I probably should stay out of this discussion, but what the heck, it is only a discussion ... a forum to share one's experiences and opinion.

First off, shipping expenses are real and measurable. I charge a flat $75 fee for all shipments, whether it be a $1,000 or $10,000 boa. I have approximately $25 cost in my custom shipping materials and Delta averages around $75-100 for "insured" animals. I always insure my shipments for their full value. This doesn't even account for the scheduling time, packing time, travel to the airport, etc. So it still ends up costing me around a real $25-50 out-of-pocket. If you offer free shipping, do the math ... 100 shipments x $75 is $7,500 ... nothing I am in a position to give away.

Secondly, I have asked other breeders why they offer free shipping? And the most common answer I get is that they do not ... they merely include it in the price of their animal. I am sure other breeders do so in order to gain a competitive edge on sales. Actually, over the years I have found that anyone buying a high-end morph, seldom questions the shipping cost or making an hour drive to the airport to pick it up.

90% profit on selling a snake? I can only dream that my investments and recurring expenses are a mere 10%. If you are planning on getting rich with your 90% profits, maybe you had better reconsider working with higher-end boas. At best you had better get started now versus in the future ... personally, I give the market another 10 years before the "high-end" days are history (you won't find this in the Farmer's Almanac).

By the way, I take no offense to any of this discussion. You just gave me an opportunity to share an opinion (which normally I keep to myself).

And surely you don't believe everything you read or hear ... Hey, buy a pair of Snow boas and I'll include FREE shipping.

Bill Gaines

bill@gainesreptiles.com

gainesreptiles.com

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