Just curious, the bettas that you see in the bowls in the lfs...generally what age are they? Is there any way to tell so that you can choose a younger one?
All deponds, a breeder should be able to get males devloping at 2-3 months and fully finned and of a good sale size for 4-5 months
Then into the shops for 6 months.
How ever some fish look quite old, always look for spritely young looking fish