Excerpt from A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing the Almond Tumbler

I have now arrived at a difficult point, and that is how. To instil the knowledge of a bird possessing good properties into the mind of the young F ancier when he sees it, and should he be anxious to purchase the bird, I should advise. Him to consider whether he really stands in need of the bird, and believes it will improve his stud or strain of birds, if so, buy it at any price, for it cannot be dear. From my experience, combined with the conversation of some of the best and most experienced Fanciers, the only way to obtain an extraordinary bird, is to give more than it is worth, comparatively speaking. The first time I attended a Grand Show, there was, as I thought, such a particularly pretty neat looking pair of birds, nothing gaudy about them; they appeared so remarkably neat and quiet, that the thought struck me of Friends or Quakers; I became anxious to obtain this pair of birds, and seeing the gentleman to Whom the birds belonged, I politely asked him if he considered it a fair question whether he would part with them, and he as politely, said he would as he was desirous of bringing as many gentlemen into the fancy as possible, and would favor me being a young and inexperienced Fancier, and the price would be five pounds; he greatly astonished me when he uttered five pounds, for if he had said five shillings, I think at that time I should have had spirit enough in me to have offered four shillings and sixpence; but since then. I have had the honor of that gentleman's acquaintance, have been repeatedly in his aviary, and seen the pair of birds I am writing of, and after having acquired some knowledge of the Almond Tumbler, my experience has taught me that the birds were worth more money than he had asked; for, in fact, they were a pair of extremely short faced and beautiful Golden Duns, bred from a splendid pair Of Almonds, but I was at the time too inexperienced to know it; and here I would particularly caution the young Fancier, on entering the societies where the shows take place, not to give offence to any of its members, by asking what do you want for that bird? You would be treated with contempt and not get an answer, for you might as well ask some gentlemen to part with half their fortunes, as a bird they highly estimate. But there are ways of doing things without giving Offence, and I think the best way to put the question to the owner of the bird, is politely to ask him, whether he considers it a fair question, if he would part with the bird, and then you will receive a polite answer.

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