Some sales just seem to go the wrong way no matter what. Here are some things I have learned about buying and selling Silver Foxes...and some of the reasons I sell very few to very few.
Not everyone is worthy of my trust. Through the years I have met meat breeders in public places without any problems so far and Silver Fox show breeders are wonderful bunch of people, but now I am far more comfortable selling at a show.
I now look over the rabbit very well EVEN if I know and trust the breeder. There is nothing worse than feeling like it may insult the seller and then find out there was a reason I should have inspected the rabbit much better than I did. I have found that a good breeder would not be insulted when I look over a rabbit—judges do this at shows all the time! An excellent breeder will help buyers do so, especially those new to rabbits if they don't know or are not sure for what they should be looking, just to be sure they are aware of and pleased with the health and traits of the rabbit.
Not being allowed to see a seller's rabbitry can be a two edged sword. Personally, I am big about biosecurity and just plain security of my rabbits. I only allow the most trusted of my friends near my rabbitry. Not being invited to see a rabbitry does not necessarily mean the seller has them in poor conditions, actually it could be quite the opposite. On the other hand, there have been times I wish I could have seen the conditions of the rabbitry to where my rabbit was going when sold.
Pedigrees...everyone does this differently often based on the level of trust. I have bought a rabbit without the pedigree available at the time, but I had bought a few rabbits from the same breeder before with pedigrees in hand. It does build more trust to have a printed pedigree ready to go with the rabbit for me so I do the same for my buyers. A buyer may ask to see the pedigree prior to the sale, but typically it is not in the seller's best interest to send a copy of a full pedigree. It is better for the pedigree to be seen at the time of the sale, as this protects both parties.
I have had some bad buys, however if I am only hearing about bad past experiences with several other breeders from a buyer, I am wondering if I would also most likely will be added to the list.
If someone wants show quality, pedigreed Silver Foxes, but has other small/pet breeds that they are not showing, they tend to be in a lower priority on my list, because it has been my experience that they are not really committed long term into the Silver Fox breed.
If a breeder never gives credit to the breeders from whom they have bought rabbits....I do not buy from them nor sell to them. Breeders who do not acknowledge the efforts of the breeders before them do not need my lines on their pedigrees, nor do I need theirs. I feel very strongly about this. I even share my wins with the breeder from whom I bought a rabbit. All I did was have the good sense to buy a good rabbit, the breeder before me made that rabbit what it is.
If someone wants show quality, pedigreed Silver Foxes, but has other small/pet breeds that they are not showing, they tend to be in a lower priority on my list, because it has been my experience that they are not really committed long term into the Silver Fox breed.
If a breeder never gives credit to the breeders from whom they have bought rabbits....I do not buy from them nor sell to them. Breeders who do not acknowledge the efforts of the breeders before them do not need my lines on their pedigrees, nor do I need theirs. I feel very strongly about this. I even share my wins with the breeder from whom I bought a rabbit. All I did was have the good sense to buy a good rabbit, the breeder before me made that rabbit what it is.
There is no waste with rabbits. If something is off or a bit more inconvenient than I like, there is no sale. I do not feel the need to sell when I can use the meat, so I do not offer many for sale that do not have some good to excellent traits that might improve another breeder's program. I rarely sell rabbits because I have a small rabbitry and a family who likes to eat rabbit meat as well as a big dog that eats raw rabbit also.