What to Look for When Buying Racing Pigeons on Elimar Pigeons

Updated

Elimar Pigeons (elimarpigeons.com) is a UK-focused auction and classifieds site for racing pigeon fanciers, where birds and loft equipment are listed with a price, a seller location, and a bid button. When you're evaluating a listing, the useful signals are the pedigree and family performance claims, the seller's identity and location, the auction status (Recently Listed, Ending Soon, Buy Now, Sold/UnSold), and the current bid count versus the asking price. Treat every description as a seller's claim, not a verified record, and decide what you're willing to pay before you click Place Bid.

Start with the pedigree and family performance text

On Elimar, the description is where most of the value information sits. Listings typically name the sire/dam line and then make performance claims about the bird or its relatives.

What to extract from a description:

  • Named bloodlines and champions — e.g. "Grandson of Kittle & Daniel. Both KBDB Champions," "Direct Son of No.1 Breeding Son of 'BLIZZARD KING KITTEL'," "Direct dirk leekens stock hen."
  • The relationship being sold — direct son/daughter, grandson, stock cock/hen, or an inbred bird. "Direct" offspring of a named breeder carries a different weight than a grandchild.
  • Performance claims tied to the family — "Dam & G.Dam of Winners," "topped Worcester fed and won many prizes," "won 28 x 1st and 8 x 1st Gloucester Federation in 2026."
  • Whether the bird is racing, stock, or being sold off — phrases like "PACKING UP" indicate a loft dispersal, which often means volume selling rather than a single showcase bird.

A practical check: separate claims about this bird from claims about its ancestors or siblings. A description that only lists famous names in the pedigree, with no result attached to the bird itself or its direct offspring, tells you less than one that names a specific race, club, or section placing.

Check the seller and location

Each listing shows a seller handle and a region, and these are part of your risk assessment.

Signal What it tells you
Seller handle (e.g. DavidG, Gazjen, Lee1981, ALPainter) Who is listing the bird; some sellers list many birds at once
Seller location (e.g. Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, West Midlands) Distance for viewing or collection, and whether the claimed race results match a plausible racing region
Number next to the handle (e.g. "ALPainter 60", "Gazjen 8") Appears alongside the seller name on listings; check what it represents on the site before relying on it
Multiple listings from one seller Common for dispersal sales; compare descriptions across their birds for consistency

If a seller claims federation or club wins, the region shown should be consistent with that claim. A mismatch between the stated location and the racing results described is worth a question before bidding.

Read the auction status and price signals

Elimar organises listings under tabs and statuses that change what you should do:

  • Recently Listed — newest birds; you have time to research the pedigree before bidding.
  • Featured Listings — promoted lots; being featured is a placement choice, not a quality guarantee.
  • Ending Soon — the window to bid is closing; decide your maximum now rather than in the final minutes.
  • Buy Now — a direct purchase option appears on the site, so some lots can be bought without waiting out an auction.
  • Popular / Top Bids — sorted by activity; high interest does not mean the bird suits your breeding programme.
  • Sold / UnSold — useful for judging what actually clears and at roughly what level.

On the listing itself you'll see a price in GBP and a bid count. In the sample listings, several birds show "GBP 60.00 0 bids," while others show "GBP 130.00 0 bids," "GBP 250.00 0 bids," and "GBP 500.00 0 bids." A zero bid count with a stated price means the figure is the opening or asking level, not a confirmed market value. A bird with bids has demonstrated at least one other buyer's willingness to pay.

A workable evaluation routine

  1. Open the listing and read the full description before looking at the price.
  2. Write down the named bloodlines and the exact relationship of the bird to them.
  3. Note any result attached to the bird itself or its direct offspring — race, club, section, federation, year.
  4. Check the seller handle, location, and whether they have other listings.
  5. Note the status tab (Ending Soon, Buy Now, etc.) and the bid count.
  6. Compare against similar lots under Sold to see what comparable birds have actually gone for.
  7. Set your maximum bid, then use Place Bid.

Common pitfalls

  • Paying for a name, not a bird. A pedigree full of champions says nothing about whether this particular bird breeds winners.
  • Ignoring the bid count. Zero bids at a stated price is an asking price; don't read it as a valuation.
  • Missing the closing status. "Ending Soon" lots can pass while you're still researching the family.
  • Assuming Buy Now is cheaper. It's a convenience option; compare it against what similar lots reach under Top Bids and Sold.
  • Not confirming logistics. Collection or transport arrangements, and any health or vaccination documentation, are not established by the listing text alone — ask the seller directly.

If you're new to the site itself, the mechanics of registering and placing a bid are covered separately in how to bid on Elimar Pigeons auctions.