The Ball Hype!

I was just wondering what everyone's opinions were on this topic.
We all know that the Ball Python industry has boomed, and thousands of people are experimenting the possible morphs and possibilities of these snakes.

Which leads me to my question, how long do you think this hype will last?

I certainly hopes it lasts forever and the innovation of exploring the possibilities stays intact, but realistically it is unclear to me, other than it will last at least another decade do to the strength in the market for these animals. But after that, I guess it just depends if enough people retain interest!

What do you think?

Well I can only speak from my personal opinion, but I find it hard to believe that the BP hype will die out. I mean we all love these amazing animals and even if some people stop breeding them or owning them there will always be more that will.

I don't think BP will be going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

ummmm....seeing how they are like potatoe chips (cant have just one)....I don't see it happening! Afterall...how many different flavors of chips are there now.:P

This "hype" as you call it can go on for a very long time. There will always be the core group of people who will keep going no matter what. The best way to keep it going is to introduce new people and especially kids into owning and caring for these great animals.

As well as to keep producing great new and exciting morphs! Let's hope it doesn't end any time soon!

Fred.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by redtail9610

This "hype" as you call it can go on for a very long time. There will always be the core group of people who will keep going no matter what. The best way to keep it going is to introduce new people and especially kids into owning and caring for these great animals.

---

I was introduced to ball pythons at 13 and I got my first one then. now I am 20 and am currently in my first breeding season :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Xan Powers!

Corn snakes are still pretty popular and even now, plenty people own several and many people own the morph they love without breeding them. I foresee that perhaps more people will buy morphs JUST to have them, rather than needing to make more. As things like spiders and pastels become more affordable, I know more people who aren't breeding theirs, they just own them because they like the look!

I do not think it will go down. But i do have to say i am afraid that there will be more balls for sale then those actually buying, also the prices will go down which is good for owners who want a pretty snake with a good price, but bad for those selling and making a profit.
But no, it wont go down.

I see the pet market as the relief valve at the end of the 'ball python pyramid scheme' so many of us are part of. As morphs decline in value, they eventually come into range of pet buyers. In the long run, morphs such as pastels and yellowbellies will become less common in their 'pure' state, because pet buyers aren't really interested in them. Spiders and albinos will remain extremely common.
In most cases, these animals will be produced as the byproducts of breedings for more valuable combo morphs, rather than deliberately (just as very few people deliberately breed normals these days).
No worries, though--there are still new morphs being discovered. If that stops being the case, we still have a staggering number of combinations to play with, and there's always selective breeding!

Ball pythons have that lovely reliable but low reproductive rate that makes them hold their value so well.

Ball python breeders really aren't going to outstrip the pet market, because the pet market absorbs thousands of imported captive-hatched ball pythons from Africa every year, with nary a blip. Ball pythons remain one of the most sought-after pet snakes. If the price of normal ball pythons ever falls so low that it is not worth it to import them from Africa, then we can start to worry. That's not happening anytime soon.

Still, if you're literally banking on it, it's probably wise not to put all of your eggs into one basket. Angolan pythons seem to be up and coming, and I'm starting to see aberrant Angolans being offered for higher prices. Who knows what the next popular reptile might be? It all depends on which species pops out a truly exciting new morph, and catches interest.
I'm betting that the super-dwarf retics and dwarf burms will catch on, if they aren't legislated into oblivion first. Some good selective breeding for temperament will sort them out.

The little Antaresia pythons haven't spit out any interesting morphs, yet--there's certainly potential there if Children's python morphs turn up. They can't be dismissed due to their low pricetag, because ball pythons certainly didn't have a high price when this boom first started (and normals still don't).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkeye714

I do not think it will go down. But i do have to say i am afraid that there will be more balls for sale then those actually buying, also the prices will go down which is good for owners who want a pretty snake with a good price, but bad for those selling and making a profit.
But no, it wont go down.

---

I am also suspecting this will happen... as i said above, plenty people still buy corns, but a lot of people still re-home or stop breeding their corns because they can't sell them well. :/ it's too bad!

I think that hype will last until people stop making money one them. Then very few people will want them. There will not be many breeders at that point. If you have ever noticed, people always want the more expensive ball morphs.

i know im a little late in this convo but i 2nd bpelizabeth, lol.

I have a theory on the topic...and it hinges on these two facts:

(A) In the 1970's albino cornsnakes were in the $10,000 realm. Today they sell for the same price as normals, about $20.

(B) I breed a type of dog that was "invented" in the early 1800's, the price of these puppies have been increasing every year and in 2010 sold for $2500-$5500 based on color and type. This breed has 8-14 puppies a year.

My suggestion is expect to see ball pythons follow A rather than B.

The difference between your animals becoming an A rather than a B has to do with your breeding strategey. In the early 1800's my breed's originators split into two factions one was focused on the dollar and the other focused on the "love on the breed".

Group 1: Mass produced their animals, bred any two of the breed together regardless of type, kept multiple females bred to a single non type male, they bred females at their first heat and and bred animals regardless of temperment and health status. These breeders sold this hot new breed hand over fist and the money flowed. The consumer just wanted a X-dog and didn't care about the fine print. These Group 1 breeders noticed though as each successive year went by the price went lower and lower, they started culling a lot of unsold puppies that were now too expensive to feed and most eventually dropped out of breeding completly. These breeders still exist and you can still find their puppies 200 years later in your nearest petstore, online ads or in the back of the newspaper.

Group 2: Enjoyed dogs. They organized themselved into breeder goups to share stock and knowledge. They organized events where they competed to exhibit the most typey animals in look and behaviour. As veterinary science progressed they kept pace and refused to breed animals which in the long run would damage their lines. They limited their breedings to "best to best" and only bred litters that were pre-sold or that they believed would be sold within the 7 weeks following birth. They marketed themselves as superior to the breeders in Group 1 and the consumer began to accept the Group 2 breeders as the only acceptable source for breed X. The breeders noticed that while the money was slow to come in, it was consistant and the price of their puppies actually increased with each generation. These breeders stuck with it, partly because they loved the animals and partly because they could make a living, not a "get rich quick living" but a 30-40 year career on breeding this breed. Some breeders who excelled at producing the most typey, healthiest and were the best at marketing actually made a very good living.

My argument is that the snake hobby, regardless of species, has focused on a Group 1 style and will eventually run itself into the ground. Yes, granted, it will take 20-30 years or more but I promise you that even your mocha choca locata het for skin a ma rink e do will eventually sell for under $100.

And I know some people are thinking, well in 20-30 years I will have my money made and my stock sold off by then...pulling your money out because you think that your "industry" has a lifespan in the definition of a pyramid scheme.

I never got into corns, but I've seen a number of them in stores. Is there the number of morphs and combos available that BP have?

I'm liking the inputs! Intriguing to think about

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LotsaBalls

I never got into corns, but I've seen a number of them in stores. Is there the number of morphs and combos available that BP have?

---

YES! My friend has a motley-hurricane girl she bought for around $75 at the local petstore. LOVELY snake and good eater. And if we bred her, she may be het for something as well. A lot of corns are double or triple morphs! The doubles nowadays are pretty common, but still sell for a little more than normals. Corns have HUGE clutches, so they depreciate faster than balls and smaller clutched snakes. I think there may be MORE corn morphs, or at least as many as BPs. A lot of them are combos, just like BPs. I haven't kept up with corns as much, but the have genetic strips, ghosts and hypos as well as other patterns that are a little different than bp morphs.