Reptile & Amphibian Forums

DO you thnk that albinos will retain thier value within the next 2-3 years?

Albino (...and all morphs for that matter) will continue
to go down. Some faster than others. As the price gets
lower on albinos, more and more people will start buying
them. I don't see them dropping dowm below $1000 for
several more years. Hopefully this year, some people will
produce some new albino crosses (albino pieds, or albino stripes,
or albino ???). That will fuel the demand for albinos and keep
the prices probably pretty close to what they are now (or perhaps
just drop a little).

Hope that helps!
Regards,
Chris Simone
SimoneReptiles

I think Albino prices are beginning to stabilize. They are getting to an affordable price for such a key morph. Also, as Chris pointed out, demand should increase with the new morphs Albinos can be crossed with. I think Albinos will go through a resurgence in the next couple of years as well. Especially when we see what's at Daytona. What do I mean? Well, when Albinos first came out, they were top dog, with few morphs available. Many people bought them. Then as new morphs came out, consumer choices increased. Look in the last year alone at how many Pastels were purchased. I'd be willing to bet that more people own Pastels than Albinos and Pastels are relatively new! This reduced the demand on Albinos and hets. But once everyone has a Pastel, they'll be back in a position to see what morphs they want to cross with and I think the Albino is right up there - especially when we see the Albino Pied this year. This new resurgence should maintain current prices and perhaps even cause an increase. Not possible you say? I know of two morphs that actually increased in price - Hypo and Pastel - from where they started out. But with all things in this hobby, we'll have to wait and see.
-----
Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

np

I think the current balance between supply and demand is pretty solid. However, the prices will continue to steadily drop due to competitive pricing.

The current market value for a hatchling male Albino is around $2000. Some breeders will advertise for $1900 in order to guarantee sales. Other breeders will compete in price and eventually the market value will lower to around $1900. This cycle will continue each year until some breeders no longer see a future in Albinos.

Many will abandon Albino projects. The market demand will outweigh the supply. Market prices will rise. And those who still breed Albinos for fun will inherit the earth.

Just my opinion...

Chris
-----
“The problem with the Ball Python market is the advertisement of true morphs versus pseudo-morphs. Many people are simply taking the Normal animals for Granite." – CJBianco

And I love it....LOL

"And those who still breed Albinos for fun will inherit the earth."

Albino's, Pieds and yes Pastels are staples of the ball market, prices will fall over time but demand will be ever present. I look forward to the day I buy (wholesale lots) of female pastels for $500 each to replace my entire female breeding colonie.

To restate again what someone above said, anything and everything is only what someone else is willing to pay for or sell it for. I will produce many cluches this year, pastels albinos, spiders and more however I will not sell a single animal this year (unless your willing to give me $10K for an albino male (more for a female)) as they are worth more than that to me for my future breeding success.

Female albino sold now = $2K in my pocket or I heat her and feed her for 3 years ($300) and then breed her to an albino male and produce 6 more and sell them 3 years from now for even $1K and I just made 300% more. Don't spend money that you need to replace quickly, spend what you can afford to invest for the long run....

Neil Golli

Thanks! You have my permission to use it mercilessly. =)

Chris =)
-----
“The problem with the Ball Python market rests in the advertisement of true morphs versus pseudo-morphs. Many people are simply taking Normal animals for Granite." – CJBianco