Values.

Values values values: relative worth, merit, or importance. To consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance. To regard or esteem highly.

I know what you're thinking "I don't understand, what do values have to do with rabbits?" Hold your horses that's why I'm posting this blog. That and it's a break from rant blogs.

Something that is free is not considered to be of any value, something that cost $5.00 again not that valuable. Even $25.00 isn't considered too valuable. When people are constantly bombarded with animals that are free or relatively cheap in the grand scheme of things those animals are no longer considered important.

Animals and breeds that are considered valuable are constantly seen at unusually high prices for the species. Take Angoras for instances. More often then not you see them listed at $75.00 or higher for pets alone with show quality animals being bought for $300.00+ the general assumption of the entire breed is that they are important and valuable and thus people have more interest in them.

Other breeds like Mini Rex are far to often only sold for $25.00 yes there are a lot of breeders who raise them so there is competition when trying to sell them and usually the cheaper the price gets the sale. This is highly damaging to how people view the breed. They are cheap therefore less valuable which means there will be less of a market for them.

Confused? Let me explain why there is less of a market for a cheaper breed. It all has to do with values. The more you see rabbits listed for free or really cheap the general consensus is that they're not a very important animal thus do not have much value. The more you see rabbits listed at higher prices seems to change the general idea to these are important animals and someone will be more willing to spend more money to buy one.

Now I'm not saying everyone should go and jack up their prices, but you as the breeder should not have to sell your animals for cheap because the general going price for your breed is cheap and you want to compete in the market. You have to consider the amount of money and time you put into the rabbit to raise it. That's not all most breeders have a huge amount of work put into their herds and it's almost insulting to spend years working on your rabbits only to be able to sell a great rabbit for $25.00 because that's the most common going rate.

If you don't value your own rabbits to begin with no one else will. Selling rabbits is not like selling inanimate objects where you can out sell your competitors by selling your item cheaper. Rabbits are living breathing animals, and the cheaper you sell the more likely the rabbit you sell will end up in the home of an impulse buyer who will get bored of it in a month. Not all do, but it happens.