How about a topic that we can all put our differences aside and discuss, that affects anybody that breeds or wants to breed boas.I would like to share my opinions and possible solutions on this and hopefully get feedback and opinions from the rest of you guys and gals. It is basic common knowledge that; " The market is failing and not much is selling these days, especially for any kind of decent price. " Not only breeders, but also importers are " feeling the pinch " at this point; wether they admitt it or not.I have alot of buddies and old friends in this business right now that are sitting on alot of stock that they almost cannot give away.This is why; " I have not tried to breed anything myself in the last few years. " In my opinion, there are some major reasons why this is happening. Number one: " The supply has overcame the demand and between the imports and the breeders being successful,there are just more boas out there than there are homes for them.Not everyone, finds it feasible to own over 100 boas. " Number two: " Overexposure, due to the internet. When I first got into the Hobby, you very rarely would ever see anything before you bought it and as long as it had locality data and was healthy, you were happy for the most part. Purchases were not made strictly on the bases of pattern and color ect. ect.Most of us were just pleased to get a locality boa and some of the rare animals could only be pictured in your imagination unless you seen them in a book or occasionally at a show. Today, you can see everything at a click of the mouse and there is not much imagination involved. Some guy posts one of his best boas on the net and everyone goes ape and wants one just like it and nothing else will do. " Number three: " Kind of goes with number two. You guys get in an uproar when I say this and here it is again. Selective breeding for certain patterns and colors is a good way to price boas higher, but it is coming around full circle and will fall flat really soon. As you price them higher, the less patterned and colorful boas go lower. However, as more peolple breed the high end boas they will and in some cases already are becoming more common place and when everyone has them, you cannot charge more money for something that everybody already has. " So, what are some solutions? In my opinion, there is only a few possible solutions. We all need to stop buying imports or everyone take a few years off on breeding, but the paradox is that they both kind of go together. The morph breeders are kind of genius in this way ( wether they know it or not ) they have no real import competition. Alot of the morphs originated in the wild, but I think we can all agree that there are not hundreds of albino boas ect. being imported in every year.They have control over their market and us locality guys have to not only compete with each other, but the importers also. Wether we like it or not ( and GOD knows I am guilty too ) if a breeder has a Suriname for $500 and an importer has one just as nice for $125, guess wich one is getting bought? This, is probably the biggest problem with the market. There are many other things that I could discuss, but I am not writing a book and I hope to hear from the rest of you on this subject........GOD BLESS.....Johnson Herp

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