Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am interested in any feedback on where this year pastel ball market might be at. I understand the concept of a snake being as valuable as someone is willing to pay. I am looking for insight into the general market of QUALITY pastel balls.

Tom.

Tom, I believe the prices will continue to fall. I'm already seeing considerable price drops on '05 animals. That being said, there will still be a premium on exceptional (above average) animals.

I also believe the prices will stabilize for a brief period - I could not estimate for how long or at what price. But I do not believe pastels will drop much below $800 for males and somewhere around $1,200 for females.

Now size plays a large part and this considers the broader market and not the sporadic great deal.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Jay I think you a little low on the female pastels. I'm not say you won't be able to find one for that price...but I don't see that as the market value.

I have seen some of the larger producers of pastels with the females at the $1500-$2000 mark. Female pastels are still a key to producing a ton of stuff. I realize the $2000 mark is a bit high, but the price will hang in there awhile. Buying a group of girls from one breeder can get the price down.

I also think pastels are very gradable.....some are much more attractive then others. I plan to have my males and females in a range when I start hatching the 2005s.
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Jim Perron
Python Passion Reptiles
pythonpassion@hotmail.com
www.pythonpassionreptiles.com

Jim,

I hope you're right. My speculations are not for '05 but eventually. I would love for the price to remain higher myself.

And you are correct about grading. I saw one at Daytona that is owned by JLSnakes that was absolutely stunning.

Of course, with speculation, I'm bound to be wrong LOL.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Jim and Jay,

Thanks for the feedback. I think the key to the pastel market
is the Quality of the snake. Some call theirs this line or get great quality animals and name a new line, then crank up the price. Check out these 2 '04 males that I sold for $1200 each last october at about 200 grams.

I have 2 hold back females that are from the same clutches. They are over 800 grams and have awesome color. I'll see if I can post pictures of those tonight.

I have a male that kicks outstanding pastels that have a real Labby (Jungle) appearance. Below is his son who bred this year to 4 females. He was born in 2004. His name is Solomon. I can not wait for the super from his fathers line. Maybe next year.....; )

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Jim Perron
Python Passion Reptiles
pythonpassion@hotmail.com
www.pythonpassionreptiles.com

.

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Jim Perron
Python Passion Reptiles
pythonpassion@hotmail.com
www.pythonpassionreptiles.com

.

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Jim Perron
Python Passion Reptiles
pythonpassion@hotmail.com
www.pythonpassionreptiles.com

I got this guy fairly cheap because he was the ugly one.

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Tosha

8.15.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
1.0.0 Angolan Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.3 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

LOL, ugly is in the eye of the beholder.

Quig

I see alot of potential in this snake. How old and how large is this snake? I'll bet this picture wasn't taken right after a shed. Anyway, I see some nice blushing. Also, I see some interesting yellow low on the side in unusual location. As we all know this snake can produce knockouts, and the best looking pastel could produce some real duds.

Hi Jay ...
Thanks for the compliment on my male pastel from last year,hoping to have a few others just as nice this year !!!!

Bill/Jake Shanahan
JLSnakes@aol.com

I'm on the fence. I've only been following the Ball Python market since last September, but I've seen several of the co-dominants drop by at least half price. I remember seeing Yellow Belly prices well over $10K, but now Yellow Bellies (Ivory siblings) are advertised at $5K each. I've seen Pastel males drop from an average $1.2K to $750 each. I've also seen many simple recessive prices drop within the last six months. Piebalds were usually advertised around $7500, but by December/January there were several at the $4.5K mark. And these are just a few examples I noticed. Is this just a seasonal thing? Do prices usually increase again during the summer months?

(Of course, the market price for an Albino male last fall was $2K even. Now I see the '05 hatchlings priced at $2.5K each. Hmm...)

Chris
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“Life sucks. Close your eyes and enjoy it." -- Me

Chris, pricing is at best a lucky guess. I think prices start out high and slow descend until they reach a point where the supply and demand agree on a fair price. I think Albinos are a prime example of this.

Het females should remain at around $750, het males around $150-200, and of course, albinos around $2,000.

This is a very dynamic hobby so it's hard to say what will really happen.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

I think there is a bit of a seasonal influence. Animals born in May and June have a head start over animals hatched in August or September, so I can see people paying more for the opportunity. Pied for sale in December and January are "left overs" or late hatches. Not saying left overs are bad, just saying they didn't sell during the height of the year's buying (June through September, it seems).

>>Het females should remain at around $750, het males around $150-200, and of course, albinos around $2,000.>>

I think you're a bit off on the hets (I've seen female hets available at $600 for two years now), but right on regarding the albinos. I've also seen nice pastel males for $750 for the last couple years, so I expect them to drop a little past that this year, based on the amazing production we're bound to see. Pastels seem to breed young and breed well. I've got several clutches and have seen at least a dozen others out there that do as well, and that is a small sample of what's really out there.

Many smaller breeders will be keeping back their home-bred females for future projects, so I don't expect the prices to drop too much...$1200 would be a low estimate in my opinion, but still within range. Of course grading is always a factor, these would be average nice pastels.

just my .02

I think there is a bit of a seasonal influence.

Absolutely.

I think you're a bit off on the hets (I've seen female hets available at $600 for two years now),

Sure, you can get them at varying prices but the original post was for average or normal prices. As someone who has sold every het albino female I had available, I can tell you, I did not sell that low. Actually, I take that back. One sold that low because it was a problem feeder - for me, fed like a pig for the new owner LOL. The albino really has so much to offer the hobby. And damn it, they are so good looking.

but right on regarding the albinos. I've also seen nice pastel males for $750 for the last couple years, so I expect them to drop a little past that this year, based on the amazing production we're bound to see.

I expect tons of Pastels flooding the market this year. This will be interesting to see. Which way will it go?
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Here is one of my baby pastels from this season. I had a clutch of 12 eggs and 8 of them were pastels and then my clutch of 4 I had 3 pastels. I love these odds gotta thank the ball python gods for that one. Thanks David

This is one of my holdback females, look at her head....WoW...

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1.0 Pied(04)(RDR)
1.0 Albino(04)(RDR)
0.1 Spider(04)(RDR)
4.2 Pastels(03's)(04's)(ASF,Graziani,Bell lines)
0.1 Yellow belly(unproven)(04)
1.3 Yellow belly(unproven)(02,03,04's)
2.0 100% HET CLOWN(04's)(MHMR)
3.3 100% het albinos(03's)(high contrast bell line)
0.1 poss Het Albino(03's)
2.0 100% het pieds(03's)(Vin Russo,CRE)
0.2 100% het pieds(03's)(04's)(RDR,TWL)
1.2 Poss het pieds(03's)(PETE KAHL)
2.1 Poss het pieds(00's)(01's) hoping to get PIEDS this year(Vin Russo, Pete Kahl)
25 Normal adult females
60 04 females
15 normal mixed 03's
20 Assorted weird ball pythons 04's
11 baby 2005 PASTELS just HATCHED

I'm still at the short end of the odds stick. LOL. Oh well, I keep on pluggin.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

...so,how many have shed?
I don't have to go to Cali,so i'll see you in Raleigh.

My two cents...
Prices don't have me worried one little bit.There are many people that are still saving up money from LAST year to buy one/pair(aka,they just discovered the market).That anyone who sells for less than any of the prices above..is either lazy,impatient,or doesn't need the money...lol

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Charles Glaspie

It makes a huge difference.

Graziani
Nerd lemon
Ruppel
Enchi
Bell
Cinnamon pastel