Determining prices

[BelleVie]

Hi all, My first litters of bunnies will be ready for weaning in about 3 1/2 weeks and I'd like some pointers for determining prices. I raise pedigreed standard Rex and for bunnies I have tri, harli, castor, and fawn, and a couple of charlies. I want to price them fairly for myself and potential buyers, but I don't want to sell myself short either.

I'm also wondering how you all differentiate prices between pet quality animals and potential breeding quality stock?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Marinea]

There is such a range from area to area, and even sometimes from breed to breed. I would check local sale sites and see what area breeders are asking, and go from there.

 

[macksmom98]

Yes I go on Craigslist or Hobbily from time to time and keep up with pricing in my area, to stay competitive.....

 

[Zass]

So far as I can tell, rabbit are ridiculously under priced in general, which too often leads them to being picked up on a whim by people who view rabbits as living children's toys.

Keeping the prices up at least helps keep the very worst buyers away.
Not that that should be too much of a problem with your breed.
Quality standard rex are rarely under $50 around here.

When it comes to purebred brood stock, quality and conformation are even more important than pedigrees. If you are familiar with ARBAs SOP and have an eye for conformation, then you probably also know when you get a really good one.

It's pretty standard to charge more, especially for rabbits who meet show conformation. Breeding age rabbits tend to command higher prices than kits too.

Actually, this might sound weird, but some buyers will always WANT the most expensive ones you have available, and may ignore your rabbitry entirely if the prices are too low.
Consider it a compliant that some folks will feel your rabbits are worth every penny, and that they can trust you to help them select the highest quality stock for their rabbitries. There is some responsibility in that too.

You can always offer a 4-H discount to help make the buns more affordable for youth exhibitors.

 

[BelleVie]

Thanks for all of the advice

Around here Standard Rex are hard to find, (most craigslist ads for them are for re-homing pets that people no longer want or for mixed animals) - so I don't want to enter the market undervaluing my stock off the bat because my goal is to develop a respectable breeding program over time... I was initially thinking $30 for pet-quality animals. Do you think that's too low to start with?

I want to price my pet-quality animals high enough to discourage impulsive buyers ... so maybe that's a bit low...

 

[Prisma]

I do $35.00 for Holland Lops and other small breeds with no pedigree for pets, I'd decided not to prevoiusly even offer a pet but some kids are just too sweet. Brood/show start at $40.00; dqs and faults that I know of are noted and I ask all buyers to look over the rabbit and insure they are happy with how they are at time of sale. Dqs and faults can appear over time or in a blink of an eye after all (broken toes, tails, missing teeth from pulling wire, etc) which will affect value and even the ability to be sold (most don't want a rabbit with a conditional dq; ie pulled teeth...it is also some thing I would suggest not to be sold, least until after teeth come back and assure proper alignment...you don't want a rep for selling bad stock even if the issue was an accident to begin with). I've not had any Rex juniors to sell, have helped a friend though. All of them have been $75.00 and up for some thing with no dqs at time of sale per SOP ARBA wise, tri color or out of a tri program. When I do have juniors to sell, they will be at least her price if not higher depending on how long I keep them/show.

A good place to start is where you got your stock from. If you paid 50 for a junior, compare quality and sell like. Realize though that you may never sell any thing you price. I've not had any juniors for some time for sale and the other stock I have offered in the last year (with the exception of 3) have all ended up in the pot because I wouldn't sell them extremely cheap (even knocked the one buck I currently have fs to 25.00 as he's such a sweety and I hate to eat him but he's no longer able to breed due to a poor injury healing leaving him with a split p...my first time having this happen but I know it was as I saw the initial fight/damage and wondered if it would heal correctly).

 

[skysthelimit]

Whatever you decide, stick to your guns. If you want $35 for pets, then don't lower it because it doesn't sell. Once people catch on to that, they will wait it out.

I agree that a good price keeps those impulsive buyers away. And you should start with close to the price that you paid.

Like anything else you sell, base it on who you want your market to be. Do you want a Walmart market, or a higher end department store market?

I don't sell pets. That's what I tell people. It's part of quality control. If it's not good enough to breed, then I cull it terminally. My rabbits are then priced according to age, show wins, proven breeding ability. I start at $35 if you get them before jr prime. After then I know who I plan to keep for show, and prices go up. So if you insist on wanting one as a pet, you pay the same price as a show exhibitor would. With colors like Tri, I'd go higher, and push that market towards where you get the better price. There are people on the FB Rex group begging for people Tri culls because they are hard to find.

Sorry if i sound like I'm on my soapbox (but I am). I've decided it's time to raise my own prices. I'm selling stock too low, then watch as others sell babies from my babies nearly double. I was so busy trying to get sales I under priced myself. As Zass pointed out, rabbits in general are too cheap.

 

[Ramjet]

Last year I was charging $40 each for pedigreed standard rex , this year I've upped the price to $60 and sold just as many.
If they don't sell I'll just eat them .... and process the hides.