Am I the only one?

That cringes anytime someone refers to anything having to do with ball pythons as "cheap"? Looking for a "cheap" ball python, be it a normal, recessive or visual morph, looking for a "cheap" alternative for housing, a "cheap" thermostat?

I much prefer the word affordable, the word "cheap" just makes me cringe every single time! :)

There - my had to get my mini-rant off my chest! :D

Well, being fairly new with snakes. I do'nt think there is anything cheap about Balls or any reptiles at that. I do have lizards and when I decided to get a snake I didn't choose the Ball because it was cheap. I got it because to me it is the best looking snake and I like the tamness of the Ball.

I have been guilty of saying "cheap" once. But you set me straight..lol! Actually it makes sense. When I hear the word cheap it reminds me of prostitutes or an outfit you would buy at the dollar store. Or someone that won't pay the bill on a date, or....well, you get the idea! So I can understand why it makes you cringe. Ball pythons are so beautiful, so the word cheap doesn't go well with them.

Whether it's a ball python or other herp, "cheap" is a four letter word. Most often the old saying "You get what you pay for." proves itself over and over again. But what really gets me is when I hear "I can't afford to...... or I don't have the money to ......., which is usually associated with getting medical/vet care for a herp. When you decide to get an animal, you are responsible for it's care and health, period. I think a lot of people don't add this to the equation when deciding to get a herp, but it should be.

Craig

Criag, that is a great point of view. You really have to look it all the way through.

As much as I don't care for that word Robin I think it's just part of our culture. Everything is "cheap" and promoted as being better if it's "cheaper" if you think about it. As much as I like to shop at WalMart, it is the WalMart mentality that cheaper is better and it's pretty much taken over our culture to think that way. Cheap and convenient have become the way to be a smart shopper so in some ways I understand why it's so often used. Personally I try to think and promote things that are cost effective....that what you spend is appropriate to what you can afford and what item or service you are expecting in return and that the bottom line price isn't the only game in town.

I'm sure everyone has seen the results of impulse buys in any forums "Help" section, on numerous occasions.:( The, "what am I going to do if my new....... gets sick?", question never even entered their mind. RI's are a perfect example.

Craig

I have said cheap many times but I see where youre coming from on this one. Whenever people say cheap it makes the thing they are talking about almost seem tacky. When I asked if anyone knew where I could get a cheap anything it was simply because I have money that I could spend but not a lot. I will be making money over the summer though and I guess I was just looking for something that could suit my current situation. I have since realised that what's cheap isn't always best so I will be waiting for my pay at the end of summer to make any purchases. I think it's the world we live in though-the world where money is power-that causes everyone to strive to save that extra little bit of money so they can use it to buy the bigger house or faster car. It's just the way people are inclined to think now and it disgusts me. Anyways that just my $.02

I think people that are new to herps may not realize that there is nothing 'cheap' about them.

I agree. Cheap just has a bad connotation, and makes me think of spur of the moment/impulse buy. (I prefer inexpensive myself) I think it's just an easy word that pops into your head. :rolleyes:

"Cheap" is a four letter word to me. You want something but you are looking for a bargain (nothing wrong with a bargain). Heck thats how I got my breeder females. But cheap is such a dirty sounding word. I'm with you guys maybe they could use "Budget Reptile wanted" or "Proper housing and care on a budget" I mean lets face why buy bag after bag of aspen every week, as a small 1-5 snake keeper, when the Sunday paper will do great. Or pay 2.50 a rat for live when 75c each for frozen is the same meal.

I make a motion to here forth strike the word "cheap" from all herp hobbiest vocabulary and hence forth replace it with "budget".

All for

I hate the word Cheap.. when referring to reptiles, cars, etc.. to me, it has a derogatory connotation that makes me think of knock-off items and cheesiness. not a word that any ball python deserves to have smacked on it.

At the pet store I used to work at , I would hate hearing people blatenly say "Lets go get it at walmart, its cheaper there". Ugh. I saved my breathe on them, knowing that walmart wouldn't have the product. Ever see walmarts pet section? Although it has gotten better, it is by no means a wide selection...and basically NO herp stuff at all. So yeah, go ahead and go to walmart....You will be back...

I don't work there anymore and I am not trying to belittle walmart. Walmart is great for certain things....Pet supplies just aren't one of them.

And as much as I love all my animals, it is not a cheap hobby. But I have to say after the initial set up, snakes are not expensive to care for. If they are in good health (meaning no emergencies to the vet) and you have all the nessecities(sp) (and some not so nessecary(sp) things) then what is so expensive for snakes? I think my snake gives me the least amount of work (actually he is tied with my fish as for as labor and money goes).

Ok then, how about frugal? Frugal simply means getting the most out of what you pay for. I don't want to go on a rant but, its like buying a comlumbian winter coat DURING winter. You could buy that exact same coat for a fraction of the price during the summer. But if you don't agree with that example because it's seasonal, then how about Red Bull. Red Bull is supposed to give you tons of energy and keep you going right? I mean, thats what it's made to do. And because I can't pronounce half of the words on the back of the can, it must be really good for me. WRONG. It's basically caffiene and sugar. It isn't even healthy the way most people drink them, thinking that they are gonna be able to keep going longer. Sure, it gives your body a quick boost, but so does coffee. Coffee is much more natural (not including the junk people put in it) and gives you a much longer boost. And the main point behind this is, the price, the frugal price. I'm gonna be frugal and get a 25 cent cup of coffee rather than the $3 little can of red bull. Your getting the same thing (in a way) but being much more frugal, not cheap. I'm sorry if I made anybody mad, I get like this sometimes. :D

So in a nutshell, "Does anybody know where I can get a quality snake and be frugal about it."

*Frugalicious, definition, gettin' more out of my money*

Personally, I would be insulted if someone told me to buy a certain morph because it is cheaper than others. How is anyone to judge my, or anyone else's, perception of monetary value? What is hugely expensive to one person, might be nothing more than a drop in the bucket for someone else; but without knowing and being given a certain budget, I don't think that anyone should have the audacity to tell another person "buy this, it's cheaper.." :)

my parents constantly use the word "cheap" with me. if i wanna buy something, they tell me "buy this because it's cheaper".gets on my nerves every time.

You get what you pay for.

For example, if I wanted cheap pastels, I could've easily gotten them, but I wouldn't have been happy with them. I wanted two high quality pastels that I know were raised with the utmost care and also something that came with a sense of security by having the support of the breeder if any problems arose. In the end it did take a bit longer to pay for them, but to me it was worth every penny.

My buddy decided to get a "cheap" breeder size female at a show, he was told it was a CBB, but we assume the snake is a WC, it has only eating once since in his care...and has been littered with problems...ticks, internal parasites, URI, the works. In the end that "cheap" pastel turned out to be a several hundred dollar snake.

-Jason

I'm looking for a nice... umm... highly affordable... umm... better than market priced female het albino and female spider. :D

i agree robin! just doesn't sound appealing to me.


personally i think it is used by alot of flippers and low end dealers just to make a sale. it's not secret that alot of people put price as their most important factor. nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with putting service/reputation first either!


vaughn

.....the sad thing is that 'cheap' and 'quality' tend to go together. There are exceptions, but from my experience cheap equals lower quality.

....there are tons of things that people use as 'tactics' to sell animals....

....my personal favorite is "Adult Ball Pythons for Sale"....then you read the ad only to find that they are selling a 1000 gram baby.

.....the term "TAME" when used to describe any reptile drives me nuts too. Reptiles are not tame-able in my opinion.....they may tolerate people, but they are never tame.

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

.....the term "TAME" when used to describe any reptile drives me nuts too. Reptiles are not tame-able in my opinion.....they may tolerate people, but they are never tame.

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On of my personal pet peeves too Daniel. I figure the day that I assume that any one of our snakes is "tame" is the day somebody's gonna bite me right on the end of my nose LOL. I actually don't want them "tame". Not that I want a bunch of spazzed out, stressed snakes but I love knowing that they retain so much of their instinctive behaviours and I'm honored that they allow me into their world. :)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

On of my personal pet peeves too Daniel. I figure the day that I assume that any one of our snakes is "tame" is the day somebody's gonna bite me right on the end of my nose LOL. I actually don't want them "tame". Not that I want a bunch of spazzed out, stressed snakes but I love knowing that they retain so much of their instinctive behaviours and I'm honored that they allow me into their world. :)

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Right on! I also want that snake with what I'll call a "spicy" attitude, it makes for a great feeding response! I want them to try and take my face off on feeding day! The only allowence I want from my snakes are that they become somewhat handleable and tolerant of me cleaning the tubs on non-feeding days.;)

-Jason