Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, so heres my rant. I like these little guys, nice white little pieces of soap that look like tortoises. I've been around, I think I know the inner workings of the reptile biz. So I buy a pair of albino sulcatas for lets say $4600.00, and they will reach breading size in atleast 7 to 8 years if not more. I also know these little beauties have not really been flooded yet, but if you start seeing them pop up here and there by a few different people,like I have, you can bet your ass they will be flooding the market in about 2 or 3 years, if not next year, maybe even at daytona, and probably be around 300.00 a piece, so in the 7 years its gonna take you to breed the ones you bought they will be around 40 bucks a piece. More people probably have these than the public is led to believe, I guess what Im saying is, Is it worth the investment now? Conspiracy theory or not?

I think you just summed up how the entire reptile industry works. When something is expensive, people stock up on it to start breeding projects and 'cash in'. Then by the time they get offspring everyone else is getting offspring. That's why you can buy all sorts of morphs of many species of reptile now for less money than a tank of gas.

That's why I am happy to be breeding russian tortoises. CBB russians are still hard to find, and the whole goal for me is spreading the knowledge necessary to consistently breed them so that WC are no longer necessary. Many other people breed animals strictly for the money, and that is unfortunate. I have 8 eggs in the incubator and one of the females is laying more as we speak

Typically i think albino morphs hold there value more than any other morph. I dont think the Tortoise trade is anything like the BallPython trade where you have to be on the cutting edge of the latest craze. I know of very few tortoise breeders in my area. Most of the ones i know i keep in touch with via email\text message in other citys. I think the length of time it takes to mature a tortoise keeps the value up. Not many people are in it for the long haul with something like that and not many people got the coin to spend on a project like that. So in 7-8-9 years when your producing the price might drop to something more affordable for most people. I LOVE tortoises and it would be hard for me and people like me to come up with an investment like that. I think theres a $300-$500 sweet spot where most enthusiests can come up with pretty quick. I think your investment will pay off for you. If you take good care of them they will take good care of you!

Just try to have some fun while you can! You can breed them in 5 years. You can invest in hets. The price will not go to $40 anywere near that fast. People that do it for the money are the ones that make it possable for everyone to afford one as the market exspans. Its Capitalism 101 in its finest hour. Supply and demand loweres cost to everyone and rewards the risk takers. The reason Sulcuta prices became so cheep so fast was a glut caused by pet owners that offered them to the public very cheep as it was not their only income,they mature very quick (not the people) are very prolific (the tortoises) and easy to hatch. If they would have sold them to brokers and wholesalers the tortoises would be marked up there by maintaining a higher retail price. Once the wholesalers see a "advertised" price all of them from that day forward will only pay 1/3 of that price. They worked twice as hard for half the money and ruined the market for everyone including the Sulcuta tortoise by making it the "goldfish" of the tortoise trade. They were just hobbyest with no understanding of marketing, not busnessmen. What happens next? Most "breeders" get out, hobbyest stop breeding them because it isnt worth it, more time goes by, there are less, the price goes back up "a little" for the people that waited it out. Have fun while you can the Government in the new "post america" era are going to take reptiles away from "the masses" and you can tell your grandchildren while at a Gov.Zoo about THE GRATE SULCUTA GLUT in the free market, as my friend and founding father Tom Crutchfield would say "back in the day" or like Jeff Gee's slogan bumper sticker in the "80's" If turtles are outlawed only outlaws will have turtles. Future outlaw Vic Morgan

Agreed!

Just a little herpetaculture tortoise history. Durning the early 90's BIG adults were coming in from Togo Africa. A friend of mine picked one up in Miami in a van and it started laying eggs on his way home. The first babies offered for sale as captive born came from these instant breeding factory's and for the new owners it was like printing money for them. I payed two hundred for one at the then Orlando Expo around 93. In less than 5 years they were everywere and as stated above people freeked. For a few years they were the pet of the day as captive born baby tortoises of any kind then were very rare. Vic.........PIC I bought these instead.

Just wondering? Sometimes posts like this originate from someone already invested in the project wanting to discourage others from doing the same. Not saying you are invested in the project "BUT" I always look at these posts in regard to possible motive.....Richard
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Richard -amazoa-

"Changes in behavior occur when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change."

Now that a conspiracy theory!