Wait for a normal, or switch to a Jungle Pastel? Opinions welcome!

Hi there, I am a soon to be Ball Python owner and I've come face to face with a bit of a dilemma. I have a friend (not a breeder) who owns two normal BPs, and bred them. She now has 3 eggs, and was going to sell me a normal BP for $150. I know that's a little much for a normal, but I figured meh, she's a friend w/e.

I currently have my entire set up ready, and I'm pretty much dying from anticipation. The eggs are still about 20 days from hatching, and then I found out that she needs to keep them for at least one month, but probably two to get them feeding properly (and I know that that's a good thing, no dispute there :P )

So, I had previously asked a breeder about his prices on normal BPs, but he didn't have any available at the time, so I'd just forgotten about it. But he gets ahold of me and he has some Jungle Pastels currently available for $200, plus shipping.

So, what's everyone's personal opinion? Stick with the friend and the normal morph and wait it out? Or let her find someone else and get a pretty little Jungle Pastel in the next week or so?

- Also, I don't really have any idea what normal prices are for either of these morphs, except that the breeder in question told me he usually sells normals for 80. So any opinions are welcome.

Sorry if I rambled or if that was hard to follow = /

You can get normals for $20-$40 $150 is absolutely ridiculous. $200 for a Pastel on the other hand is reasonable.

Personally if I had a clutch or normals and I had a friend that wanted one I would just give him/her one lol

I bought this female pastel for $200

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...a/IMG_0002.jpg

$150 for a Normal is highway robbery! The fact that she's a friend makes that worse, not better. You can get a really smokin' Pastel from any number of breeders for less than $200.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

You can get normals for $20-$40 $150 is absolutely ridiculous. $200 for a Pastel on the other hand is reasonable.

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Yeah, my problem is that I live in Northern Ontario, so it's hard to find a lot of breeders in the area :P I think I'm going to go for the Jungle Pastel, as the pictures the breeder has shown me are absolutely beautiful. I'm just waiting to hear back from him on some shipping issues.

The city that the snake would have to be flown to for me to pick it up has a by-law preventing pet snakes, so I don't know if he'll even be able to ship it there for a pickup. I don't have any idea how strict they get about these things.

normal hatchlings are very inexpensive.

i saw normal males going for $15 at a reptile show a month ago, so $150 seems way way too much especially if its a friend that's selling it to you.

you can probably find a nice looking pastel male on KS or Fauna for no more than $130 shipped.

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Originally Posted by Slim

$150 for a Normal is highway robbery! The fact that she's a friend makes that worse, not better. You can get a really smokin' Pastel from any number of breeders for less than $200.

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The normal was 150, but yeah, I realize that that's not much better :P

As others have stated, $150 for a hatchling normal is insanity. You can easily get a number of differen't morphs for around that same price. Cinnamon, Pastel, YB, possibly a spider. :D

I reckon she'd be hard pressed to find non-friends to pay that kind of price.. I'm curious, have you asked what she paid for her snakes?

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Originally Posted by Ashleigh91

Hi there, I am a soon to be Ball Python owner and I've come face to face with a bit of a dilemma. I have a friend (not a breeder) who owns two normal BPs, and bred them. She now has 3 eggs, and was going to sell me a normal BP for $150. I know that's a little much for a normal, but I figured meh, she's a friend w/e.

I currently have my entire set up ready, and I'm pretty much dying from anticipation. The eggs are still about 20 days from hatching, and then I found out that she needs to keep them for at least one month, but probably two to get them feeding properly (and I know that that's a good thing, no dispute there :P )

So, I had previously asked a breeder about his prices on normal BPs, but he didn't have any available at the time, so I'd just forgotten about it. But he gets ahold of me and he has some Jungle Pastels currently available for $200, plus shipping.

So, what's everyone's personal opinion? Stick with the friend and the normal morph and wait it out? Or let her find someone else and get a pretty little Jungle Pastel in the next week or so?

- Also, I don't really have any idea what normal prices are for either of these morphs, except that the breeder in question told me he usually sells normals for 80. So any opinions are welcome.

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Nice friend, trying to sell you a $20 normal for $150:colbert: Its a no brainer, get the pastel. I wouldnt pay more than $150 for a pastel unless it was absolutely superb. Just my opinion, good luck on your decision:gj: