Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've noticed lately how people talk about getting better quality from so and so and would spend more money for greater quality.Now i have a serious ? for those that think this is true,Do you think that because you buy an albino from a well known breeder for $2 grand that it is really any different say from someone who has one for less and takes good care of it?The reason i ask this is because to me just because you spend more mucho denaro on a morph from a well known breeder doesnt mean that its any better quality than say the same morph from susie q who has had it for umpteen years and has never had a problem with it but needs the money for bills.I know alot of people are going to think this is the craziest idea they've ever heard but its true.I know alot of you like to buy from reputable breeders and thats your perrogative as well as some do like me and go for the better deal (sometimes getting burned but most times getting ahead of the game) and thats our perrogative so this is just a general ? about whether not more money does equal better quality?Regards Bill McLeod

When people talk about quality, they mean quality of the line, not necessarily the breeder. For example, you see the Graziani line of pastels for sale quite often, and it is supposed to be one of the better lines. Does that mean everyone lines up at Graziani's door to get their pastel, no, many breeders out there, big and small, breed Graziani's line of pastel. With ghosts/hypos, quality can vary. I have some very nice ones, and am buying a Bell line hypo, which along with NERDs orange ghost, and BHB's hypo are supposed to be the best ghost/hypo lines. With axanthics, there are three lines, I have the Sutherland's line, are any better than the others, probably not, but it is all in which one you see that you like. Who you live close to, who is at your shows etc.

Dave
The pic is of my ghosts, Orange male is supposed to be a NERD line, but have no paperwork, and the female is a yellow/green, from unknown source.

It also means the quality of the individual snake itself. Some breeders don't let BP's out of their facilities until they reach 200g and feeding like machines. THAT's quality. Sure you can get animals for less, but there's a reason. Bigger breeders also have the ability to not NEED money in a rush, so they can hold back animals until they are feeding properly and well established. That's not to say that they all do or that small breeders don't. But a bigger breeder simply has more at stake, so it doesn't make sense for him/her to send animals that aren't top notch.
www.jefffavelle.com

Of quality of the animal itself.Like a great feeder,No scarring(or very unnoticable scarring),well acclimated (even w/c),etc.To me a name is just letters and mean absolutely nothing when it comes to an animal.Money to me is the object not someones name.If for instance i had a choice of spending $5 grand on a Graziani pastel or buying a $2 grand pastel with just as good a color,in great health,and well acclimated (same as Graziani) then i would go for the cheaper of the 2 not because of the name but because of saving $3 grand on just as good of an animal.As far as the line of the specific breeder its only as good as the animal itself,sometimes better but never worse.Lets say just for fun that you were a small time keeper of a few reptiles,you have a choice of spending $20 grand on a morph from so and so breeder or can get the same exact animal from a no name basement breeder with just as good a quality animals as the big boys for about $10 grand cheaper,which would you go for if you could see each one in person?I know you are going to say well it depends on the looks of the individual animal.Lets say that the no name basement breeders has a distinct pattern while the big breeders is normal (morph pattern),which would you choose if you could see them in person?Just a curiosity ?.Like to see what makes people tick. Regards Bill McLeod

Well, my goal is to be a breeder, and this is how I plan on working:

Keeping ALL my snakes like they were my pets. None of this small rack system/occasionally handled crap. A vet check-up before I try to sell any of them. Selling them after they've been switched to f/t for at least 3 months. If I, at some point, decide to get morphs, divide the cost of the origiinal snakes in half, then divide one half into the number of morph offspring for their cost, and the other half into number of hets. Possible hets'll be a lot cheaper. And I'll take them to local shows, not selling off the internet, sopeople can see them AND their parents (who I will also take to shows), as well as a full medical/feeding history, and the cage setup they were in.

But, to answer your question, I will buy from small-time dealers. ESPECIALLY if I can see the animal first-hand and inspect it. That way, I know exactly what I'm getting. Also, I can hopefully get specific answers on that animal, instead of "well, we keep all our animals in this way, blah blah bla."

Now, if I wanted a specific strain (ie, I want to buy my Borneo Pythons from VPI), then I'll pay more. But if I don't care (ie, I just want a Borneo Python), then I go for cheaper and being able to see it first hand.

That's my opinion, anywho.
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-Irish
My Snakes