Hi Tony,
I read parts of the original thread and agreed with much of what was said. However, fatherhood has greatly reduced my posting opportunities (a trade I'd make any and every day) and I didn't get a shot to stick my nose into this interesting discussion. So, for what they are worth, I'll give my thoughts here.
TD - One - I was perhaps premature in making a comparison between the two communities. My experience with BP is VERY limited. What I postulated was more a thought experiment than anything else. Fact of the matter is, the colubrid community is much more diverse and differences are to be expected.
WS - I thought you were pretty accurate in your prior assessment. I have been part of the bp community since the beginning. I am not, nor have I ever been on the cutting edge, but I have had my nose in the game since '97 and it is fueled by a perpetual flow of new and dynamic morphs and morph combos. It is generally a collegial community of folks trying to get a bite of the same carrot. It is not stale, there is always something new on the horizon.
TD- Two - I acknowledge that some, myself included, are not having difficulty moving their animals. Aaron in particular mentioned the prices and .
WS - I also have no problem moving eastern kingsnakes. I continue to easily sell every snake that I attempt to and have a waiting list for 2012 easterns. GA and NJ easterns still sell very, very well, with animals going between $100-$250 each. Not bragging, just confirming that their is still a very good market for my niche.
TD - Three - As for the economy being an impact, I agree and disagree. Yes there is less money in the economy but generally speaking the pet industry has been recession proof. Perhaps this hasn't held as true this time because of the severity of the recession.
WS - I have been a part or full time player in the pet (fish/herp) industry since 1988. A motto that I learned while still an apprentice was that during a sluggish economy people surround themselves and cling to their pets. I have found this maxim to be absolutely true. The ability of people to actually increase their income by reproducing their animals has allowed for an expansion in some aspects of the pet trade (as some of us have seen).
TD - I do think however that the general comment stands. There remains a lot of negativity in the community and I don't see how the impact of this could be anything but negative. I think it negatively affects the current market and I think it negatively affects recruitment of new enthusiasts.
WS - I agree, buddy. Colubrids, no matter how much we love them, are essentially stagnant. Nothing really new is happening (except in hognose snakes - which is really the bp market's little brother). We keep these because we love them, and others love them, but we have reached a point of saturation (in most colubrid markets). It has come to the point where only the people who truly love them for what they are will keep them. But I like to think in terms of cycles. A large segment of profiteer keepers will fall away and things will get worse before they get better, but there will always be a market for small, high quality artisinal colubrid producers to sell these awesome snakes, just not on a grand scale. Good topic. Thanks Tony.
Will
