Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I see an increase in "Marketing" styles which rediculously overhype the snake for sale. If you are selling a nice looking normal, put "Nice looking normal." When you put "Amazing", "Must see", "One of a kind", as a tag line, and the snake you are talking about is barely an average looking normal, you lose all credibility. Call a normal a normal, and if it is a nice one, put partially striped, granite look, etc. But to tag an average looking normal as a "must see", that is just lame.

Dave

I agree. Usually i am interested in the ads that say "high-white," "granite," or "banded" rather than gorgeous, amazing, whatever... If the description tells me WHY i should check out the pics, then i am much more interested. Usually, the more accurate descrpitions are the more interesting looking snakes because the seller knows what it is that makes their snake good looking.

I agree, if the ad says Granite looking, High Yellow, High White, Possible YB, I might take a look, but I have been really disapointed almost everytime I open an ad that says "must see."

Dave

i agree, but to be totally honest, a lot of your animals that you hype up appear very normal.

Before you even get to respond, i'd like to retract my previous statement

Obviously you do not know what you are talking about half the time, but just for fun, what Balls of mine are you talking about...The Ember?---proven genetic, we should produce a super if there is one soon, The Sulfur?----proven genetic, we should produce a super if there is one soon, The Concrete?----breeding as we speak, unproven, not normal looking, I got several emails about him looking Axanthic, Desert Ghost, etc., so obviously there are more people who agree that he does not look normal, The Tangerine?----again, breeding as we speak, unproven, and definately not normal looking. I again got emails and replies that all show other high orange animals, so obviously others think she is high orange too. Any that I missed? Maybe you just have not seen enough to know the difference...

Dave

lol you are quick man!!!

damn, i guess you missed my previous statement,

anyhoo

don't get so defensive either, i wasnt attacking your work

must have hit a nerve somewhere in there
the condescending attitude and undertones are not becoming of you

I simply mentioned my opinion, which i am in entitled to. In fact, i retracted my statement because i jumped the gun and was not specific.

IMO, your "tangerine" looks very normal. And all your proven morphs don't look like much more than odd looking normals(the ember does look good and i wish ya luck with gettin a super). I only have six females and the variation in that group alone
is considerable. Darker normals will birth dark offspring, that doesnt mean the offspring are a new "midnight" morph

I wonder why so many people have snakes that look like yours in the thread below? and at least one other person thinks they look like "a pile of normals."

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1200147,1200188&key=2006

The thread you are pointing out was me asking if people have snakes like the two I posted, AND THEY DID. That was my point, I was asking if people had snakes that looked similar to the snakes I have, and posted pics of, with the intention of seeing if any had proven out genetic. The Tangerine Ball is a high orange snake, people posted pics of high orange Balls that they have. The Concrete is a Desert Ghost looking snake, and people posted pics of Axanthic/Desert Ghost type snakes, and emailed me asking about him. My point was not to show people two new morphs, it was to ask if someone else had snakes like these that had proven out, simple. I never said they might not turn out to be anything other than normals, but to say they do not look different is just plain stupid, obviously, 90% of the people thought they did look different. And to say "all your morphs" look like normals except the Ember, the only other Morph I have is the Sulfur, and it DOES look similar to a normal, but much brighter and with a clean, clear, completely white belly. BUT, the Sulfur has proven genetic, AND does produce some crosses that I think look great.

i wish, just once, someone would call me "sir" without adding "you're making a scene."

(sums me up pretty good) heh

Heres a little something for you and Dave to think about...
With all the animals that have been proven out so far, it is entirely possible that there are no "NORMAL" Ball Pythons.
(Now, I have to admit that I also hate to see ads that inflate the hype. Hype in Advertising certainly exists!)
But, lets compare Ball Pythons to PEOPLE, for just a moment. Have you ever met truly "NORMAL" person?
Every one of us (humans) has unique characteristics.
And sometimes even the most "NORMAL" among us proves to be extraordinary under the right circumstances.
What makes the potential of a "normal" Ball Python so different?
I am certain the DNA in a Ball Python is far more complex than most of us could imagine.
If a "normal" Ball Python was paired with the RIGHT MATE...the results could be amazing!
Now, you can call me crazy if you want...(I prefer less than normal) but it was only a short time ago when things like Granites, Yellow Bellies and many other "Proven Ball Pythons" were sold as nothing more than "NORMALS". Having a good eye for interesting phenotypic traits, however obscure the characteriestic might be, can lead to more variety on the wonderful palette of the Ball Python.
Just a thought.

Those are some really good points to make. Listen to kingsnake's 9/19 podcast by Dave Barker. It's really good--and very timely to this discussion. He thinks that the broad morphology of ball pythons these days is making balls almost domestic, and that the genetic possibilities are almost limitless. What is "normal" anymore...

Here is one more of my odd balls, have high hopes for this one bred to a Yellow Belly.

Dave

talk about pissy Cheerios....

you KNEW it was gonna come out........and I didn't even see it in his reply....I'll read it again.....

.....you are right.....normal balls are hyped to death.,...

and real morphs are dropping on price beyond people's dreams.....

.......if a pastel is $200 and an unproven "might be something" is $2000?.......no wonder people try to make a dream come to life.......

I sell prven stuff for like $25 and up.......and the same stuff is listed for up to thousands.......I just wonder if anyone is dumb enough to buy this stuff........

......now....settle down......you started this.........

.........
-----
the bottom not only fell out of this market......
it sucked the top down with it......
.........screached to a stop

What?

SOMEONE DID PISS IN MY CHEERIOS !!!!

your knowledge implies GUILT !!!

lol

Friends don't let friends urinate in their Cheerios!
LOL
But it do happen!
Believe me.
-----
RicK @ BbI

Ball Boutique,Inc.
Proud sponsor of this forum

....I don't get this .....

BUT

eat them anyways.........a little salt won't hurt you.......

........
-----
the bottom not only fell out of this market......
it sucked the top down with it......
.........screached to a stop

and it is SPECTACULAR

Your ghost is pretty sweet!

Dave

hes awesome

You cannot go wrong with Hypos. If I was starting out now, I would buy Pieds, Ghosts, Pastels and Spiders.....maybe a Mojave too.

Dave

I have to agree I get annoyed when I see: "granite like possible yellowbelly spectactular female must see...make her yours and prove her out...7,000!"]

Ok, so maybe I made that up, but for the most part I'm sure you can find an ad like it if you look now! Every ball python is different...that's what makes genetics wonderful. However, different doesn't always equal profit. I have a neat little female that is loaded with blushing, even if I prove it genetic as all of the hatchlings are loaded with blushing...that doesn't mean that it is going to be the next big thing....but it doesn't mean its not (AKA super form). So, don't make fun of someone proving out what they find unusual...you never know!

-----
---------
4.17 Normal ball pythons
2.0 Pastel ball pythons
1.0 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
1.1 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
-----My list is too long, so I'll stop here!
*Amy*

Can anyone spot the "GAG" on the larger ball....by his tail! The Gag ball...anybody, anybody...Darn!
-----
---------
4.17 Normal ball pythons
2.0 Pastel ball pythons
1.0 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
1.1 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
-----My list is too long, so I'll stop here!
*Amy*

I see it LOL
-----
PHLdyPayne

>>Can anyone spot the "GAG" on the larger ball....by his tail! The Gag ball...anybody, anybody...Darn!
>>-----
>>---------
>>4.17 Normal ball pythons
>>2.0 Pastel ball pythons
>>1.0 Plains Garter
>>0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
>>1.1 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
>>1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
>>0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
>>1.2 Dumeril's Boa
>>-----My list is too long, so I'll stop here!
>>*Amy*
-----
~DeAnne

Missed the "GAG".. I only saw the "GOG" ball...

I find it hilarious that you're lecturing people on "overhyping"...Then again, I guess overhyping is something you're definitely familiar with. And while you've opened yourself up...I've seen plenty of "normals" that look nicer than your "proven" morphs. Maybe it's just your complete lack of skill at taking pictures, or maybe they just don't photograph well???

I am talking about overhype in reguards to posting ads for snakes that are $5 normals, but have a three inch stripe, and the ad states, "MUST SEE", I find that to be overhyping a plain ole normal. Especially when the snake is listed for $499.99 or something like that.

Like my snakes or not, I have proven out two Pet Store females genetic. And while we are on the subject, how many morphs look spectacular, and how many look just a bit off of what a normal looks like....Fire, Cinn, Black Pastel, Vanilla, Thunder, Yellow Belly, Het Red Axanthic...all of these look similar to normals, BUT have proven genetic, HAVE proven to produce Supers, and HAVE proven to produce nice crosses. With my two morphs, I admittedly need to produce supers, but I have done the rest. The pic is of the Tangerine Ball, unproven, named only in my pic center to differentiate it from other pics, basically a name for me to identify it by, instead of Normal0087, and I have seen my share of normals, but she is far from normal looking. She may or may not prove out, but I will have fun trying to see if she is genetic.

Dave