upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Monica don't forget my tiel prices were in Ozzie dollars
So let's say $30 for a tiel here, would cost you guys approx 20USD, cheap huh but don't forget that tiels come from Oz

.......and candy bars $3 to $5 !!!! are you talking about a Mars bar or Snickers or something??????
They're about AUD $1.50 here now but quite often on special for around $1.20

Took me two days! I didn't know Google had a currency converter so that worked!

Economy here has fallen and more and more pets are being put up for adoption...

But ya, you've got it right for tiel prices! And actually that's about same prices here in America! I got Casey for like $15 or $25, but would have originally costed more than that.... handfed tiels are usually $30-$80 from breeders, aviary ones probably $20-$40, and petstores are around the $100 range, give or take. So I really didn't care that your prices were for Australia!

http://www.xe.com/ - this site has many currency converters, it just didn't have Rands!

And yup, everything is going up in price due to rising gas prices among other things... Gallon of milk used to be $2 or less but some of them are getting as much as $4 per gallon...

The best way to compare exchange rates from one country to another is with how many hours you have to work to get the item in question. In the U.S. the FEDERAL minimum wage is $6.50/hour. States, cities and municipalities can RAISE it to accommodate the local cost of living - this wage does NOT include waiters and waitresses where it is customary, assumed and expected the patron will leave the server a 15% percent tip. And then there are the "beloved" sales tax of 8% in my area.

So, by the hour at the federal minimum wage
5 - 7 hours of work$30 - $50 from a breeder and
10 - 30 hours of work $60 - $180( ) in a pet shop,
12 -15 hours of work for the bird only shops - $70 - $95.
The lower prices are for normal greys, then go up to pieds - we see them a lot and then pearls and lutinos.

There are many factors to consider with pricing structure on different items. Cost of goods, labor, shipping, packaging - and all of those factors have the same things to consider. Here in the states a lot of our agriculture products have been affected by the increase use of ethanol - from corn - so corn prices go up and everything else that either comes from corn or uses corn - some beef, pork and poultry feed. Of course this can go on forever but I'll stop here.


Jo

You are right on the mark Luna about prices etc.. and as you know (I am assuming you are in the US) Taxes, fees, price of housing, cost of living vary remarkably state to state. Just from what people say about vet bills varying state to state is amazing.
Vet bills in MA are pretty outrageous. However, if you go to a private single vet practice it is more reasonable than going to a multi-practice 'chain".