Why are ball python morphs so expensive?

I would like to buy a cool looking, docile, ball python morph from a reptile show in the L.A. area later this year. But one thing I notice from browsing them online, is that the morphs are so expensive. I have a bearded dragon, and have been to a reptile show before, but why is it that ball python morphs are so expensive?

Regular ball pythons go for $40, when the not so different looking morphs go for around $80-$150, and for anything that really looks different/unique from normal you start to get into the $250-$600+ range. Is this overpriced? It seems like it to me.

I just notice that citrus and beautiful colored bearded dragons tend to go for a lot less than pythons and also make great pets. So why is it that these ball python morphs are so expensive? Especially when you order them online. To me it just seems like a few dealers have been making a fortune off of them and want to keep it that way, so the price stays high, but is it really a fair price compared to other reptiles?

if the morph is new it's gonna be expensive cuz the person that created that morph is gonna wanna get as much bang for his buck as he possibly can. also ppl generally like new things and are willing to spend a little more for it. breeders know this.
edit: not saying that ALL breeders are this way but it doesnt surprise me if some are. and the whole online thing is...well, internet sells so yeah. that doesnt surprise me either.

Supply and demand.

You can get a normal for $25. It all depends on where you buy your bp's from. I can't wait to get some snakes from Garrick Demeyer. Check out his website

http://www.royalconstrictordesigns.com/

LOL - if you think that these prices are expensive, you would have keeled over from shock on the prices just a few years ago.

Morphs are VERY affordable these days. You couldn't get an albino for less than $1800 a few years ago, now you can get them for $300. Pintripes were going for over $1000, now they're $200 and less.

So - to me, and many others of us, morphs are anything BUT expensive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

LOL - if you think that these prices are expensive, you would have keeled over from shock on the prices just a few years ago.

Morphs are VERY affordable these days. You couldn't get an albino for less than $1800 a few years ago, now you can get them for $300. Pintripes were going for over $1000, now they're $200 and less.

So - to me, and many others of us, morphs are anything BUT expensive.

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This is somewhat true. If you want to you can still find your very expensive morphs so its not like the expensive ones disapeared :D they just changed. its pretty much just basic economics, Supply was low on these morphs so prices were high, now supply is pretty high so prices come down a ton. This will happen to all of the morphs you see now that are 1k-10k, it might take a while but eventually they will all come down in price.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

LOL - if you think that these prices are expensive, you would have keeled over from shock on the prices just a few years ago.

Morphs are VERY affordable these days. You couldn't get an albino for less than $1800 a few years ago, now you can get them for $300. Pintripes were going for over $1000, now they're $200 and less.

So - to me, and many others of us, morphs are anything BUT expensive.

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This makes me cry:tears: to know what I paid for an Enchi back in 2008 and now look at their prices or spiders :O

I remember seeing Lesser's for 25K back in 2006 and people whine when they are over 300.00

I know people like to reference the whole supply and demand thing but I really wish people would get that out of their head..I mean do spider's looks any less AWESOME today than they did back in 2002 or do Pied's or any morph.

Any way I'm with Robin and Kevin and a few others when I say people just getting into the hobby now are spoiled look at all you can get for under $1000.00

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

This makes me cry:tears: to know what I paid for an Enchi back in 2008 and now look at their prices or spiders :O

I remember seeing Lesser's for 25K back in 2006 and people whine when they are over 300.00

I know people like to reference the whole supply and demand thing but I really wish people would get that out of their head..I mean do spider's looks any less AWESOME today than they did back in 2002 or do Pied's or any morph.

Any way I'm with Robin and Kevin and a few others when I say people just getting into the hobby now are spoiled look at all you can get for under $1000.00

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I see what your saying, but its not a matter of what they look like its a matter of how many there are. Ya spiders still look exactly the same, but everyones brother, sister, aunt and uncle is breeding and selling them, they are not going to be able to stay expensive. You cant take the supply and demand thing out because thats what it is, pretty much in purest form.

you can also look to oat it this way bps live easy 20+ years verus a bearded dreagon ( what it is like 5 years ??? ) plus during that time you can get your money back and then some if you do breeding ( even as the price falls).

I know at times I can't give away normals/possible hets lol. But then again I am a noob breeder and have not credit when comes to the hets..

I think morph have become very affordable (good thing you were not trying to buy a morph just barely 4 years ago ;).

It's like everything else you can either afford it or you have to save for it however many morphs are more affordable than they have ever been.

As for are they over priced? Actually I think it is the opposite for some, I think it's a shame to see some combos going for the price they are going now.