about albino ball python

Pricing is mostly based on supply and demand, but it also matters on who you know and what kind of deals you get.

People can attempt to guess what prices will be, but it's merely a guess. If you want a better estimate, I'd ask "Will anyone have albinos this season? If so, do you have a price in mind yet?"

Albinos are recessive, not incomplete dominant, so I would not expect albinos to drop as fast as pastels/spiders/mojaves. Sometime you may see one go cheap because someone wants to dump it quick for one reason or another (not always good reasons either), but that doesn't make that price the current market value. If Joe sells a "MorphA" for $1000 just to dump it fast, but everyone is still paying $1500 everywhere else for a "MorphA", than $1500 would still be the value based on supply and demand.

Rick

Too Much :)

i got my albino male last month for $1000 from $1500 becauase the seller was willing to "dump" it.

prices will vary alot from breeder to breeder. some breeders have low prices and poor service. some have higher prices and excellent service and will be there to help you out whenever! prices will also vary from snake to snake, if i had a spectacular example of a morph for sale, it wouldn't be at the lowest price. :D


personally, i'm willing to pay more for better service and peace of mind.

support breeders who support you and your goals!


vaughn

When I was shopping around for my Albino this past year end, I was quoted on average $1200-$1500 from most sellers online for a baby Albino ball python. I spoke to a few breeders on the phone that spent more time trying to sell me on the ball python business than the actual Albino I wanted as a pet. Those were the few good ones that actually responded to emails and phone calls! A few actually refused to send pictures or became upset when I asked too many questions!

Thankfully I kept searching and luckily managed to get hooked up with a local breeder. I was able to pick up my Albino for $750 when I bought my Spider for $700. No sales pitch, no negotiating, no hassle, even had a few to choose from at the time. I would’ve been happy paying $1200 for the Albino alone, and it was in fact what I expected to pay based on the prices I was being quoted and viewed on certain classified ads.

Based on this experience, I don’t feel a higher price is any guarantee of a higher quality snake or a guarantee of getting better customer service. I agree with Rick, I also feel based on this buying experience that price has more to do with who you know rather than what you know. If you ask me, that’s somewhat unfair to those of us new to this hobby. If I had paid $1500 and found out a week later I could’ve picked up one for 1/2 that price or even $500 less, I would be kicking myself for weeks feeling like a sucker.

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Originally Posted by newbpfanatic

When I was shopping around for my Albino this past year end, I was quoted on average $1200-$1500 from most sellers online for a baby Albino ball python. I spoke to a few breeders on the phone that spent more time trying to sell me on the ball python business than the actual Albino I wanted as a pet...

Thankfully I kept searching and luckily managed to get hooked up with a local breeder. I was able to pick up my Albino for $750 when I bought my Spider for $700. No sales pitch, no negotiating, no hassle, even had a few to choose from at the time.

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Congratulations! Can't wait to see them!

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Originally Posted by newbpfanatic

I also feel based on this buying experience that price has more to do with who you know rather than what you know. If you ask me, that’s somewhat unfair to those of us new to this hobby. If I had paid $1500 and found out a week later I could’ve picked up one for 1/2 that price or even $500 less, I would be kicking myself for weeks feeling like a sucker.

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I totally agree with you on that...

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Thankfully I kept searching and luckily managed to get hooked up with a local breeder. I was able to pick up my Albino for $750 when I bought my Spider for $700. No sales pitch, no negotiating, no hassle, even had a few to choose from at the time. I would’ve been happy paying $1200 for the Albino alone, and it was in fact what I expected to pay based on the prices I was being quoted and viewed on certain classified ads.

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Thats an incredibly good price. Many years ago I started out with a bunch of possible het females and later added a het male. I produced a couple of albinos in '04 and a couple more in '06, I hope to produce some more this year as well. While I didn't spend a great deal of money on my possible hets, with all the time I've put into producing those albinos, I can't even imagine selling them that low. On the other hand, I'm in a position where I don't HAVE to sell any at all. I guess if I don't get my asking price, I'll just have more to keep for myself. And thats not such a bad thing.

Mark

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I'll just have more to keep for myself. And thats not such a bad thing.

Mark

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Amen! :)

Rick

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Just out of curiosity, do you actually have any albinos? Will you be producing any this year?

I've noticed that most people who give lowball advice on prices do it out of wishful thinking hoping that the price will actually drop that low so that they can justify spending that much for themselves.

I think a lot of the rapid price drops will slow down now that MKR is gone from the scene.

Mark

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No I don't. I will be producing some eventually here. I say $1,000 because you can go on kingsnake classifieds right now and find some for that price.