ball python prices

I was just wondering if anyone could help me out. I'm trying to make a business proposal to someone, and I would like to know the current price of these hatchlings that could be made after I purchase some base morphs.
this is what I have so far. (in canadian dollars)
Albino
high contrast albino 450-600
het hc albino 200-300
het albino 150-250
yellowbelly 150-300
yellowbelly spider
ivory 1200-1500
mojave 275-400
mojave het hc albino
mojave pastel
blue eyed leucistic 2500-3300
spider250-300
spider mojave
spider het hc albino
bumble bee: 600-900
lemon bee 800-1000
caramel albino 1000
66% het caramel albino 175-300
pastel 125-250
super pastel 500-700
lemon pastel 350-550
super lemon pastel 650-950
pastel yellowbelly
pastel het hc albino
cinnamon 200-300
pewter 500-700
cinnabee 1300-1600
cinnamon mojave
het burgundy
pieds 1200-1800
66%het pieds 150-200
spotnose 300-400
If anyone could help, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,

-Kuro.

i would start by surfing other breeders websites to figure out price ranges.

Well I'm just going to save you some time but burst your bubble. Take all those prices and lower them by 20-45% because by the time you even have any of those babies, prices will have dropped significantly. I understand they are in Canadian, but more and more people produce Ball Pythons every year and plenty of people can't even sell them cause the market is flooded with pastels, Spiders, and Mojaves.

Breeding Ball Pythons is by no means a good lucrative business unless you produce numbers like BHB, Ralph Davis, or spend $30,000 on brand new morphs just imported.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveboos

Well I'm just going to save you some time but burst your bubble. Take all those prices and lower them by 20-45% because by the time you even have any of those babies, prices will have dropped significantly. I understand they are in Canadian, but more and more people produce Ball Pythons every year and plenty of people can't even sell them cause the market is flooded with pastels, Spiders, and Mojaves.

Breeding Ball Pythons is by no means a good lucrative business unless you produce numbers like BHB, Ralph Davis, or spend $30,000 on brand new morphs just imported.

---

I'm not trying to make ball python breeding my main source of income, but an opportunity to purchase 41 ball pythons came up, and I'm having a hard time with passing this by. If all goes well, I will have babies next year. I'm just trying to convince my step mother that she will get repaid for the amount she helps me.
She plays in the stock markets, that's what she's all about.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kuro_Yamaneko

I'm not trying to make ball python breeding my main source of income, but an opportunity to purchase 41 ball pythons came up, and I'm having a hard time with passing this by. If all goes well, I will have babies next year. I'm just trying to convince my step mother that she will get repaid for the amount she helps me.
She plays in the stock markets, that's what she's all about.

---

Well unless the person is also giving you all the racks, thermostats, tubs, heating elements, incubators, rat racks, rat breeding colonies, rat food, bedding along with the snakes, you will probably not break even, heck you'll in in the hole a few thousand for a while before you start producing babies. Then you will have to have people lined up to sell your babies to.

Keep in mind only a few shipping companies will let you ship live animals, even then NONE OF THEM offer insurance. Also the market is growing, but so are people doing exactly what your doing.

I don't want to be a downer, but I've seen this happen way too much, people get in over their head and realize it's not a good way to make any money. 95% of people never even break even on their snakes when they thought they could make thousands.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveboos

Well unless the person is also giving you all the racks, thermostats, tubs, heating elements, incubators, rat racks, rat breeding colonies, rat food, bedding along with the snakes, you will probably not break even, heck you'll in in the hole a few thousand for a while before you start producing babies. Then you will have to have people lined up to sell your babies to.

Keep in mind only a few shipping companies will let you ship live animals, even then NONE OF THEM offer insurance. Also the market is growing, but so are people doing exactly what your doing.

I don't want to be a downer, but I've seen this happen way too much, people get in over their head and realize it's not a good way to make any money. 95% of people never even break even on their snakes when they thought they could make thousands.

---

Yes, the seller is giving me all the racks, incubators, thermostats, and heating elements. I have a good friend that breeds rats, ASF's and mice, and the seller lives in the next town from me.

Don't worry about lecturing me on these details. I'm just looking for prices to know my possibilities.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveboos

Well unless the person is also giving you all the racks, thermostats, tubs, heating elements, incubators, rat racks, rat breeding colonies, rat food, bedding along with the snakes, you will probably not break even, heck you'll in in the hole a few thousand for a while before you start producing babies. Then you will have to have people lined up to sell your babies to.

Keep in mind only a few shipping companies will let you ship live animals, even then NONE OF THEM offer insurance. Also the market is growing, but so are people doing exactly what your doing.

I don't want to be a downer, but I've seen this happen way too much, people get in over their head and realize it's not a good way to make any money. 95% of people never even break even on their snakes when they thought they could make thousands.

---

I agree, you can make money breeding ball pythons, but you better have this well planned out. Breeding them isn't hard, but you better know what you're doing if this is an investment. your stepmother must know a little about investing, she's not jumping in quickly with her money.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by don15681

I agree, you can make money breeding ball pythons, but you better have this well planned out. Breeding them isn't hard, but you better know what you're doing if this is an investment. your stepmother must know a little about investing, she's not jumping in quickly with her money.

---

I have yet to ask her. I'm trying to make sure I work out all the details first, and I'm giving her a typed proposal.

I want this done right. I already even have a garbage bag full of vermiculite waiting for eggs.

Before you decide on seriously breeding Ball Pythons I would suggest reading this artical. http://ballpythonbreeder.com/2010/04...thon-breeding/ And going through the spreadsheet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Agent73

Before you decide on seriously breeding Ball Pythons I would suggest reading this artical. http://ballpythonbreeder.com/2010/04...thon-breeding/ And going through the spreadsheet.

---

There is either something wrong with that page, or my internet is faulty, but it's just a black page...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kuro_Yamaneko

I want this done right. I already even have a garbage bag full of vermiculite waiting for eggs.

---

:O

No offense, but I don't believe your step-mother fully understands the risk involved. There's a lot more to breeding and making a ROI with Balls than putting them together and checking your Paypal balance a few months later.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by xdeus

:O

No offense, but I don't believe your step-mother fully understands the risk involved. There's a lot more to breeding and making a ROI with Balls than putting them together and checking your Paypal balance a few months later.

---

If you read the rest of my post, I have yet to ask her about it. I'm still gathering data.

And I know that it takes a lot of work and time to get going successfully. But I'm giving it a shot. I won't get anywhere if I don't take a few risks.

First off this is a really big undertaking and will require lots of time to care for a collection that size! I think your prices are a little low. I bought a pastel female a week ago and she cost me $350 but she is on the higher end because she is a high quality pastel. Just remember, you got new breeders starting up everyday! I only bred to fund better morphs not to make money because it just does not happen for 3 to 5 years! As long as you know the risks then I say good luck! I would be interested in some morphs when you produce them!

Sorry to the OP, i wasn't trying to lecture you, but from the nature of your post, it seemed as if you were really trying to seal the deal quickly and wanted to know how much money you could make off the snakes.

I am NOT the only one who thinks breeding a making profit is a HUGE undertaking with a lot of disappointments, we are all just trying to make you very aware of the exact nature of the hobby.

The biggest thing about your price list, as i said before, morphs keep going down in price every season, so be prepared to lose money on snakes just to free up space for your new hatchlings.

To the OP - while it's great that you're making this proposal, there's no guarantee that these animals will even breed, it's unlikely that breedable weight females will breed in the same year that they are moved from one location to another, even within your facility.

Most breeders who have to make a move, usually just write off that season, because they understand just how sensitive the females are to changes, and know that it can take up to a year for them to become receptive.

And then there's the bit about marketing your animals. You'll be a relative un-known in the market. You may end up having a bunch of animals that don't sell. And a higher food bill to feed those extra mouths.

It may seem like a good investment for you and your step-mom, but you're not going to make it back in 12 months, not even close.

I'd encourage you to read this as well:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ple-s-Problems

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...gs-to-consider...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kuro_Yamaneko

There is either something wrong with that page, or my internet is faulty, but it's just a black page...

---

That's strange, the link worked for me. I'll try this way.
I'd recommend checking out:http://www.ballpythonbreeder.com
And clicking on the "On the Economic Viability of Ball Python Breeding" article. I'd also recommend checking out the other articles there too. They are all well written and give a glimpse into the world of a big Ball Python breeder.

It's also showing up as all black for me - it flashes white, but turns all black. I've been able to view his site before, but not today.

The link just worked for me. Good read.

I've been in ball pythons since December and I've invested nearly $5000 in snakes, equipment, food, incubators, etc. Mind you, I only have 9 snakes now. I over paid for a few (lesson learned), and got a great deal on a few. I dont expect to make any money off this. I'd like to at least pay for the hobby once my breeding gets going. (The female I bred this last season only had one good egg out of 5 *crosses fingers for this season*.)

A lot of money can be wasted too. Like I said, I overpaid on two of mine. I could have gotten the same quality for probably $500 less on one and $200 less on another. Also, I have 2 right now that are being picky about eating and so I keep wasting frozen rats (gonna go back to live in a couple days for them to get them back eating). You also have to think of how much it costs you in time (and time = money). The feeding, the cleaning, etc. And if your girls slug out or just don't breed...yuck.

Not tryin to discourage you but we dont want you to get disappointed. You have to think of it as a hobby you're willing to throw away money on rather than expect you'll get your money back (and I say "throw away" in the nicest of ways...the money goes bye bye and doesn't come back :P).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Agent73

That's strange, the link worked for me. I'll try this way.
I'd recommend checking out:http://www.ballpythonbreeder.com
And clicking on the "On the Economic Viability of Ball Python Breeding" article. I'd also recommend checking out the other articles there too. They are all well written and give a glimpse into the world of a big Ball Python breeder.

---

That site worked for me! It must have been down earlier!

the investment part might go south if mom is expecting a quick turn aroun. I know irght now i not even made a profit and ibeen gonig at this for over 5 years( last 4 in bps) I started out just rescuing , then purchased my first hets in 07 and I just produced my first visisble morph this year and have not sold any of them. I only have 26 snakes right now and i figuree I spending upwards of 100 bucks minium maintaining them. That just in aspen, and some rodent bedding I am currently having a problem aquiring food items cause inmy area there id only 2 pets shops and they both can't keep enough in stock live (since i got a few that take live only ) I doing it for the love ofthe hobby and know I may never make a profit ( specially with the prices dropping ) in 07 a pied was like close to 2 grand and now they lucky to break a grand, the hets are useless cause I am an unknown and people don't want take the risk.

To rabernet, thank you for the links, but I have read those already, the only reason that the seller is selling off his collection is that he`s moving and can`t take them with him.

and to all concerned about the cost and ROI, I`ve talked with my father about this, and they won`t expect their money back in one lump sum, they will let me pay back over several months and won`t charge me interest.

I take no offense to anything, and I understand that you are all just trying to help. None of you really know who I am, so for all you knew I was just some 15 year old getting in too deep. Thank you all for your advice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seeya205

That site worked for me! It must have been down earlier!

---

Still didn't work from my home computer on Chrome. But it's working at work on IE7.

Take this into consideration before you take the risk with someone elses money. What if they do not sell? What if you lose money? What if some freak accident happens, and they all die? How are you going to pay the money back? Prices drop each year, so you should not be looking at current prices, but prices over the last five years to determine what they will be next year, and the year after. Good luck.

OP - give this link a try again:

http://ballpythonbreeder.com/2010/04...thon-breeding/

I contacted Colin to let him know that we were experiencing a page that loaded all black and he said he thinks he's fixed it now. I'm not at home to see if it's fixed from a computer that couldn't load the page (no issues from my work computer).

Thanks rabernet, the link is working for me now. That was a very good read.