Before the "golden age of herpetoculture" we mostly kept what we could collect. About the only snakes most of us could buy commercially were boas and ball pythons. Every once in a long while I would see wild caught cornsnakes or kingsnakes show up in pet stores. This would have been in the 1970's to early 1980's. Then in the 1980's to 1990's, hobbyists figured out how to breed snakes. The market was very strong for captive raised snakes, with demand far out-weighing supply. There were several herp-related popular magazines with pages and pages of classified adds. Along comes the internet and new web-sites selling herps were springing up all over. Lots of fantastic herps became readily available to anyone with the click of a mouse. Herp shows with snakes in deli cups were within easy driving distance. The hobby was booming and prices were high.



Eventually, the market for herps started to saturate. Supply exceeded demand. Breeders now emphasized color morphs as a way to increase demand. However, this market also became saturated. Supply still exceeded demand.



Then, in late 2007, we got hit with a severe economic recession. In some species (e.g. cornsnakes, honduran milksnakes, ball pythons), demand, which was dropping anyway, fell further. People who lost their jobs are not going to spend money on their hobbies. They gotta buy groceries!



Here is the great irony in all of this. If you have the money, now is a great time to buy herps you have always wanted. It is just like any other market. When the market is strong, prices are high. When the market is weak, prices are unbelievably low. I just made a purchase of two high end herps for less than half of what I paid for just one back in 1999. This is a classic buyers market.

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