Costs of Unusual Chinchillas

So, I get now and then, people asking why certain chins are more money.  Wanted to share this with you, as this is one example of why.  Earlier this week:

​The two chinchillas (attached images) are the two I'm interested in. Though I think we're just going to get one. Why is the 6 month old white ebony mosaic female $600? I know the fur pattern makes them rarer but $600 seems a bit high.

My response:

For the chinchilla costs, the $600 chin that you mentioned isn't that price due to her markings, she's actually that cost due to her genetic makeup.  You may have noticed that it says on her listing that she's a curly / locken carrier.  That's a special gene that results in a curly coat in chinchillas.  It's a recessive gene, so to produce a chinchilla that actually looks curly, you need two chinchillas that carry the gene, like that girl.  Most chinchillas in the world don't have that gene, as it has to be specifically bred for, and that's the reason for the higher price of that chin.  I understand that you're looking at the chinchilla for a pet, but even so, she has the gene, and that makes her cost higher.

In case you were curious...