As much as things change, they stay the same. My dad was breeding Siamese Fighting fish (Bettas) back in the 1950’s, not as a commercial operation, but as a hobby which he sold to other hobbyists near cost. I grew up with aquariums and have always loved them. Much of my adult working years I moved around too much to keep aquariums, with a few exceptions. Now that I am retired, I find the hobby most rewarding. Over the past 7 years or so, I have come to embrace the “fish store crawl”. Back in my youth going to the LFS was a favorite activity of mine. We did not have a name for it though. Being here in Colorado with an abundance of good LFS, my enthusiasm for the hobby has reignited. Since I have a BSBA, and have always enjoyed retail, it just makes since I would fall in love with the Fish Store industry. The other limiting factor for me has been my finances. I was homeless for a while after “retiring” in ‘09 and have not worked a “job” since. Read over my other website if you want to know more about this.
The point I am making here is my love of aquariums, fish, plants, and retail have all combined in this ColoradoLFS.info blog. In keeping with my focus on the fish business, I have found a website and newsletter which are extremely fascinating, at least to me. Read over this article about the ornamental fish trade during the depression years in the 1930’s. Much has changed over the last century, but a few things have not. Prices of fish have not changed nearly as much as inflation would dictate. This is still a very affordable hobby! Yes, there are elite hobbyists who spend 10’s of thousands on their hobby and most of those are in the saltwater side of things. Even this can be done relatively economically these days though. The Museum of Aquarium & Pet History has several other articles of interest to the aquarium hobbyist from a historical perspective. We should all have at least a casual knowledge of history as it deepens the enjoyment of our hobby. It also inspires us to share the wonderful world of fish keeping with family and friends who can appreciate the relaxing and peaceful aspects of nature.
Sequoia Elisabeth
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