Reptile & Amphibian Forums

is the market for lepord geckos and morphs still strong? would you invest in it with the hope of makeing your investment back???

Its not really something I would call an investment. There are some that make a profit every year. Without an established name as a breeder I wouldn't recommend trying to buy high end morphs to make money. Personally I make enough to pay for the next additions to my collection. Thats after thousands in breeders over the years.
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Brian
www.windycitygeckos.com

thanks for the honesty brian. i just want to know if the supply is more or less than the demand?

It depends on your approach. First and foremost it should be a hobby. If you can make enough money selling geckos to pay for the expenses associated with keeping and raising geckos you're in good shape. If you work in high volumes, you can make money. If you have permanent clientel like local pet stores who will buy large quantities of your offspring that can help. If you produce something new, you'll sell them, or if you produce the best looking of a certain morph you should be able to sell them for top dollar. Leopard geckos are sexually mature within a year and can produce around 16 babies a year. The market is not like the ball python market that commands big bucks. Be willing to cut some deals and build your reputation.

Yea sorry i am not in breeding leos for any money! Everything i tend to breed or keep in anyway is a pet to me in one way or another.

I agree with what the others have posted. You have to go into it with the frame of mind that you enjoy the animals as a hobby & speaking for myself I do it in part as a challenge as well.
You can try & make a profit by producing a large volume of animals, but then you run a risk of overexpending yourself & then the hobby you once loved & enjoyed becomes a painful chore.
Personally, I'm lucky to break even when all is said & done. Usually any money I do make goes right back into other reptile projects, reptile supplies, herp food, or funding the trip to the next reptile show.

With any animal breeding you've got to first and foremost enjoy the animals. You can't go into with the notion that you are going to make a ton of money because you won't. Too many people breed animals because they can and have no clue. All they can see is a way to make money. Look at all of teh "puppy mills" and/or backyard breeders with NO clue on the history, uses, type of, etc of the breed that they are producing. That is why we have SO many poor examples of most all breeds; because most people have no clue about the breed that they have. I breed American Bulldogs that are of working quality and have the temperment and build that the breed was developed for. I do not breed the current trend of oversized, unstable, and overwise, unhealthy poor examples of the breed. My dogs are bred to work (personal protect, weigh pull, catch dogs). Anyway, I could go on and on and get off topic. Sorry guys!!! But yeah, like everyone else said, enjoy the animals that you have and if you are able to sell some, use that money to better the collection that you have.