Super Sales

When looking back at the recent Gaby Vandenabeele sale, my reaction to the number of pigeons being sold and the millions paid, I was literally stunned and at a loss for words. Being at a loss for words, isn’t a common occurrence, just ask anyone who knows me.
Later that week I came across a blog that sums up my thoughts completely. At the time I copied it and finally got around to translating it the other day. You can read Kees Bosua’s reaction below. Kees is a well respected top fancier in his own right. He is always straight forward and doesn’t pull any punches and says what he thinks, for that he has my respect.

SUPER SALES.

I don’t think there is anyone who missed what happened last weekend in the pigeon auction world. For those who are unaware, Gaby Vandenabeele the legendary pigeon fancier’s total sale took place. No less than 815 pigeons were auctioned online in a time frame of three days. With some amazement, I took note of the fact that three days were needed to sell all his pigeons. I had always assumed that Gaby was a (small) pigeon fancier. Many reports about this super loft, and let it be clear, it was a super loft, applauded the small number of pigeons with which he became world famous. After this sale, we will not use those words anymore.

Not only has Gaby performed super himself (although we have to go back quite a few years), the number of others who have had success with his pigeons is unprecedented. In the period of the Kleinen, Picanol, and other Wittenbuiken, you could hardly miss acquiring pigeons from Gaby. Superclass, and then some. At that time you could also speak of a family/type of Vandenabeele. Partly, by making good use of commerce (advertising), the masses were still assuming that there was a strain of “Vandenabeele” that only brought champions into the world.

If you had taken the time to study the sales list carefully, you would come to view  THE STRAIN Vandenabeele, with very different eyes.

At the time of the sale, Gaby had pigeons on his loft from

Gaston Van de Wouwer         Luc Delaere
Van Renterghem-Goeteyn    Deno-Herbots
Dirk Deroose                           Clement De Mesmaeker
Jan Pappens                            Gevaert Lannoo
Eric Vermander                       Rino Verheye
Joel Verschoot                         Eddy Leutenez
Chris Hebberecht                    Paul Lannoo
Kurt Platteeuw                        H P Esser
John Meurysse                       Herman Pouw
R J Ter Heyde                         Phillippe Dobbelaere
De Smet Restiaen                   Geert de Clercq
Kees Bosua                               Jozef Planckaert
Gino Clicque                            Jan Hooymans
Kristiaan Hennes                   Johan Hebberecht
Erik Limbourg                        Patrick Derycke
Stefan Steenbergen               Wolfgang Roeper
Gerard Blum                           H Brockamp
Jos Goessen

With a total of 35 people from who you have pigeons on your loft, I wonder why we are still talking about THE STRAIN Vandenabeele.

On his blog, A. Schaerlaeckens writes that there is no such thing as a strain, it does not exist. I don’t readily agree with anyone, but his statement is as real as the sun coming up every morning.

Also took the time to see, how many super pigeons were being sold. That didn’t really take long, there were very few, of course, (and I am talking about one pair) who would be permitted to reside on any loft. Of the 300 old pigeons, there were about 45 who managed to get on the race result. Of the 500 youngsters, there was not one that ever appeared on a race result. Now when you assume that every fancier, aims to pair good X good, you know that the seller would not have had an easy time doing so himself the coming year.

The auction is over, and when you look at the total proceeds, I seem to have missed something, too bad for me.

From the blog of Kees Bosua.

www.keesbosua.nl