When did BYC eggs get more expensive than Eggbid & Ebay??

[AHappychick]

I too have been suprised at the cost to ship, I see some prices here and just know that they are making almost no money. On average it costs me over $12 to ship and at least 20 minutes to pack them correctly, The cost is high but I do believe that people should be able to at least make $2 per egg if it is good quality stock. The worst part is when you pay top prices and they get scrambled.

Some prices I have seen are a bit extreme but supply and demand I say....

 

[geareduplyn]

I sell my eggs pretty much for $30.00 a dozen, and charge for Flat Rate shipping and packing $13.50. I think this is reasonable, and anyone who has bought eggs from me knows about my dozen. You always get get what you paid for.

 

[Buster]

Quote:
I agree with you on the shipping and on the supply and demand as well. Basically, as long as people are willing to pay a certain price, then people will charge that price. I'm not sure the problem. If people are willing to pay the price, why shouldn't the seller get that out of their eggs?

There are breeds I won't get, at least right now, because of the price of the eggs, but that's my choice.

I just received 10 dozen eggs from various BYC shippers. I purposely ordered from people I knew on BYC because I am familiar with them and have seen feedback from eggs they have shipped previously and have seen lots of pics of their stock. It was more important to me to get eggs from friends here- people I trust- than what the best deal is.

 

[lurky]

I guess i am the only one here that still appreciates the cost to send stuff

I just got eggs sent to me from Washington State, to Taxachusetts for just under $15. They arrived in exactly 48 hours. I was very happy with this. I got what i wanted in 48 hours .......all that way......for $15. If you think of things you pay about that price for.........i feel like i got a great deal.

 

[yotetrapper]

I'll pay for what I can afford. Two of the breeds I'm working with are what might be considered "fad" birds, and therefore I pay more for them. Two other breeds I raise are not fad birds, and I can usually get eggs for them for half the price of the others. I might pay $60 to have a dozen blrw shipped to me from good stock, but I would never pay that for buff orps or EEs. I figure if I am willing to pay it, it's a fair price. Right now there are new birds I'm wanting...lavender orpingtons... but right now I cannot afford the prices they are being sold for....or at least....the prices others are willing to pay for them in auction style sales. I might not get any lav orps this year, but maybe I will? Or, maybe next year, they will be more affordable. I'll wait for them.

Eggs, as with all else in this world, are governed by supply and demand. An egg is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Now, as for people selling here in a friendly manner.... I had a ever so gracious person offer free eggs to the first person to post. These are from wonderful birds. I was the first to post, but then found out I didnt have the money in my chicken fund to cover the shipping that night, so I gave them up. She then extended the offer back to me. She didnt have to do that. So there are definitely friendly deals to be had here.

Right now I see a dozen eggs from gorgeous birds on the forum for $30...with a third of that or more being shipping, I think that's very fair...

 

[DuckLady]

Just like anything else, it's all about supply and demand. Plus postage of course

If someone who has worked hard raising their breeds suddenly has the chance to make something back for all the work they put into it, more power to them!

I am happy for that person!

 

[bumpershoot]

I am going to put in my .02 here, and as I am new that's about what it's worth.
I am willing to put $2 and more per egg. I believe my order to Gabbard Eggs ran me six something per egg after shipping. Why pay that much? Is that not insane? Maybe, but let's consider:

1. Right now I have in the the brooder Cochins, Speckeled Sussex, Cookoo Marans and some meatbirds that were packing peanuts. The friendliest of these birds are the meat birds. Cochins are supposed to be calm and friendly. Folks, these birds run like I am trying to kill them. They see me every day and every day I make a point of TRYING to catch them and pick them up. These are SUPPOSED to be my laying hens and I want them friendly (the sussex and marans are for a friend). Unfortunately, I am thinking they are going to end up on the dinner table. Do I feel this was quality stock? Not really, and it's going to be even more expensive because I am going to need to raise these birds in order to evaluate them. That's cash that could have been used to buy quality stock. I should have used the lessons I learned showing dogs for years and years: buy the best.

2. Why should folks charge so much for certain eggs? Yes, some of it is fashion. What's hot today is expensive. It's also expensive to buy, raise, show, ship quality stock. Some of the rare breeds are expensive because they are rare, but they are also expensive because just getting the stock is expensive. I am new here, but I've seen several posts on how it's darn near impossible to import stock from outside the US. So, a breed like Barnevelders is stuck working with the gene pool that's already here. If someone is willing to sell a few precious eggs to me, then it should not surprise me that these cost more than a Happy Meal each.

3. Lastly, did we not just have a series of posts on a certain ebay seller that shipped eggs (91 of them) that were questionable in their fertility? Even if the buyer manages to get her money back she's still going to eat the shipping costs. Do that a couple of times and the cost of your eggs on average jumps through the roof. So, for me, I'd rather buy from a seller known within their peer group.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

It depends on what state I ship to as what I get charged at the post office for shipping and confirmation. I total in using my gas to run to the post office and running into town for bubble wrap and tape. I can get 2 boxes of eggs wrapped with 2 packages of large and small bubble wrap. That's not cheap stuff to buy, 4.98 a package.

I want to help with my feed bill since the girls are laying so well at the moment and it takes selling 2 boxes of eggs to buy 1 bag of feed after all expenses are taken out.

 

[CountryMom]

Putting it into my perspective... I sell pet quality guinea pigs for $25 a pig- no shipping sorry. And I sell show quality for $35 to $40 a pig. Now Petsmart is up in that area for the pet mixed breed stuff. Mind you that is ONE animal. A dozen hatching eggs for $25 including shipped to my door is nothing. If I hatch out one chick it has the potential to be so much more than one guinea pig in all reality. I have raised my prices on my guinea pigs because feed went up $2.50 per bag. I raised $5 an animal which hardly covers what we put into this hobby.

Now, I have shipped guinea pigs also... kind of putting the shipping price idea in for you all shipping hatching eggs. I paid nearly $500 for 8 guinea pigs and had to go pick them up at the air port nearly 3 hours away. No front door delivery. Mind you I split that order with my bf since I couldn't choke down $500 for guinea pigs. LOL The bloodline was worth it though in the hobby.

So $25 to $30 or more for a dozen eggs really has to be put into perspective. You can always go get hatchery quality at your local feed store for $2 a chick. Which isn't horrible for some folks and I can't knock it since most of mine comes from that. A good way to start an interest in the chicken fancy. We all have to start somewhere really. Even with guinea pigs I started our interest from a pet store pig.

But if you want a breeding stock chicken - or show quality potential - going with a private breeder is in most cases the way to go. Breeders have higher expenses since they specialize and do not mass produce like a hatchery. So they focus on quality and that is what you are hopefully paying for. Now I have been shafted there also (whole other story) but that is a chance you have to take. I do not go and buy show worthy and competitive guinea pigs at a pet store that is for sure. But a pet store or hatchery stock animal are not any less cute or productive. Just depends on what your goal of your purpose is.

JMHO

 

[geareduplyn]

bumpershoot
I'm assuming your Cochins are hatchery chicks and not from a breeder. Disposition is an attribute that most tend to ingore. If I aquire birds that climb the walls and fly all over the coop each time I step in, they're gone no matter how good they might be. Right now I have a beautiful cockerel that I had high hopes for. He's hit me twice in the last few days. When I process again he goes with the rest of the culls. Try to buy from someone who has had their birds for a while, and are responsible enough not breed from flighty or agressive stock.