Most expensive.

[matcho]

I am just sitting here watching the "Hotplate". There is a thing coming on after this called the "World's Most Expensive Food". So I thought maybe I could put this question out there given that this forum has worldwide vision. So my question is ........What is the most expensive finch you have paid for? What is the highest price paid for a finch or what is classified as the most expensive, worldwide.?

Should make an interesting post.

Ken.

[Shane Gowland]

I like to stay on the lower end of the price spectrum. $120 for a pair of TCPF is my highest. Outside of finches, my highest purchase was $300 for a pair of Plum Headed Parakeets.

[matcho]

Thanks Shane,

Looking at finches mainly, but $300 for some of the hookbills is really a nothing. Have seen some at sales with near on 5 figures for one bird. What gets me is people pay it!

Ken.

[Craig52]

Funny you should bring this up Matcho as i was just going through my pics thinking wow i have paid out a lot of money for finches but when think about how many you have bred from them the original purchase price seems negate.
Also the money you make from these birds pays for the next addition so its not really out of your pocket.

WB crimsons $650 a pr by 4pr but very poor quality birds but it was a start to get where i am now. None sold yet but given away non desirables.

Lesser Redbrows, $650 x 4pr but swapped for my fawn painteds. Did extremely well with the lessers but no one would pay what i paid,the best i could get was $300 a pr plus a spare cock bird to of load them but got more than than my original outlay but had to sell twice as many to get.

Blue backed WB gouldians, $450 pr C/S x 3pr out of pocket but did very well with them to buy new blood and was well in front.

RE firetail, $800 a pr, lost hen repurchased a hen $400 out of pocket, hopefully young in nest now.

All the different mutations i have purchased, eg Fawn Diamonds $500 each back ten years ago and pied RFPF $500 each back then but made a lot of money on them to pay for other species.
Blue caps, $250 a pr x 4 pr kept losing hens and buying hens,probably cost a couple of thousand before i gave up.

Pekin Robins, $1500 a pr, bred ok but the parents ate their young at a day old. Arrrh

The list can go on forever,you don't get rich because the money goes towards feeding and buying the next specie.

Craig

[arthur]

A long time ago . . when the earth was greener . .

The local bird club hired a bus for the 3 hour trip to attend a bird auction

Now, at the auction the host club had a beer booth . . as a service for thirsty travellers, and as a fund raiser (club secretaries take heed)

Now we all know, some people should not partake of the demon drink . . and some people should not attend auctions

But one of the group, who, well and truly satisfied both of the above criteria, spent about $2K ( a lot of money today; and a !@#$% lot more in those times) . . outbidding the crowd on almost every lot

Halfway through the return trip, he must have suddenly realised the error of his ways . . and muttering something about his impending doom, when he faced 'her at home' decided to conduct his own mini-auction, which realised about one-third of his $2K

He lived to fight another day . . But without doubt they were the most expensive birds that he DIDN'T buy


No it wasn't me, but I did get some cheap finches from that auction

[E Orix]

Over the years my birds have enabled me to spend some big dollars on birds.
The bird tin was our salvation in years past.
I guess Grenadier Weavers in 1968 for $295 from memory and much later 3 Magpie Robins for $5000
What I can say is I feel I have sold the most expensive pair of Finches, way back in 1986.
In those days a good wage would have been under $300 per week and I sold a pair of Paradise Whydahs
for $4500. I really didn't want them to go but that was real money, young family and a new home
I still have the picture of them on my wall. At least it is something.

[Finnigan]

The most expensive bird I ever took on was my wife... still paying for her. good thing is our young are about to fledge.

[Tiaris]

Paid $2.5k pr for Senegals & Green Strawbs about 10years ago.

[Tiaris]

Can clearly remember my dad selling his Senegals for $80pr in the 70s & Green Strawbs for $100pr.

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

love to hear these old "tales of true" from Arthur and Finnegan, you guys crack me up !!
especially where money is concerned the truth is often the first casualty....but it is still amusing to us younguns....
I had a couple of significant offers for a silver diamond I had a few years back....nothing like the $$ for some though.
the big dollars from pre 1980 seem more impressive than current times....as stated the average wage was relatively peanuts back then, to find 5k for a pair of finches must have taken a fair set of kohuna's.