I disagree with much of what Ernie has posted. Last year I brought only 2 shipments of Herps in fron China including the 30 Mangshans and a plethera of other RARE herps that cost in excess of $70,000 in China. The "NEW" Chinese will take $$ any way they can get it. He gives you the impression they are some kind of global money barons which they are NOT. It is the collective Chinese like are businessmen the world over that ALL have that spitit of individual commerce ingrained in their soul's that matters. These are the Chinese in the animal trade. Their husbandry is lightyears behind ours and only the well heeled Chinese can afford nice enclosures etc and damned few of them have any interest in herps. Over time this deep interest in becoming a business man or entrepreneur will allow a few Chinese to evolve and breed or ranch herps for export. This will NOT happen overnight and will have little effect on the market here for a very long time. He is true that if 30 more Mangshans were to appear now the price would go down as with any supply and demand market does. In another year you could bring in the same amount worth the same price and sell them all. There were many including Earnie who knew the Mangshans were there and either lacked the $$ or guts to risk spending the amount I did to bring the shipments in. Everyone thought they wouldn't sell and advised me against it and perhaps for them that might have been true but for me it worked and worked well. I've been dealing with the Chinese now for almost 40 years first buying and now buying and selling. They are very interested in breeding their native turtles for food purposes with mixed success just as now they'r breeding some native common U.S. Turtles we used to ship in quantity to them such as RES are now produced. I likely shipped the last American Alligators there back in the 90's but yet I've heard of NO major or any Alligator production at all from China. If they could have they would have by now. Ernie again is speaking his mind which is good BUT NOT based on actual facts or history of the Chinese and herps. Their record is a dismal one that has led to the extiration of many native species and now they work at smuggling neighboring countries chelonians and , yes, even U.S. turtles as well. The Herp comunnity has a lot to worry about but the Chineses mass producing our herps is not one of them...thanks
-----
Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

[ Show Entire Thread ]