Dog Pricing

[steve w]

I think a lot of runing dogs are underpriced just to move them for one reason or another. If a guy would gamble 250.00 for a pup why would'nt the same pup be worth twice as much 6 mos or a year later when you can see what you got. You probobly are over thinking, I have wondered the same about pricing and figure there really is no ryme or reason to why beagles are priced how they are.

[bucks better beagles]

wvduece: Now it is getting interesting. Tell me, what makes them worth so much money in WV? Are they better or people just willing to pay more? This is dog is just 13 months old. She is a nice young hound but man, I would feel guilty pricing her for more than she is worth. Right now, the consensus is between $300 and $400. Seems about right to me but it brings up the philosophical thing of how does one arrive at these prices? If I ran her with a dog the same age and someone wanted $1000 for their dog and mine did just as well as their, does that make mine worth $1000?

What if I don't put a price on her at all but ask people to bring similar quality dogs to run with her and then ask them what they want for their dogs.

This is a complicated world and process for simple people such as myself.

Bob

[wvduece]

wvduece: Now it is getting interesting. Tell me, what makes them worth so much money in WV? Are they better or people just willing to pay more? This is dog is just 13 months old. She is a nice young hound but man, I would feel guilty pricing her for more than she is worth. Right now, the consensus is between $300 and $400. Seems about right to me but it brings up the philosophical thing of how does one arrive at these prices? If I ran her with a dog the same age and someone wanted $1000 for their dog and mine did just as well as their, does that make mine worth $1000?

What if I don't put a price on her at all but ask people to bring similar quality dogs to run with her and then ask them what they want for their dogs.

This is a complicated world and process for simple people such as myself.

Bob

bob i dont think the wv dogs are any better just people are just willing to pay more if they see one they like they will shell out the cash i had 2 guys come to my house wanting to buy a male dog i told them he wasnt for sale they said at no price i told them no ya know what they told me just name your price we want that male i never sold him either he didnt have a price onhim just wasnt for sale jb

[Farwest]

Has Reggie produced anything yet? Tough to follow the south, I don't thing any thing has made it north?? Not sure just wondering.

[BNSKennels]

My hound is an above average jump dog. He might turn into a true jump dog in a few more years.

[mybeagles]

Very Very few guys put the time necessary into a dog from birth to 1 year. IMO this is a critical time for any dog and if the hours are not put on the dog in the first year a tremendous window of opportunity is lost. Others I have spoken with agree, and thats why the value of a "1 year old dog (lightly started)" seldom fetches much more than a pup. A dog might be out of the best two dogs in the country, but if it sets in the kennel for a year it starts to depreciate in my book.

I price dogs a little cheaper to my friends. They sell cheap or give me pups and I return the favor. Sometimes we trade or run each others dogs to give them another objective eye.

Price is determined by what the market will bear, without creating hard feelings on either side. If a 30 day trial is given there should never be hard feelings. I realize you cant always give a trial to complete stangers but when there is concern ask for a couple references and get the money up front. Using this method has never failed me. I try to sell for less than what I think the dog is worth to ensure the possibility of any kennel blindness is taken into effect.

I do believe a 'good beagle' would sell for double or triple what they sell for if guys were more honest. If the bad and below average dogs were culled rather that sold, the price of the good solid dogs would likely be in the 600-800 range. Nobody wants a below average dog or one that hasnt been fooled with. If the dog wont hunt, cant be trash broke, has obvious physical defects they should not be sold, and when they are they hurt the process for everyone. Not trying to glamourize culling dogs, but on average I cull 4-5 for everyone I keep or sell. Many dogs are sold that owners know in their heart should be culled.

Mybeagles

[bearcreek kennels]

at what age did you buy the pup? did you start it yourself or was it already started?

[bucks better beagles]

Bearcreek: it was started but only roughly. It looked for and ran deer real bad. I have had it about 6 weeks. It is almost broke on deer now and can rock a rabbit well. Hopes this helps with your pricing info.

Bob

[bucks better beagles]

Thanks to all who responded to my little mirthful experiment. I have decided to go ahead and post her for $350. If I was in WV, I would double that, but I am not. We'll see what happens.

Bob

[bearcreek kennels]

I have long wondered what criteria one uses to price a dog if one wants to sell it. My way of doing it is to try and figure out what I have in it, look at its quality, compare to similar dogs on "for sale" boards and go from there. Trouble is, I find dogs priced all over the landscape as far as quality and price are concerned. I have learned the hard way, that buying off the board is a crap shoot but how else can we advertise when we want to sell?

So, what do you folks do? How to you affix a price? I also know that dogs go for different amounts of money in different parts of the country. I am in Michigan, economically depressed Michigan. So keep that in mind.

As an experiment, I will give you an example and use whatever price we all can agree on if possible: I have a 13 month old female out of Grenwells Reggie and Brankos Wham Bam. I bought her when she was younger for $250. I wanted to try a Reggie pup and she has exceeded expectations in that area. She is bluetick in color, about 14" tall, can run her own rabbit at a good rate of speed, runs deer some, and has an outstanding mouth. I am moving her because she is a female and too small for me. So what do you say?

For you doubters out there (I know there are many), No, this is not a gimmick to sell a dog. I am honestly wondering what you all would say. I may sell her local but if I don't, I will put her on the board at whatever price we agree upon.

Come on, lets hear it.

Bob-Quizzical in Michigan

I was asking how old the pup was when you bought it because, I breed Wham Bam to Reggie on July 9th 2008 and she delivered 8 pups on Sept. 5 2008. I raised and started all 8 pups and did not list them for sale until they were 10 months old. I sold this female and a male litter mate for $150 each to a guy named Tom on Aug. 29th 2009. (which was 6 weeks ago)

In your original post you stated that you bought her when she was younger, ( 6 weeks is younger??)
You also stated that she runs some deer, and now in your last post you claim she looks for and runs deer??
You give the reason your moving this dog is because she is a female and to small for you, (why would you buy a 14" female if that's not what your wanting??)
I was wondering what you have done with this dog that makes it worth $350 when you payed $250 for it 6 weeks ago??
And last, you made a comment about an individuals relationship with GOD!! All I have to say to that is, people who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones!!

[mybeagles]

BearCreek,

Ive been following this thread and wonder what leads you to the comment about 'glass house'. I openly profess faith in Jesus Christ but why does that put a person in a 'glass house'? I strive to be honest, fair, and respectable in all my dealings and from what I can gather thats what Bob seems to be doing. Just curious what is fueling your apparent animosity?//

Mybeagles

[NoBull]

Has Reggie produced anything yet? Tough to follow the south, I don't thing any thing has made it north?? Not sure just wondering.

He has produced a ton of young dogs doing very well in multiple formats I have been watching several of them closely in hopes of getting one for myself in the future.
Apologies for off topic.

As far as pricing your hound I think you should consider the amount of time you have had her and what improvements you have made to her etc and value that accordingly don't cut yourself to short but If I told you we always break even I would be lying in most cases people lose money when selling a hound they did not raise and train entirely themselves kind of like another hobby I love classic cars.

An example can be made that if the previous posts are correct and you have had her 6 weeks if I am reading this correctly and paid $250.00 for her if this is the case ask yourself if you could have a dog trained by anyone what would you pay for 6 weeks of training if you think 6 weeks of your handling and time spent with the dog is adequate for $100.00 or more then by all means it is your hound and your right to charge what you see fit no matter what someone else thinks is fair.

I look at dogs from a different point of view then a lot of people when buying or selling one. I consider 1. How long have I you had it? 2. Is it directly from a popular strong pedigree that I am after? 3.Most importantly the quality of the hound and time I have spent with it in the field If it's one that I honestly can say will or is currently a great hound that I would hate to see go or is it a good dog but not the caliber I am after completely.

Personally if I have spent 4 hours a day 5 days a week with a hound started it gave it all of it's shots and basically raised it completely and could honestly say it was a good hound and was only selling it for a minor reason ie. kennel space ,size ,time then I would ask quite a bit for that hound because of the cost I had into it and time I could of had into a hound I was keeping etc.

Now given a dog with the same potential and abilities that I have only had for a short period of time that I had sent to a running pen for 3 weeks costing me example $50.00 bucks got it home and ran into a minor issue as stated above it's size etc I would ask for $50.00 more then what I paid for it and let the people who are looking at the hound know why I came to this price. I think it's the only way to be fair. In most cases like this probably end up just eating the $50.00 and selling it for what I paid for it.

I agree pricing a hound can be tricky I hope this helps for me I try and set a value on the hound based on what I have done with it not by what other people are selling them for.

For the WV comments I also have seen hounds sell for great deals of money and in most cases they were ones that weren't for sale but someone made big offers so they quickly became for sale just wish I was the guy with dogs like that LOL

Goodluck with your hound she does sound like a nice one this is my 2 cents I hope it helps some.

[jlboomer]

ive sold dogs from $25 dollars to $1,000 alot depends on the dogs and alot depends on the person im selling to ive cut some good deals trying to help younger people get started but usally in return ive made a life long friend and get reward with something money can't buy and thats true friendship. ive seen very few pups ill pay $250 dollars for pedigrees don't mean alot to me when it comes to pricing id rather look athe the man raising the pups and the parents and knowing if he has had a reputation of raising quality hounds because anyone can breed pedigrees. im more incline to pay more from some old timer with a good group of grade dogs that hes had going for the last 40yr then i am to go pedigree chasing now im not trying to knock registerd dogs or anything theres many a great breeder out there but there is still alot of people trying to make a buck from a pedigree. now around here and for me this is the way i generally price my hounds
pups grade or akc $100 to $200
started pups 6-8months$100 to $300 depending on abilty
one year to 2yr $150 to $400 depending on abiltiy maybe more
3 to 5yr broke dog that ive hunted over this long $400 plus depending on abilty
5yrs plus if theyve been with me 5yrs then there genreally not for sale but money talks and it would have to be alot.
like i stated at the top tho i would always help someone younger or just getting started and there prices usally would be cut in half or i would give them a pup or started pup if i could.

[S.R.Patch]

You know I 'bout choked on my tea...

This is turned into the biggest Bullchetters thread I read in awhile...

[bucks better beagles]

Bear Creek, who big fella. Why so gruff? I have and had no intention of offending you or anyone on this site. My crack about God was followed by a "(laugh)" because if you read the post, it referred to a person who made reference to God. This has nothing to do with you. I don't even know you. I had an interest in mirthfully trying to find out how the board would price a dog. What You sell a dog for and what I pay for one should also not be of concern to you. I put the fact that I paid $250 for it so that people could have information and advise me on how to sell it. Once more, it was and is an EXPERIMENT. Nothing more.

I have no idea what you mean by the "glass house" comment. I was in absolutely no way making reference to you, whom I do not know, or your dogs, whom I have never seen. My dogs and I have so many faults that it would take several pages to list them.

To me, 6 weeks can be an eternity. It is 42 hunts. I referenced her running deer because, and I don't why I am explaining this you, when I first got her, she loved them more than anything but she came around real quick. She still runs them but not as bad.

Now, your other question, and again I don't know why I need to answer it but I will. I bought her knowing she was a female but small because I wanted to try out a Reggie puppy. I like her but she is still a female and too small so I am going to sell her.

Man, if this offended you, pardon and you have my sincere apology. I took YOUR post to be aggressive in tone and highly unnecessary. However, if you fail to accept my ernest apology than please reply to me off line so that we do not upset the other contributers or the moderators and we can discuss whatever you like. Please be civil about it.

Bob-Puzzled in Michigan