Guess what some stores are calling BPs now?

"Premium Ball Python"

Prices have also shot up around here. They're $80 everywhere.

Glad breeders don't charge that much for normals.

only $80 in GA?

try anywhere from $90-120 here, and its been like that for over 3 years... idk if they call them that but its always been either normals, or high gold... high golds have always been nicer looking but... they always have had the bigger tag...

Premium ... lol I wonder what THAT means ..cH?:rolleyes:

Yeah, I've seen them anywhere from 70-120 around here myself. Saw a male pastel for $400 about 6 months ago in a pet store.

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Originally Posted by ChicaPiton519

only $80 in GA?

try anywhere from $90-120 here, and its been like that for over 3 years... idk if they call them that but its always been either normals, or high gold... high golds have always been nicer looking but... they always have had the bigger tag...

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I live in the same area, I was at petsmart recently and saw normal babies in there for $149

Also breeders dont charge $80 for normals but after you pay shipping it will be around that price.... Shipping has gone waaayyy up

I am kind of glad that pet stores charge a lot for them. It is better than them giving them away, IMO. Maybe a higher price will filter off the people who aren't serious about them? Of course, if they knew any better, they would shop online and find a real breeder.. but then again, combine shipping and packing supplies and a normal BP from a breeder will probably be near 80-100.00 anyway..

I like the fact that they aren't 25.00 it cost more to feed my snakes so it cost more for me to produce them so guess what my snakes cost more also it means that people who buy them will be more prone to want to take care fo them.

What on earth is a premium ball python?:snake:?
These people. I understand putting a little bit of a mark up because they're a pet shop, but ripping people off just isn't cricket.:colbert:
Unless I missed something and they have introduced a new subspecies called premium ball pythons?:weirdface

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

if they knew any better, they would shop online and find a real breeder

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Unfortunatly, ... we all know the deal with that. However, that is why we are here - to educate! And I know everyone here contributes their knowledge to do just that to prevent impulse buys. :gj:

And I do agree with you completely that the high price is a great thing. It's easier to buy that baby snake (which could be anything, from a b.p. to a rectic!) for $45 and find out LATER that you don't have the money to really take care of it, then it is to stare at that $200 price tag and figure out the same thing in 15 seconds.

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Originally Posted by snakemanjayd

What on earth is a premium ball python?:snake:?
These people. I understand putting a little bit of a mark up because they're a pet shop, but ripping people off just isn't cricket.:colbert:
Unless I missed something and they have introduced a new subspecies called premium ball pythons?:weirdface

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I think they are more leaning toward the definition of premium they are trying to say that they are high quality animals. Nothing wrong with that unless it isn't true.

Just walked in from petdumb, i mean petsmart, and their normals are 80 aand some change. Its ridiculous:colbert:

I saw some little $25 baby ball pythons at my local pet store while at petsmart ball pythons are $80.

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Originally Posted by Mochelem

I live in the same area, I was at petsmart recently and saw normal babies in there for $149

Also breeders dont charge $80 for normals but after you pay shipping it will be around that price.... Shipping has gone waaayyy up

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Yeah but at least you get a snake that's healthy, properly sexed, with hatching and feeding records and without internal and external parasites. For that I'll happily pay whatever it takes. :)

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

I like the fact that they aren't 25.00 it cost more to feed my snakes so it cost more for me to produce them so guess what my snakes cost more also it means that people who buy them will be more prone to want to take care fo them.

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I'm with you on that one Ed. I literally shudder everytime I see a "ball pythons on sale this week" sign. One of our local, privately owned stores that is so gross I refuse to step in the door had a sign up last year. "Ball Pythons On Sale!!!" I so wanted to sneak up and add another sign "get them quick before they die on me!" :mad:

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Originally Posted by mikeamy2007

Just walked in from petdumb, i mean petsmart, and their normals are 80 aand some change. Its ridiculous:colbert:

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Why is that ridiculous? Is the animal worth 80.00 and some change?

Here ya go - perfect example (be prepared to be enraged!)

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/pet/787487004.html

i got all 3 of my bp's from petco (i know i know) the first one cost me $89 and the last two cost me $20 a piece. they were on sale for the 4th of July.

they were also the cause of 'the great mite infestation of 08" my $20 female is going to cost me another $65 minimum tonight for the vet visit becuase she most likely has parasites and looks terrible. Since im taking her and her brother it will probably end up being $135 to see both not to mention the cost of medication and whatever the :cens0r: else they are going to charge me for. and i'll pay for it cause i love them. its not that i cant afford it but no one has a miscellaneous $200+ laying around. it could definitly go towards better things.

im not so sure if thats premium or not but next time, and i'm sure there will be a next time, i get a snake it will be from a reputable breeder.

Yeah, There is a Jacks Aquarium & Pets here in Huber Heights. They are 79.99$, Guarenteed to have the nicest parasites, and be fairly dehydrated. I went to the Jacks in springfield a while back, and one of there BP's clearly had IBD. He was laying limp, just " Spinning " its head. I told a worker, and she said " No, we test them for " BID " ( lol ). and that he does that when hes " hungry " lol. Poor things, Im sure they all died by now.

I was in a petstore today where they were selling normal bps (and called them such, too) for $29! I don't think I have ever seen them that cheap in petstores around here. Maybe they were trying to get rid of what they had to make room for the Premiums! LOL

I have to agree with everyone else - the price rise is a GOOD thing, since it's going to weed out all non-serious buyers. I was at the local reptile store the other day and this father was in there with his two children to buy snakes. The little girl (no taller than my knee caps) had a bp in one hand, and a boa in a snake bag in the other, just absent-mindedly twirling around the store. The father couldn't have cared less, and was busy talking to the store clerk about housing two ball pythons together because, "They're only $30 and the kids both want one". OBVIOUSLY they did NOT need another snake. :mad:

/rant

I paid $120 for my normal girl a little over a year ago. This was from an online, reputable source and I don't think it included shipping. (Can't remember, though). Anyway, I knew the price was high but I immediately fell in love with the look of her, so I was willing to pay it.

Wow!! Around here Ball pythons are like around 100 dollars. The "on sale" snakes were 80 something (including tax).

I payed 125 for a nomral female a few years ago as well! From a reputable breeder, of course. I don't think it included shipping either.:D

over here they are $65

Same here. They are eighty plus at the pet stores. I saw a "fancy" ball python at petsmart for two forty five. it was not "fancy" in appearance and no one working there had ANY knowledge about bp's. I bought my adult girl for 125 from craigslist, but she came with a 55 gal enclosure. I still wasn't going to get her, but she was being abused, so I had to bring her home. I got a pastel female 08 for 150 from a local herp store. it just depends on where you go. High prices are good to keep away impulse buyers, but are bad for those of us who are good to our babies but don't have sums of money at once to purchase new ones.

I paid $79 for mine, but that is not where Petsmart really made the money.

I must have spent another $200 on supplies, and now since I buy frozen rats too (yes I will start buying them online from a better source once i have the space) I end up buying my Iams dog and cat food there too every couple of weeks.

I never really shopped there regularly before so they could have GIVEN me the BP and still turned a nice profit.

I wonder if the designation "premium" may mean CB and that the store has paid more for them, that they will eat and not have parasites as compared to an import? That would make sense to me.