. It will save you a lot of heartache in the long run.



Resources for Planning

Lair and Nest Expansion Costs
[TOOLS] Super Lair SS and Breeding Lab
Hibernal Den Items - Complete Guide
Lair Keeper and Pair Workshop
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns

As you’re researching for your hatchery, you’ll probably find more than a few hatcheries who are doing something similar to you.

Whenever possible, try to turn your major competitors into your affiliates.

Contact the owners of hatcheries who share a theme with you and get to know them. If they have dragons you like, try to purchase one from them to get you started with your own hatchery. Ask them if they’d like to be affiliates and list them on your hatchery thread in order send customers their way.

This is not only a great way to avoid direct competition, but it is good customer service- if you don't have what the customer wants, you can still help them find it by suggesting other places to look.

I recommend that you have a set of benefits that you offer your affiliates- Offer them a permanent discount on your dragons, free nest rentals, or thread bumping services. If you organize with your affiliates you could even cross breed your dragons to get new looks, create new subspecies, or open a joint sales thread for special occasion sales.

At a loss for making your first contact? I'd love to be affiliates! My new hatchery is still under construction and will specialize in Flight Reps, so if you're doing anything similar, I would love to add you to my list.

As you’re researching for your hatchery, you’ll probably find more than a few hatcheries who are doing something similar to you.

Whenever possible, try to turn your major competitors into your affiliates.

Contact the owners of hatcheries who share a theme with you and get to know them. If they have dragons you like, try to purchase one from them to get you started with your own hatchery. Ask them if they’d like to be affiliates and list them on your hatchery thread in order send customers their way.

This is not only a great way to avoid direct competition, but it is good customer service- if you don't have what the customer wants, you can still help them find it by suggesting other places to look.

I recommend that you have a set of benefits that you offer your affiliates- Offer them a permanent discount on your dragons, free nest rentals, or thread bumping services. If you organize with your affiliates you could even cross breed your dragons to get new looks, create new subspecies, or open a joint sales thread for special occasion sales.

At a loss for making your first contact? I'd love to be affiliates! My new hatchery is still under construction and will specialize in Flight Reps, so if you're doing anything similar, I would love to add you to my list.
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns

You're ready to buy your first breeders! You will likely change your pairs around as you settle into your niche, so unless you see a dragon which perfectly exemplifies what your hatchery will be, don't buy really expensive dragons.

There will be a time to fork over 100k+ treasure on a dragon, but if you’re just getting started, you really need to invest that money in your lair instead.


You also need to commit fully to your theme, which means you will see lots of dragons that you love that you may not be able to justify buying. To get around this, I allot myself a number of personal dragons that are outside of my hatchery operation, but I am constantly having to make sure I avoid impulse buys and that they do not take up a lot of space.

Avoid purchasing any dragons that require genes, scatter scrolls, or eye changes, unless it is absolutely necessary. (For example, if your hatchery specializes in 2nd Generation dragons, you will only be buying first gens, which by their nature almost always need scrolls and are also really expensive.) Even if it means shopping takes longer and you have to be more picky, only buy dragons that already have the breed, color range, and genes you want. This will save you money in the long run.

You won't want to buy too many pairs at once (another mistake I made). Try to limit yourself to as few pairs as possible. In my case, my hatchery specializes in Flight representatives, so theoretically I would need 11 pairs to get started. I tried to start all at once with my first version of this hatchery, and it would have been a better idea for me to buy a few pairs for the upcoming months, and then buy the rest with profits I made from those, slowly building up.

Once you have your starting pairs, always expand your lair before investing in more dragons.
Resources for Breeding

Breeding Guide
Hatchling Probability Calculator (external link)

You're ready to buy your first breeders! You will likely change your pairs around as you settle into your niche, so unless you see a dragon which perfectly exemplifies what your hatchery will be, don't buy really expensive dragons.

There will be a time to fork over 100k+ treasure on a dragon, but if you’re just getting started, you really need to invest that money in your lair instead.


You also need to commit fully to your theme, which means you will see lots of dragons that you love that you may not be able to justify buying. To get around this, I allot myself a number of personal dragons that are outside of my hatchery operation, but I am constantly having to make sure I avoid impulse buys and that they do not take up a lot of space.

Avoid purchasing any dragons that require genes, scatter scrolls, or eye changes, unless it is absolutely necessary. (For example, if your hatchery specializes in 2nd Generation dragons, you will only be buying first gens, which by their nature almost always need scrolls and are also really expensive.) Even if it means shopping takes longer and you have to be more picky, only buy dragons that already have the breed, color range, and genes you want. This will save you money in the long run.

You won't want to buy too many pairs at once (another mistake I made). Try to limit yourself to as few pairs as possible. In my case, my hatchery specializes in Flight representatives, so theoretically I would need 11 pairs to get started. I tried to start all at once with my first version of this hatchery, and it would have been a better idea for me to buy a few pairs for the upcoming months, and then buy the rest with profits I made from those, slowly building up.

Once you have your starting pairs, always expand your lair before investing in more dragons.
Resources for Breeding

Breeding Guide
Hatchling Probability Calculator (external link)
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns
[center][size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182194]Decide on a Theme[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182307]Research[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182340]Make a Plan[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182374]Make Contacts[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182403]Buy Your First Breeders[/url]|Pricing|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182629]Name your Hatchery[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182700]Build Your Thread[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182753]Thread Titles[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182910]Sales[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182928]Resources Masterpost[/url][/size] ----- [size=4][b]Pricing[/b][/size][/center] As you get closer to your hatchery's grand opening, you have some more decisions to make: Who is your target consumer? There are people who buy exalt fodder for their flight's dominance pushes, role playing clans who like dragons with full bios, other hatcheries buying new stock, and dragon collectors of all kinds. If you’ve gotten to this point and picked a theme, you probably already have an idea in broad terms of who you’re targeting. You should decide on a general price range for your dragons depending on who your target consumer base is. Everyone has a different theory of pricing and a method for getting there. [b]Pay attention to your competitors (hopefully now your affiliates) and try to make sure your pricing is consistent with theirs.[/b] I'm offering here my views and breakdowns about dragon pricing, but there is no one right way to go about it. Look through some of the guides, and at how other hatcheries are pricing, and decide for yourself. What follows is my pricing guide in very broad terms. [b]General price ranges (8/2019):[/b] [list] [*]15k treasure and less: Exalt Fodder [*]15k to 25k Treasure: Newer players and "cheapie" dragons [*]25k to 45k treasure: Average one to two dragon shopping spree [*]45k to 70k treasure: Permanent/long term clan members, project dragons [*]70k+ treasure: Collector prices [/list] [i]Different price ranges will attract different kinds of customers.[/i] Low ones will attract those looking to train and exalt dragons for profit or for dominance pushes, and newer players. Higher ones will attract players who have been around longer and are willing to pay quite a bit for very specific, high quality dragons for personal projects. Medium ranges aim to attract the average long-term player, who has enough treasure to save up a little bit, but isn't looking to break their bank on a single dragon. When pricing dragons, you should always identify [b]special interest[/b] factors. These are usually: 1st or 2nd generations, special ID numbers, special eye types, doubles, triples, and rare colors. Even if you don’t care about these things when shopping for your own dragons, they are valuable to some people and you are selling yourself short if you don't price for them accordingly. To determine a dragon’s color rarity, go to the site’s Search section, in the sidebar underneath “Library.” Do a dragon search for your hatchling’s specific colors. Leave all the other fields at default. I personally only bother to search for dragons that have not been exalted and are therefore available in the game. [b]These are my personal interpretations of Color Rarity (8/2019):[/b] [list] [*]Unusual Colors - 30 or fewer dragons currently in the game [*]Rare Colors - 10 or fewer dragons currently in the game [*]Ultra Rare Colors - 5 or fewer dragons currently in the game [*]Unique Colors - Yours is the only dragon currently in the game [/list] [quote=Quick n' Dirty Dragon Pricing] [b]Base Price[/b] - 1,000 Treasure per cooldown day of the breed Add to it color rarity- [b]Rare Colors or better[/b] + 5,000 Treasure [b]Unique Colors[/b] + 10,000 Treasure Add to it color pattern [b]Doubles (XXY, XYX, XYY)[/b] + 3,000 Treasure [b]Triples/True Monochrome (XXX)[/b] + 5,000 Treasure Add to it Eye Rarity [b]Goat or better[/b] +5,000 Treasure [b]Primal[/b] + 10,000 Treasure Apply discount for large nests. Nests with one or two eggs do not get a discount. Nests with 3 or more eggs, where you have more dragons to sell, get a small discount on the individual hatchlings. [b]Each Sibling after the first (a nest of 3 egg or more)[/b] -3,000 Treasure Lastly, adjust that price up or down as seems fair for the attractiveness of the dragon. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. [/quote] [center][b]Resources for Pricing[/b][/center] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2579044/1]Pricing Guide[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2674466]How I Price My Dragons (by OreoQuack)[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2464506]How I Price Dragons (by EgoLobster)[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2736967][Tool] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator[/url] - Maintained by myself [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2237277]DRAGONOMICS: crowdsourced economy[/url]

As you get closer to your hatchery's grand opening, you have some more decisions to make: Who is your target consumer?

There are people who buy exalt fodder for their flight's dominance pushes, role playing clans who like dragons with full bios, other hatcheries buying new stock, and dragon collectors of all kinds.

If you’ve gotten to this point and picked a theme, you probably already have an idea in broad terms of who you’re targeting. You should decide on a general price range for your dragons depending on who your target consumer base is.

Everyone has a different theory of pricing and a method for getting there. Pay attention to your competitors (hopefully now your affiliates) and try to make sure your pricing is consistent with theirs.

I'm offering here my views and breakdowns about dragon pricing, but there is no one right way to go about it. Look through some of the guides, and at how other hatcheries are pricing, and decide for yourself. What follows is my pricing guide in very broad terms.


General price ranges (8/2019):
  • 15k treasure and less: Exalt Fodder
  • 15k to 25k Treasure: Newer players and "cheapie" dragons
  • 25k to 45k treasure: Average one to two dragon shopping spree
  • 45k to 70k treasure: Permanent/long term clan members, project dragons
  • 70k+ treasure: Collector prices

Different price ranges will attract different kinds of customers. Low ones will attract those looking to train and exalt dragons for profit or for dominance pushes, and newer players. Higher ones will attract players who have been around longer and are willing to pay quite a bit for very specific, high quality dragons for personal projects. Medium ranges aim to attract the average long-term player, who has enough treasure to save up a little bit, but isn't looking to break their bank on a single dragon.

When pricing dragons, you should always identify special interest factors. These are usually: 1st or 2nd generations, special ID numbers, special eye types, doubles, triples, and rare colors. Even if you don’t care about these things when shopping for your own dragons, they are valuable to some people and you are selling yourself short if you don't price for them accordingly.

To determine a dragon’s color rarity, go to the site’s Search section, in the sidebar underneath “Library.” Do a dragon search for your hatchling’s specific colors. Leave all the other fields at default. I personally only bother to search for dragons that have not been exalted and are therefore available in the game.

These are my personal interpretations of Color Rarity (8/2019):
  • Unusual Colors - 30 or fewer dragons currently in the game
  • Rare Colors - 10 or fewer dragons currently in the game
  • Ultra Rare Colors - 5 or fewer dragons currently in the game
  • Unique Colors - Yours is the only dragon currently in the game

Quick n' Dirty Dragon Pricing wrote:

Base Price - 1,000 Treasure per cooldown day of the breed

Add to it color rarity-

Rare Colors or better + 5,000 Treasure
Unique Colors + 10,000 Treasure

Add to it color pattern

Doubles (XXY, XYX, XYY) + 3,000 Treasure
Triples/True Monochrome (XXX) + 5,000 Treasure

Add to it Eye Rarity

Goat or better +5,000 Treasure
Primal + 10,000 Treasure

Apply discount for large nests. Nests with one or two eggs do not get a discount. Nests with 3 or more eggs, where you have more dragons to sell, get a small discount on the individual hatchlings.

Each Sibling after the first (a nest of 3 egg or more) -3,000 Treasure

Lastly, adjust that price up or down as seems fair for the attractiveness of the dragon. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Resources for Pricing

Pricing Guide
How I Price My Dragons (by OreoQuack)
How I Price Dragons (by EgoLobster)
[Tool] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator - Maintained by myself
DRAGONOMICS: crowdsourced economy
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns
[center][size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182194]Decide on a Theme[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182307]Research[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182340]Make a Plan[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182374]Make Contacts[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182403]Buy Your First Breeders[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182505]Pricing[/url]|Name your Hatchery [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182700]Build Your Thread[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182753]Thread Titles[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182910]Sales[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182928]Resources Masterpost[/url][/size] ----- [size=4][b]Name Your Hatchery [/b][/size][/center] Deciding on a name is critical. It is representative of your brand, and will probably always be displayed in the title of your hatchery's thread. You also only have 40 characters in a thread title to display your hatchery's name [i]and[/i] advertise your newest fare to try to get buyers to click. [b]A good hatchery name is:[/b] [list] [*]Descriptive (clearly indicates what you sell/what your theme is) [*]Short and Concise (allows lots of space in the thread subject to advertise) [*]Attention grabbing [/list] Although it may sound counter-intuitive, being attention grabbing is actually the [i]least important[/i] of all three items, unless you are specifically targeting impulse shoppers. You want your buyer to know exactly what they’re going to get when they open up your thread. A descriptive hatchery name that isn’t very interesting is better at doing that job than a beautiful name that isn’t descriptive. [center][size=2][i]These are examples, please don’t actually take them to use as your hatchery name.[/i][/size][/center] [quote][b]Example 1: [/b] You start a hatchery and decide your theme is going to be celestial, in the form of angels and devils. A [b]bad[/b] name would be: Fiery Depths and Fluffy Clouds [size=2][i](too long, and what do you sell?)[/i][/size] A [b]good[/b] name would be: Celestial Sins [size=2][i](gets the theme across and is pretty)[/i][/size] The most [b]functional[/b] name would be: Angels and Devils- but we can make it shorter, Angelic Devils[/quote] [quote][b]Example 2:[/b] Your hatchery is themed around LGBTQ+ pride flags. A [b]bad [/b]name would be: Wave ‘em High [size=2][i](What do you sell?)[/i][/size] A [b]good[/b] name would be: Colors of Love [size=2][i](gets the idea across, and is pretty)[/i][/size] The most [b]functional[/b] name would be: Flags of Pride[/quote] If you absolutely have to have a name that is flowery or long, because you’re attached to it or you’re a lore/role play hatchery, or for any reason, then there is a small work around. You can use a functional name in the hatchery's thread subject, and a preferred, longer name in marketing. To use our Angelic Devils example, if you really loved the name Celestial Sins and had to include it, you could use Angelic Devils in your subject line as the functional name, and then makes your banners and advertisements prominently feature your preferred name, like this: [quote][size=2]*pretend this is a hatchery banner[/size] Angelic Devils [size=4][color=lightblue]CELESTIAL SINS[/color][/size][/quote] Or you could shorten the functional name to initials like this: [quote][size=2]*pretend this is a hatchery banner[/size] AD - [size=4][i]Celestial Sins[/i][/size][/quote]

Deciding on a name is critical. It is representative of your brand, and will probably always be displayed in the title of your hatchery's thread. You also only have 40 characters in a thread title to display your hatchery's name and advertise your newest fare to try to get buyers to click.

A good hatchery name is:
  • Descriptive (clearly indicates what you sell/what your theme is)
  • Short and Concise (allows lots of space in the thread subject to advertise)
  • Attention grabbing

Although it may sound counter-intuitive, being attention grabbing is actually the least important of all three items, unless you are specifically targeting impulse shoppers. You want your buyer to know exactly what they’re going to get when they open up your thread. A descriptive hatchery name that isn’t very interesting is better at doing that job than a beautiful name that isn’t descriptive.
These are examples, please don’t actually take them to use as your hatchery name.
Quote:
Example 1:

You start a hatchery and decide your theme is going to be celestial, in the form of angels and devils.

A bad name would be: Fiery Depths and Fluffy Clouds (too long, and what do you sell?)
A good name would be: Celestial Sins (gets the theme across and is pretty)
The most functional name would be: Angels and Devils- but we can make it shorter, Angelic Devils

Quote:
Example 2:

Your hatchery is themed around LGBTQ+ pride flags.

A bad name would be: Wave ‘em High (What do you sell?)
A good name would be: Colors of Love (gets the idea across, and is pretty)
The most functional name would be: Flags of Pride


If you absolutely have to have a name that is flowery or long, because you’re attached to it or you’re a lore/role play hatchery, or for any reason, then there is a small work around. You can use a functional name in the hatchery's thread subject, and a preferred, longer name in marketing.

To use our Angelic Devils example, if you really loved the name Celestial Sins and had to include it, you could use Angelic Devils in your subject line as the functional name, and then makes your banners and advertisements prominently feature your preferred name, like this:


Quote:
*pretend this is a hatchery banner

Angelic Devils
CELESTIAL SINS

Or you could shorten the functional name to initials like this:
Quote:
*pretend this is a hatchery banner

AD - Celestial Sins
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns

Okay, you've kept up with all of that, decided on a name and you're ready to start building your thread. This is where a lot of the market research that you did when you were saving up treasure for lair expansions is going to pay off.

Go back to your notes, and your favorite hatchery threads, and start deciding on your layout. Put into place all those ideas you researched earlier.

There are a few pointers to keep in mind as you go.

Buyers who come to your thread are looking for the dragons you have for sale, first and foremost. You want to put the post that shows off your current sales as close to the top of the thread as possible, so that they can find it and start browsing right away.

Your opening post should be short and concise, and not daunt customers with a wall of text they have to read through, even if you are a Lore/Role Playing hatchery. Have a short welcome (some people like to do this in character for a roleplay-type experience) and then list the rules regarding how to contact you and any other pertinent information. A table of contents with links to your vital posts is great, because you can keep the intro short that way, and post all the vital information after your sales post.

Although not necessary, graphic banners can really enhance the atmosphere of your thread. If you have the skills you can make them yourself and there are tools to help you achieve this. You can also purchase graphics services from many of the talented artists here on Flight Rising, by checking out the Art Sales forum.


Resources for Building the Thread

How to Make a Hatchery Thread
DalphiaRose’s Toolset (external link)
[Guide]BBCode
Crowes's BBCode Compendium
FR Image Assets
BBCode and HTML Text Colorizer (external link)
[TOOL] Hatchery Listing BBCode Generator
[Free Resource] Co's Codes
Various Color Tools
Flight Rising Tool.Breeding Card (external link)

Okay, you've kept up with all of that, decided on a name and you're ready to start building your thread. This is where a lot of the market research that you did when you were saving up treasure for lair expansions is going to pay off.

Go back to your notes, and your favorite hatchery threads, and start deciding on your layout. Put into place all those ideas you researched earlier.

There are a few pointers to keep in mind as you go.

Buyers who come to your thread are looking for the dragons you have for sale, first and foremost. You want to put the post that shows off your current sales as close to the top of the thread as possible, so that they can find it and start browsing right away.

Your opening post should be short and concise, and not daunt customers with a wall of text they have to read through, even if you are a Lore/Role Playing hatchery. Have a short welcome (some people like to do this in character for a roleplay-type experience) and then list the rules regarding how to contact you and any other pertinent information. A table of contents with links to your vital posts is great, because you can keep the intro short that way, and post all the vital information after your sales post.

Although not necessary, graphic banners can really enhance the atmosphere of your thread. If you have the skills you can make them yourself and there are tools to help you achieve this. You can also purchase graphics services from many of the talented artists here on Flight Rising, by checking out the Art Sales forum.


Resources for Building the Thread

How to Make a Hatchery Thread
DalphiaRose’s Toolset (external link)
[Guide]BBCode
Crowes's BBCode Compendium
FR Image Assets
BBCode and HTML Text Colorizer (external link)
[TOOL] Hatchery Listing BBCode Generator
[Free Resource] Co's Codes
Various Color Tools
Flight Rising Tool.Breeding Card (external link)
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns
[center][size=2][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182194]Decide on a Theme[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182307]Research[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182340]Make a Plan[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182374]Make Contacts[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182403]Buy Your First Breeders[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182505]Pricing[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182629]Name your Hatchery[/url] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/1#post_40182700]Build Your Thread[/url]|Thread Titles|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182910]Sales[/url]|[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2735005/2#post_40182928]Resources Masterpost[/url][/size] ----- [size=4][b]Thread Titles[/b][/size][/center] I’ve made this a separate section from naming your hatchery, because it’s really a different thing. The name of your hatchery is the name of your business, the thing you use in marketing to identify your brand. [i]The title of your thread is something that can change for advertising purposes.[/i] You get a limited number of characters in your thread subject line, and each one is valuable. To make the most of your limited characters, here is what I reccomend: [list] [*]Don’t use tags such as (S) (“selling”), [Hatchery], (H), etc. These just take up space. If you’re in the Dragons for Sale forum, people should know that you’re selling dragons. The only tag I would use is (A) if you’re having an auction [*]Don’t include the word “Hatchery” in your subject line- except for maybe during your grand opening. It uses up 8 whole characters you could use for something else, and if you have a name in the subject people will assume you're a hatchery anyway [*]Don’t use redundant symbols and words, they take up space. For example, don’t tag your thread with [A] and then include the word “Auction” in the subject- save those characters for something else [*]Do use accepted Flight Rising shorthand such as: G1 (Gen 1s), G2, WC (wildclaw), Imps, Starcon (starmap/constellation combos), GO (grand opening), etc [*]Remember how I said to keep your “functional” name short and concise? Well that’s because you should be keeping it in your subject line, for brand identity. Change everything after it to advertise your newest dragons [/list] Here are some examples, all using our fictional example of Angelic Devils - Celestial Sins [quote]Angelic Devils: Celestial Sins Hatchery GO Angelic Devils: G2 imps & spirals Angelic Devils: Starcon SD hatchies [A] Angelic Devils: Accepting Holiday Currency! Angelic Devils: Trades, this week only! Angelic Devils: BIG SALE, old breeders[/quote] [center][b]Resources for Titling[/b][/center] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1183312]The Guide to FR Abbreviations[/url]

I’ve made this a separate section from naming your hatchery, because it’s really a different thing. The name of your hatchery is the name of your business, the thing you use in marketing to identify your brand.

The title of your thread is something that can change for advertising purposes.

You get a limited number of characters in your thread subject line, and each one is valuable. To make the most of your limited characters, here is what I reccomend:
  • Don’t use tags such as (S) (“selling”), [Hatchery], (H), etc. These just take up space. If you’re in the Dragons for Sale forum, people should know that you’re selling dragons. The only tag I would use is (A) if you’re having an auction
  • Don’t include the word “Hatchery” in your subject line- except for maybe during your grand opening. It uses up 8 whole characters you could use for something else, and if you have a name in the subject people will assume you're a hatchery anyway
  • Don’t use redundant symbols and words, they take up space. For example, don’t tag your thread with [A] and then include the word “Auction” in the subject- save those characters for something else
  • Do use accepted Flight Rising shorthand such as: G1 (Gen 1s), G2, WC (wildclaw), Imps, Starcon (starmap/constellation combos), GO (grand opening), etc
  • Remember how I said to keep your “functional” name short and concise? Well that’s because you should be keeping it in your subject line, for brand identity. Change everything after it to advertise your newest dragons

Here are some examples, all using our fictional example of Angelic Devils - Celestial Sins
Quote:
Angelic Devils: Celestial Sins Hatchery GO
Angelic Devils: G2 imps & spirals
Angelic Devils: Starcon SD hatchies
[A] Angelic Devils: Accepting Holiday Currency!
Angelic Devils: Trades, this week only!
Angelic Devils: BIG SALE, old breeders

Resources for Titling

The Guide to FR Abbreviations
[TOOL] Another Dragon Pricing Calculator | [GUIDE] So You Want to Start a Hatchery 2 | [GUIDE] Sorneith Job Catalog | [A] Silverbow's Odds 'n Ends
-
Quinn
Xe/They pronouns
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