Pricing
We've been in the cattle business since 1996 and there's something that's always bothered me, big time... and it should YOU too! A breeder not listing the price of an animal that is for sale on their web site! It irks me so much that if an animal's price is not listed, nine times out of ten, I simply move on to another site where the prices are posted. The site without prices listed just lost a potential customer!
Previously I've been told, "Well, my price changes if an animal puts on more weight or grows a little more horn or when a cow is confirmed bred or calves and it takes too long to edit the page." Sorry folks but I know better! On the average, it takes two minutes or less to change the price on a web page. (It takes me longer to tie my tennis shoes! LOL.)
Therefore, I firmly believe web sites without listed prices are telling me one of two things. Either they know the price they want for that animal is way more than what it's worth, or it depends on "who is asking" as to what the price will be; they want to "feel" the potential buyer out to see how much they think they can "milk" them for! I personally have had this trick played on me years ago and still have the paper work to prove it. Needless to say I've never bought from that breeder nor did my friends who I had inquire about the same animal, nor have their friends and so on. So was this breeder's inflated price to me worth his possibly loosing so many other sales??
Seriously, stop and think about it.... everything else has price tags: groceries, clothes, cars, property, homes, corporations, anything and everything you want to buy... except Longhorn cattle. Hell, you can even be interested in buying your own island and it'll have a list price!
If you went shopping and had to stop and ask someone the price for each item, would you still shop at those stores? NO, because it would be too time consuming. Isn't the whole purpose of a web site to be as informative to the potential customer as possible and save them time by providing as much information on your animals as possible? Well duhhh, that should include the price! We feel if the seller honestly thought the animal was worth what they're asking, they would be so proud to have such a valuable creature, they would list the price for all to see.
Same thing for all the Longhorn sales, whether they be a TLBAA, TLMA, ITLA sale or what ever.... ALL the results should be made public, not just the high selling lots. We are all aware of wealthy breeders out there buying these high dollar cattle, but the majority of breeders also want to know the prices that are being paid by the average person so we have a good idea on the overall value of these cattle. This would in turn benefit many breeders to price their cattle accordingly, especially the breeders just getting into this business.
I believe there should be a general web site with ALL sales' results posted. These sales are PUBLIC so why shouldn't the selling price and the Buyer's name be made known to the public for those who could not attend a sale? If these purchases are legitimate and there are no games being played, then what's the problem??
Just as sale catalogs should have a designated place under an animal's listing as with the Rocky Mt. Select T.L. Sale catalog does! Then it'd be a cinch to upload it to a web site similar to how the Trails magazine is on line and viewers could just "flip" right through it!
OK, enough rambling. Bottom line, I am proud to say we do NOT play games at ASOCL... we'll treat you fair and square!
May GOD bless the troops serving our Country which in turn allows us the freedom to raise such wonderful creatures! In appreciation, we donate a percentage of sales to Operation First Response.