Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, I'm new to the game and was just wondering a little bit about how market prices are set? like how do you decide what to sell at? is there some kind of formula? I know dom/co-doms will start high and drop faster then a recessive since you can produce more and more of them year after year but I know someone who paid like 1200 for a spider male 2 years ago and now they are selling for 300-400...

What about dom/co-dom crosses with recessives like a pastel pied, or pastel clown, or albino spider, how do you determine what to start selling at?

I saw an ad for like a 600 gram spider het albino for 2K and a 2400 gram het albino female for 800, are these good?

Prices will always vary. Someone who needs money fast will sell cheap and someone who isn't in a hurry will hold out and get what they're asking. Think of it this way, any animal that sells fast was obviously a great price. Any animal that doesn't sell right away may not be such a great deal. It doesn't mean it's not a fair price, it just means people are holding out for better or the animal may not be in demand. Most animals are out of the majorities price range. If you think a price is fair, buy the animal or you may lose out! Then again, you may see the same animal cheaper the next day. That's just the way it goes sometimes.

It all depends on what/who you are selling too, Some people wait till the price of the morph they want drops low enough for them to feel comfortable buying it, and others want to make money off the morph, there are many variables.

For someone who wants to be on the cutting edge of breeding and making money they are the ones that tend to buy early and spend the money so the projects they have invisioned will come true sooner. Some do it to make money and some do it for fun.

I do this hobby JUST for fun, period...I bought an Albino years ago for $1200, becuase I personally like THAT Albino, Sure if I would have waited a few years I could have picked up one for Half the Price...but I like that one. I bought a Cinnamon male a year or so ago as well for $800, which at the time I thought was a good deal, BUT most important, I REALLY like that particular Cinnamon. Sure now you can get Cinnamon Males for $300...again half the price...but I am not complaining....I got the exact snake I wanted...

I tend to see people that are really concerned with "The Market" are in a different frame or mindset, they are looking at Ball Morphs as a financial investment, which I really think is a bad idea, there are way better things to invest your money in. Now if your doing it for fun, you can either wait till the price comes down on the morphs you like, or if you see one particular snake you like just get it, and you will be happy...no matter how much they end up being down the road.

If you are looking to produce combos, and new morphs, then that ol saying....it takes money to make money....those who bought Spiders back in the day I am sure have made thier money back by now off offspring...If you want to be on the cutting edge and try to keep up with the jones...then its going to cost money and with Herpetoculture growing as fast as it is, there is lots of competition, and you have to facter into breeding plans what your going to pair up with what...and know that there are probably quite a few others thinking the same thing...so expect the price to be a little lower than what you paid...

Thats the nature of the business side of this hobby....but for me...I am still stoked to someday produce my first Blue Eyed Lucy...lol, I know...I know..I am way behind..but I don't care how long it takes me to produce one...But someday I will, and I am stoked about that.'

Best of luck..
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Executive Reptiles
Amanda Kingsbury & David Kendrick
www.executivereptiles.com

Honestly, the other posters have given some wise words on buying a snake that you like rather then looking at prices... but hobbiest turned small businessman would tell you, to get into any Co-Dom morph early enough to make your money on them... eventually you should be able to recoup any money you spent on your original investment, but it takes years...

What I have seen with the market, and this is my own personal opionion is that the price of morphs are dropping at a pretty steady rate... I would recommend purchasing subadult ball pythons, as this will give you a year sooner to produce the morphs that you want... at least this will let you see how well of feeders they are, and what colors they should end up being... if you purchase a baby you wont really be able to tell if the snake is going to be a fast grower or a slow slow grower.... I have some 06 Pastel females hitting the 1400g range, and then I have 2 that are hitting the 700g range... by purchasing yearlings you can already see how the snake is growing, and how that will influence your breeding projects... so thats my rant...

Well, always keep in mind that any snake is only worth what someone is willing to pay, no different than anything else in the world. If your's is one of twenty adds on kingsnake selling the same morph and nobody has sold one in the last six months, you are putting zero dollars in your pocket, so the snake is worth zero real dollars, regardless of what the going hypothetical "market" price is. Yet at the same time if you can convince someone that some pathetic ugly looking normal will be the key to creating the latest, greatest morph combos of the future, then the sky's the limit.
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus