Price drops

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I did not read this entire post, but for the record I am going to sell my hatchling spiders males for $150 + shipping and females for $250 + shipping, which is close to what I sold them for last year. There are so many people producing spiders now that it is tough to sell them unless you drop your prices a bit. Also the price of a snake does not determine its quality. Some people sell better quality animals than for less that others sell lesser quality animals for more.

In any transaction somebody gets sold. It is either the seller or the buyer that does the selling.

Sounds like you have had a few buyers dictate to you that your animals are below retail in value... and they sold you on it.

It is amazing to me that so many people claim that things just won't sell at average retail. This is my first year producing babies and I have been able to sell ALL of my hatchlings that I have offered for sale at full asking price based on what I see at current retail value. Sure almost every single one of my customers immediately replied with "your animals are way over priced compared to what people are selling for" But amazingly enough when I politely told them to buy elsewhere then, they all of a sudden agreed on my prices. This is true for both people local to me, and people in different states.

I guess some of us just aren't as easy to "be sold" on why are animals are worth less then average retail value....

[Adam_Wysocki]

Sure almost every single one of my customers immediately replied with "your animals are way over priced compared to what people are selling for" But amazingly enough when I politely told them to buy elsewhere then, they all of a sudden agreed on my prices.

This is a perfect example of why there's really no need to worry about people who list animals below market prices in the grand scheme of things.

The reality is that there are buyers out there for everyone. Some are just looking for the best prices, while others have committed to finding a particular animal and when they find it they're willing to pay a little more to acquire it.

Even with all of the low prices out there (and they've been out there for years), I'm still able to sell out of all my available animals every year ... hundreds upon hundreds of them ... no matter how they are priced.

Hope this helps.

-adam

[PythonWallace]

This is a perfect example of why there's really no need to worry about people who list animals below market prices in the grand scheme of things.

The reality is that there are buyers out there for everyone. Some are just looking for the best prices, while others have committed to finding a particular animal and when they find it they're willing to pay a little more to acquire it.

Even with all of the low prices out there (and they've been out there for years), I'm still able to sell out of all my available animals every year ... hundreds upon hundreds of them ... no matter how they are priced.

Hope this helps.

-adam

I agree and disagree. When a bunch of people crash a given market from $2k to 400, you can still sell animals at the high end of the market prices, or about $500 -$600, but if you tried selling them for the $1,800 they are worth to you you would find that there is no longer anyone willing to pay that when the new crashed market prices are $400 or so. Then the next year, when they could easily be going for $1,500, the new market price is $250, and you can maybe sell a few at $350, but never for the $1,200 - $1,500 they could still be sold for.

[Adam_Wysocki]

I agree and disagree. When a bunch of people crash a given market from $2k to 400, you can still sell animals at the high end of the market prices, or about $500 -$600, but if you tried selling them for the $1,800 they are worth to you you would find that there is no longer anyone willing to pay that when the new crashed market prices are $400 or so. Then the next year, when they could easily be going for $1,500, the new market price is $250, and you can maybe sell a few at $350, but never for the $1,200 - $1,500 they could still be sold for.

I was speaking in the context of $150 for a spider vs. $200 or even $250. But it can apply to higher end animals as well.

The first year I produced lessers, the advertised retail on them was from $22,000 - $18,000 ... the behind the scenes deals were in the $8,000 - $10,000 range by the end of the year. I produced 22 lessers and sold 3 for around $20,000 give or take and that's all that I wanted to sell. I could have sold more for $20,000 each if I wanted, even with people selling them for $8,000 (I turned down offers from two people that I remember). I made all of my money back on my original investment and put a nice piece of change in my pocket. The following season, the average retail price on lessers was $7,500 ... and I did extremely well selling them at that price (even though the behind the scenes deals were at half that).

Did I like to see it? Of course not. Did I make money? You bet your a$$ I did. Did I expect lessers to stay at $20K each forever? Well, considering that just the year before I paid almost double that for mine ... no.

I guess I'm just at a point in the business where I acknowledge that how other people price their animals is one thing that I have absolutely no control over ... no matter how loud I scream, angry I get, or how many low price threads I participate in ... so knowing that, I choose to focus on my animals and my sales.

But believe me, I understand the frustration when you see those animals being sold for what you believe to be a low price ... been there, done that.

-adam

[PythonWallace]

I was speaking in the context of $150 for a spider vs. $200 or even $250. But it can apply to higher end animals as well.

The first year I produced lessers, the advertised retail on them was from $22,000 - $18,000 ... the behind the scenes deals were in the $8,000 - $10,000 range by the end of the year. I produced 22 lessers and sold 3 for around $20,000 give or take and that's all that I wanted to sell. I could have sold more for $20,000 each if I wanted, even with people selling them for $8,000 (I turned down offers from two people that I remember). I made all of my money back on my original investment and put a nice piece of change in my pocket. The following season, the average retail price on lessers was $7,500 ... and I did extremely well selling them at that price (even though the behind the scenes deals were at half that).

Did I like to see it? Of course not. Did I make money? You bet your a$$ I did. Did I expect lessers to stay at $20K each forever? Well, considering that just the year before I paid almost double that for mine ... no.

I guess I'm just at a point in the business where I acknowledge that how other people price their animals is one thing that I have absolutely no control over ... no matter how loud I scream, angry I get, or how many low price threads I participate in ... so knowing that, I choose to focus on my animals and my sales.

But believe me, I understand the frustration when you see those animals being sold for what you believe to be a low price ... been there, done that.

-adam

I understand what you're saying, and I understand that no one will ever change anyone else's mind about pricing and that there is still money to be made. I just want to see more people realize that bottoming out their prices effects other people, and that it isn't the only option to sell more snakes. Like I said before, it's just a pipe dream of mine, but it would be kind of nice to see a few people make that realization. Like I said, I took the difference in price that I would have lost if I dropped all my prices, and invested a portion of it in advertising. I made more sales at the decent prices, and also got more potential customers to my website, and got my name out there. That method is a win-win-win. Two wins for me, and one for the rest of the community. If a few other people would do the same, the falling prices would slow down, and everyone would be a winner.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I guess I'm just at a point in the business where I acknowledge that how other people price their animals is one thing that I have absolutely no control over ... no matter how loud I scream, angry I get, or how many low price threads I participate in ... so knowing that, I choose to focus on my animals and my sales.

But believe me, I understand the frustration when you see those animals being sold for what you believe to be a low price ... been there, done that.

Very well worded.

Being an amateur at best in this hobby / business, I guess I am still at the point where it makes me feel better to complain in public about the people screwing things up for everyone. Not so much to humiliate the guilty, but instead to try and show at least one of them the light. I am sure in a few years Adam I will be more like you on this subject, but for now I am still convinced that some of them can be saved. And more importantly our prices can be protected to a certain extent.

I guess my sales background is part of it too.

Their has never been a better example of the old saying "Sold or be sold." So many breeders in this hobby are simply not sellers. So many that actually prefer TO BE SOLD on the value of their own animals.






.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Very well worded.

Being an amateur at best in this hobby / business, I guess I am still at the point where it makes me feel better to complain in public about the people screwing things up for everyone. Not so much to humiliate the guilty, but instead to try and show at least one of them the light. I am sure in a few years Adam I will be more like you on this subject, but for now I am still convinced that some of them can be saved. And more importantly our prices can be protected.

I guess my sales background is part of it too. Their has never been a better example of the old saying "Sold or be sold." So many breeders in this hobby are simply not sellers. So many that actually prefer to be sold on the value of their own animals.

Funny thing is, if you search through the site, you'll find hundreds of old posts of mine trying to save/protect/educate ... bad news ... it didn't work.

Keep fighting the good fight though, it's a life lesson for sure.

-adam

[rjk890]

Quote Mikey:
Being an amateur at best in this hobby / business, I guess I am still at the point where it makes me feel better to complain in public about the people screwing things up for everyone. Not so much to humiliate the guilty, but instead to try and show at least one of them the light. I am sure in a few years Adam I will be more like you on this subject, but for now I am still convinced that some of them can be saved. And more importantly our prices can be protected.

Good luck showing one of "them" the light.
Good luck "saving some."
and more importantly,
Good luck protecting "our" prices.

Oh Yeah, Good luck selling your male Spiders for more then $150. - $200.

You should worry more about the fact that you do not have enough enclosures for your animals.
You are housing and intend to breed your females two per tub.
Talk about slowing down.

You can call it research all you want, and your friends that would normally jump all over a noobie for the same thing, can defend you all they want.
The truth is that you are in such a hurry to produce as many animals as quickly as possible to make as much money as you can, that it is more important to you then the health of your animals.

That is why "protecting our prices" is so important to you, and in your own words, more important then "saving some, and showing at least one of them the light."

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Good luck showing one of "them" the light.
Good luck "saving some."
and more importantly,
Good luck protecting "our" prices.

Oh Yeah, Good luck selling your male Spiders for more then $150. - $200.

LOL, you have no idea how silly you are making yourself look... Actually the prices I have ALREADY SOLD my 09 male spiders for were at the current retail price... $275 - $300.

It is amazing what a good reputation and patience in this business will do for you.

[Blue Apple Herps]

LOL, you have no idea how silly you are making yourself look... Actually the prices I have ALREADY SOLD my 09 male spiders for were at the current retail price... $275 - $300.

It is amazing what a good reputation and patience in this business will do for you.

Then no offense, but why are you complaining if you're selling your animals for what you're asking?