Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I don't understand how people sell ball python morphs for thousands of dollars when some aren't even that great looking. The BRB's look alot better (in my opinion) and only go for a few hundred dollars. I do admit though some of the ball python morphs are pretty neat, but then again some seem like a rip off to me. Just my opinion i guess.
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0.1 BRB
1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa

You're expecting to get any to disagree with you here?
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Haha no I guess not. It just kind of blows my mind lol
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0.1 BRB
1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa

...the BRB morphs, at least the inheritable ones, available currently do sell for thousands also but not nearly as many of them

I agree with you about the horendous price difference and honestly I can not explain it other then speculative investing(sorta snowball effect). Personally there are only a couple of BP morphs that I like more then the natural appearance BP's.

Sean.
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1.1 BRB
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

Pretty rocks always command a large price. There's no logic to it.
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Julie

www.[url ban]/gfx

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

>>I don't understand how people sell ball python morphs for thousands of dollars when some aren't even that great looking. The BRB's look alot better (in my opinion) and only go for a few hundred dollars. I do admit though some of the ball python morphs are pretty neat, but then again some seem like a rip off to me. Just my opinion i guess.
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>>0.1 BRB
>>1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa

>>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania
>>
>>
>>>>I don't understand how people sell ball python morphs for thousands of dollars when some aren't even that great looking. The BRB's look alot better (in my opinion) and only go for a few hundred dollars. I do admit though some of the ball python morphs are pretty neat, but then again some seem like a rip off to me. Just my opinion i guess.
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>>>>0.1 BRB
>>>>1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa

It's pretty simple economics, actually. Yes, greed is involved, but if something is rare, it commands a high price. If someone has a monopoly, they can command a high price. If it's rare *and* there's a monopoly, you see ultra-high prices. With ball pythons, the rarer/newer morphs exist in exactly that situation. Often only one breeder has them at first, especially if it's a newly discovered mutation and/or a multi-gene combo.

Until others start producing them (usually a few years later - BPs take a while to grow and then breed), they're able to charge very high prices because there's nowhere else to get them, and of course there's demand both from other breeders who want in on the profits and collectors/people who just think they're pretty and have too much money and too little sense.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

I don't think rarity alone automatically translates to higher prices. There has to be *demand* to support the prices. Why
is there demand?? I think that's what Jeff's analogy is alluding
to.

Thanks,
Ed

>>It's pretty simple economics, actually. Yes, greed is involved, but if something is rare, it commands a high price. If someone has a monopoly, they can command a high price. If it's rare *and* there's a monopoly, you see ultra-high prices. With ball pythons, the rarer/newer morphs exist in exactly that situation. Often only one breeder has them at first, especially if it's a newly discovered mutation and/or a multi-gene combo.
>>
>>Until others start producing them (usually a few years later - BPs take a while to grow and then breed), they're able to charge very high prices because there's nowhere else to get them, and of course there's demand both from other breeders who want in on the profits and collectors/people who just think they're pretty and have too much money and too little sense.
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>>0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
>>0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

Great analogy - I saw only one ball morph I liked at last years NARB show in Tinley Park - but it still was not as nice as a decent normal BRB.
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Mike

7.13 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

Hey Mike,

I agree with Jeff's analogy also, and I'm not a big fan of balls, but I don't think it's fair to limit it only to the ball python realm.

Funny this topic came up, because just last week I saw a Ball python in PetSmart. It had a pretty neat pattern and was nicely
colored, and I thought to myself, "this $70 PetSmart snake looks nicer than many high priced ball morphs I've seen!"

Thanks,
Ed

>>Great analogy - I saw only one ball morph I liked at last years NARB show in Tinley Park - but it still was not as nice as a decent normal BRB.
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>>Mike
>>
>>7.13 BRB
>>1.2 Spotted Python
>>1.0 Cal. King

Yeah, Ed, I often find it simultaneously amusing and mystifying when people talk about how wonderful a new morph is for a particular species of snake---when it looks far less beautiful to me than the original pattern or color. IMO, just because something is different doesn't make it better. Not all changes are improvements!

>>Hey Mike,
>>
>>I agree with Jeff's analogy also, and I'm not a big fan of balls, but I don't think it's fair to limit it only to the ball python realm.
>>
>>Funny this topic came up, because just last week I saw a Ball python in PetSmart. It had a pretty neat pattern and was nicely
>>colored, and I thought to myself, "this $70 PetSmart snake looks nicer than many high priced ball morphs I've seen!"
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Ed
>>
>>
>>
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Renee
1.0 BRB (Loki)
2.0 amel & anery corns (Foxfire & Daguerre)
0.1 blood python (Duchess, arriving later this month)
1.1 Cats (Nightshade & Cuzzy)