Wednesday, August 21, 2013

How to buy and sell

A surprising amount of people suck at buying and selling rabbits so I thought I would do a little guide. It's really not hard to be good at this. People exchange money for rabbits, everyone is happy. I've had some super experiences and some really odd ones as both buyer and seller.

How to be an amazing buyer
Be clear about what you want, do a little research beforehand so you can say "Hi, I'm looking for a blue Holland Lop buck, what do you have available?" rather then "I want a bunny but not really sure what I want so send me all your pictures and lots of detailed descriptions so I can say "no that's not what I think I want " Also known as "don't waste someone's time."

If the seller doesn't have what you want or is out of your price range then say "no, thanks" and look elsewhere, totally easy and polite but generally omitted step.

When you find the bunny of you dreams, be on time to the pickup place and have the money ready in a form that is acceptable to the seller. Don't be freaked out if the seller has a closed barn and wants to meet at a public location, there are some nasty rabbit illnesses around and many people keep a closed herd, doesn't mean they are hiding something.

If you have other rabbits, quarantine your new rabbit when you take it home, a seemingly healthy rabbit can harbor nasty illnesses that can infect your whole herd.

Lucky looks cute here but this photo doesn't tell a prospective buyer anything except look at his snoot.

How to be an amazing seller
 Know your stock and prices, It's nice when someone is on top of things.

Respond promptly to inquiries, Life gets in the way sometimes, but I try to respond within a day or two and generally by the same mode of communication (email back, call back) Be honest about your stock, their health and productivity. Take the time to take good photos, make sure the rabbit is posed correctly for it's breed.

Don't be shy to let people know your prices, a buyer shouldn't have to stalk you to get a price. I have had to email people multiple times to get a price and honestly I'm less likely to buy from someone when they are weird about it. Be open to offers but don't feel pressured to sell for less. Be upfront about your stock and able to answer questions, we want people to enjoy their rabbits.

Keep good records and make sure the buyer gets the necessary paperwork. If selling pedigreed rabbits make sure the buyer knows not to change your prefix on rabbits they purchased, pretty simple to keep track of because a rabbit born in your rabbitry gets your prefix.

Send a little feed along to make sure the rabbit does well in it's new home.

No comments:

Post a Comment