As with anything being sold, it's supply and demand. Look at the Tickle-me-Elmo doll a few years back. Everybody just had to have one, and there were not enough to go around. These stupid fifteen dollar dolls were selling for hundreds, and yes people were buying them. So the factory goes into overtime and produces billions of these dolls and floods the market, and suddenly (almost as suddenly as they appeared) the phenomenon was over. And yes there were a lot of people upset and mad over having paid hundreds of dollars for something that if they had just waited they could have had for nothing. So then no one buys them anymore and they sit around and take up space, so the company has to eat it's investment and liquidate the remaining inventory just to get them out of the warehouse.

Same thing with the snakes. How many people (seriously now) can afford several grand for a couple of baby snakes that in 3 - 5 years would finally be able to recoup some of the initial investment? I know I can't and probably won't ever be able to.

I'd kill and give my right arm for a pair of snows, but even with the current prices I'm dead in the water, and apparently so is the rest of the snake keeping world, which is unfortunate for those who did invest in the snow project years back.

Bottom line is do you want to raise them up to adults while trying to find a new home for them? Probably not given the room required, the maintenance, and the feeding.

There is no governing body that says how much you have to sell your animals for, if you can sell them for $2000 then more power to you. If not, can you justify having them sit around for years waiting for that special buyer? You wheel and deal to get them gone and move on to other projects.

I myself would be more interested in trading any young I get in the future for other herps and supplies rather than try and get rich off them. I see them as a means to expand my collection without any additional cash input.

Would I love to quit my day job and sell herps for a living? Heck yes. Is it a realistic thing to do? Probably not.
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"Colubrid-aphilia", adj; An inordinate love of Colubrids.

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