Haust

Gen's Hidden Gems Pricing Guide
Everyone has the right to a sparkly, pretty dragon. I know I have some very expensive pairs, but I've always aspired to provide high quality dragons at a variety of price points since opening, including lower price brackets. If you're interested in how I determine prices in the hatchery or have some questions about it--read on! I hope this elaboration can help :)

When first opening, I undercharged for a lot of my dragons, both unintentionally and intentionally. This was for several reasons:

1. I was still familiarizing myself with the current dragon market after coming back from a hiatus earlier in the summer.
2. I knew I didn't have any reputation and would have to build a good repertoire first in order to sell dragons at a higher price point.
3. It was, in retrospect, one way of saying "thanks" to those first few supporters.

Why do I mention this?
As I get around to breeding some of my pairs for the second and third times, I'm starting to get a better grasp on what some of my pairs are worth. I've learned that some of my older pairs from years ago aren't what they used to be, and I've learned that some of my newer pairs with newer genes are worth more than I think. It's been a lot of trial and error, with the help of a lot of careful recordkeeping. I'm still figuring a lot of pairs out, and it'll be a constant, ongoing process. If you see prices for a pair going up or down over time, that's why. I don't mean any disrespect to anyone who bought something at a higher price and it was later available for cheaper--that's just how the market works, and I think we all understand that. I also don't mean any disrespect to anyone who buys a hatchling from a pair in the present that has had hatchlings available for a lower price in the past--as mentioned, I used to undercharge for a lot of my pairs, sometimes by a lot. I'm still normalizing my prices from that. Regardless, I always appreciate when someone takes home a dragon, no matter the price. This hatchery has brought me so much joy--it makes me so happy to see others loving my dragons!

What makes some pairs more expensive than others?
Besides the obvious, more objective factors that affect value/price such as color combos (XXY, XXX, etc), genes, and breed, there are a few additional hidden factors that sometimes make it necessary to charge a lot more for some of my pairs. Some of my pairs may not seem rare at first glance, but if you go to look up their color and gene combo, you'll discover there's nothing else similar to them. These are pairs I've had to invest a lot of time and funds into: scrying, hunting down dragons with the right colors, and saving up for the genes. Because of the genes I apply, some of my pairs are entirely unique, especially the ones I've had to gene completely from scratch. Some examples of this are Peach Orchard, Gold-Veined Turquoise, and Galactic Gummy Worms. But, those are just the "entirely-from-scratch" pairs. I have many pairs that still required partial--but very expensive--makeovers, with results just as rare. That's the factor behind some of the pricing that isn't always obvious at first glance--the hidden rarity of the pair, and the work invested in it.

How do markdowns work?
As dragons sit around over time, or if I discover they're not selling as expected, I may begin to mark down their price. Maybe I misjudged their value and priced them too high initially, or maybe there's just that final straggler left from the clutch that's growing old. Whatever the case, it'll happen over time on a case-by-case basis, and I usually don't make a lot of noise about it when I change a price. Sometimes, I'll put "MARKDOWNS" in the title of my thread if there's a fresh wave of markdowns spanning multiple clutches. Otherwise, checking back periodically is the only way to keep watch for a price change, to make things fair for everyone. As mentioned, I don't mean any disrespect to anyone who buys a dragon at full price from a clutch that later has its siblings discounted--one way I view it is that you can pay full price to ensure you get the dragon you want, or wait for the price to go down but run the risk of someone else buying it first. Meaning, you might pay more, but that is balanced out by the fact that you instantly get the dragon of your choice. When a dragon gets marked as "Final Markdown," it means their price won't be going any lower before I decide to eventually exalt it if no one wants it. So, it's basically a signal to buy it then if you want, because if you're waiting for a better deal, it won't come.

How do holds work?
My holds are typically 2 days. However, for expensive dragons or bulk orders, I offer more flexibility. I want to work with you to help you bring home the new companion of your choice! In all truth, if a hold is in good faith, or if you've bought from me before and I know I can trust you, I'll be pretty flexible regardless of price. By good faith, I mean that someone places a dragon on hold with the genuine intent to eventually purchase (genuine intent at the time of placing the hold—I understand stuff happens and there’s plenty of reasons why you may be unable to pick up the dragon, but I just mean you aren’t doing what’s explained in the next sentence). I don't mean someone who puts a dragon on hold while still making up their mind (which may prevent someone who is already sure from buying the dragon, something I feel is unfair), attempts to put a dragon on hold until the Sunday Flash Sale to specifically get it cheaper than intended, or attempts to place a dragon on hold during the Sunday Flash Sale to purchase it later at that discounted price. The first point is more subjective and will only be acted on if I notice a pattern. However, holds have been set up so that the last two won't work. Example: someone placing a dragon on hold when it's listed for 50kt/g will owe 50kt/g upon pickup no matter what, even if that pickup occurs during the Sunday Flash Sale. On the flip side, dragons placed on hold during the Sunday Flash Sale will only have the Flash Sale discount applied if the pickup occurs while the sale is still going on. If it's after the sale ends, the buyer would be charged whatever price the dragon was listed for without the Flash Sale discount applied. This is to keep things fair and to ensure all holds are placed in good faith.

Question not answered here? Send me a PM or @ me in my thread!