Why We Are Idiots For Using Kingsnake.com To Price Our Animals

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Doesn't price just depend on how much people are willing to pay for a snake at a price that a breeder is welling to sell the animal for?

Even if a breeder put a spider up for 5,000, wouldn't that be their choice? Out of current market, but the market really only depends on what people want to price their animals.
Just use your best judgment.

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This is the reason for the post. It is not to bash any one but to make everyone aware of the market volatility and who is controling it.

Hi Colin, Thanks for the post. You have a lot of good points, but I don't think anything with pricing is going to change. People regardless of kingsnake will keep this trend of under-cutting the next guy.

The other day I was reading an old thread on KS about spider pricing from I believe 2006 and the poster was saying he didn't feel that spiders would still be an investment animal at $2500. After reading it I would be pretty mad if I paid $2500 for a female at that time.

I think there's too many people buying too many snakes and if they don't unload the offspring in the first few months drastically drop the price to just unload them.

I think there are two other big problems when it comes to pricing. First is the back door wheeling and dealing. Now granted some people buy alot from some breeders or have known breeders for a long time. Do they deserve a better price. I would say sure. And this has gone on for years, but there is a big difference now. Back in the day those deals were kept quiet. Now people brag that they got this for this price and it gets around and people start using it as a bargaining chip. Enough people start using it and it does eventually bring the price down.

Secondly is the shows. I for one will not spend the money for a table in my area. One breeder in particular can not be competed with on his prices. 3 years ago proven breeder het ghost males were being sold for$35. Not one but a half dozen of them. At the time they were $150-$200 on KS. More recently YB males for $35 ea. Last I looked at KS there were none at this price.

I wish I remembered more of his prices but I don't look too hard at his table. Just my thoughts and take on it.

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Originally Posted by pvdgod

I wouldn't call the ball python breeding industry a multi-billion dollar industry, maybe million, but definitely not billions. If it was you would have almost as many people with BP's as with dogs and cats.

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I would say he is correct on multi- billion. Remember people with cats and dogs only have one or two. People with BP's usually have many more than that. Even most hobbyist breeders have over a hundred animals. The big breeders have thousands.

None of us can stop the low ballers but we can choose not to be one of them.

very nice read...to bad your example had to be " out of work house painter"LOL
im a union painter and do it all..........commercial,undustrial........i know it was just a example.........i know..........just thought it was funny......keep those good articles comming!

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Doesn't price just depend on how much people are willing to pay for a snake at a price that a breeder is welling to sell the animal for?

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I wrote out a long post but decided to bite my own tongue, this was what my post was about. There is no set price on a pet, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

there is many breeders out there that try to lowball everyone including you on purchases but expect you to pay their full price every time. i have seen it way too much as of late.

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Originally Posted by briz

I would say he is correct on multi- billion. Remember people with cats and dogs only have one or two. People with BP's usually have many more than that. Even most hobbyist breeders have over a hundred animals. The big breeders have thousands.

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i still dont think so, but would love to see some numbers. I think the avg hobbyist has maybe a dozen snakes, maybe a couple dozen, but not hundreds. The dog industry alone is a $60 billion a year business, and thats not just the cost of the dog itself, but the food, the grooming, the boarding, the cute little outfits, etc. And each purebred dog, esp those little teacups that are so popular go for a couple grand each. Only the rarest BP morphs go for that. Yes, some brand new morphs can go for 20k, and you wont find any dog for that much, but what are there, maybe 15 reallly BIG BP breeders out there? I think the reptile industry as a whole may be in the low billions range, maybe not even that much. You have to rememeber these being exotics that the number of people who have snakes and balls in particular is waaaaaay lower than your more common domestic animals.

Colin I agree with your points but untill Kingsnake has a competive site with similar industry recognition, people will continue to give it this monoply like status it has now and allow it to dictate the market like Wall St.

I do think the economy is definately encouraging the impatient and unknown breeders to dump animals on Kingsnake and then it spirals down from there. This is not the only industry that is experiencing lowballing. I am a self employed contractor and I have seen this behavior explode in the last year worsening an already slow market.

It aint pretty!

Is it time to start a centralized industry organization that follows and recommends/establishes pricing? With so much drama and fueds in the BP market I would think it difficult to get the big dogs to get organized and cooperative. Which is a shame because someone needs to organize an alternative to the whim of a Kingsnake ad.