I have never haggled in my life for a snake. Is it even possible to do so?

[Ransack]

If you can help me or give me pointers or examples it would be great. I have never haggled during a snake purchase in my life, mind you it's not for a lack of wanting. I'm not good at it.

I have read multiple instances online where people even are dealing with major breeders and they state "got a great deal", "spoke with so and so and got her for an awesome price" etc. etc.

This has never happened to me in my life. I see a snake I want and pay asking price as if I didn't even know it was possible. Any advice would be wonderful or stories.

[Reed12321]

Buy directly from breeders


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[Solarsoldier001]

Usually I ask the breeder what's the lowest dollar he or she can do. And they'll give me a lower price and if I like that I'll say yes. If I don't I'll ask if they'll take my offer. Usually they'll agree or say no. It's just up to the breeder


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[Joe balls]

Remember you are asking a lot of the people that sell snake how to pay less for snakes. I feel if it's a marked price that's what it is I think it would be weird to ask a stranger for a deal. If you do business with someone often you will usually get some sort of loyal customer hook up once in a while, I mean a lot of breeders have very little over head cost like building rent paying employees ect so they might have wiggle room on a price.
i have never sold a snake. So just my thought
and if you want the best deal do what I did just an hour ago and pick up a snake from someone who is moving or joining the army or just tired of feeding cost. I just got a pastel female absolutely free just had to drive 20 miles

[DVirginiana]

I don't know much about the larger breeders, but I can put myself in the shoes of a small-time, hobbiest sort of breeder. I feel like it'd be weird to ask for a lower price without making some sort of deal; like asking to do a trade, or asking if there was a deal for buying more than one animal or something like that. Those things sound more reasonable to me than just asking for a lower price.
Of course, I'm breeding my first ever clutch (non-BPs) this year so I don't really know yet.

[C2tcardin]

I've haggled for most of my snakes but in several instances I've bought 2 or 3 at a time and I think it's fair to negotiate a discount for buying several at a time.

[angllady2]

As a buyer and seller both I can offer a few things to keep in mind.

1. Know what you are looking for and what market value is. Keep in mind a 500 gram snake is worth more than a hatchling.

2. Be sincere. If you like what you see, tell the vendor/breeder so. Tell them what it is about a certain snake or snakes they have that catches your eye versus someone else's animal.

3. It never hurts to ask for a discount, the worst they can say is no, but PLEASE be aware of how much of a discount you are asking for. Don't see a snake for $800 and ask if the breeder will take $300, that is just plain rude.

4. Don't try the old, " This guy over here has XXX morph for $xxx less than you, will you meet that price?" If that guys snake is so fabulous for that price, BUY HIS, don't insult me or my animals by comparing my top notch stock to his bottom of the barrel junk. There is a reason his are so cheap and still haven't sold you know.

5. Cash in hand generally speaks louder than a check or payment plan that is true, but don't be afraid to ask for a payment plan if you need one. Especially if you have a nice size deposit in your hand.

6. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the snakes you see. If the breeder has three spiders and 2 are one price and the other is $75 more, ask why. Maybe there is something there you can't see right away. If you see a really nice looking example of a certain morph, ask how the breeder achieved his results. Breeders like to talk to interested people, and interested people may just end up getting a discount they would not have gotten 15 minutes ago.

I've done haggling from both sides, and I will tell you, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but if you do it right, you will pretty much always make a friend.

And just to throw this out there: At a show I vended, there was a really sweet lady and her husband looking at my pieds and hets. It seems that she, much like myself, had dreamed of making pieds of her own. We talked for quite a while, and she decided she wanted to get at least a het pied female from me to get her foot in the door so to speak. She was so much like I was a few years back, it made me all sentimental and mushy. I made her a deal, not the other way a round. I offered her a male and female het pair, each from a different mom so she could feel safe about breeding them, for $150. Granted, I was asking that price for just the female, so she got the male I was asking $75 for for free, but to me that didn't matter. Maybe I could have gotten more for them, maybe not. But to see the light in her eyes when I told her my offer, and to hear her say she just couldn't that it would not be fair to me, and to see the tears when I told her how now that my dream of making pieds had come true, I was only too happy to make someone else's dream a little bit closer to reality. Well, that is why I do what I do. She came back to my table at least 6 times before the day was out, grinning from ear to ear and trying not to cry. Everyone she knew at that show had admired the babies and congratulated her on the first step towards making her pieds. That my friends, is what this is all about.

Gale

[PeterPieBaldPython]

And just to throw this out there: At a show I vended, there was a really sweet lady and her husband looking at my pieds and hets. It seems that she, much like myself, had dreamed of making pieds of her own. We talked for quite a while, and she decided she wanted to get at least a het pied female from me to get her foot in the door so to speak. She was so much like I was a few years back, it made me all sentimental and mushy. I made her a deal, not the other way a round. I offered her a male and female het pair, each from a different mom so she could feel safe about breeding them, for $150. Granted, I was asking that price for just the female, so she got the male I was asking $75 for for free, but to me that didn't matter. Maybe I could have gotten more for them, maybe not. But to see the light in her eyes when I told her my offer, and to hear her say she just couldn't that it would not be fair to me, and to see the tears when I told her how now that my dream of making pieds had come true, I was only too happy to make someone else's dream a little bit closer to reality. Well, that is why I do what I do. She came back to my table at least 6 times before the day was out, grinning from ear to ear and trying not to cry. Everyone she knew at that show had admired the babies and congratulated her on the first step towards making her pieds. That my friends, is what this is all about.

Gale

First of all, lovely advice, and very thorough.

Secondly, that's the sweetest, loveliest story.

[JMBall's]

If you can help me or give me pointers or examples it would be great. I have never haggled during a snake purchase in my life, mind you it's not for a lack of wanting. I'm not good at it.

I have read multiple instances online where people even are dealing with major breeders and they state "got a great deal", "spoke with so and so and got her for an awesome price" etc. etc.

This has never happened to me in my life. I see a snake I want and pay asking price as if I didn't even know it was possible. Any advice would be wonderful or stories.

Talk to the breeder, get to know them. Pick their brains about the snakes genetics, disposition, feeding habits...ect. Show that you're passionate about your future pick up. I've gotten great deals on all my animals. I've only picked up one snake at a show; all the rest were purchased online from respectable breeders but always lower then advertised. Funny thing is: I've never ASKED for a deal. I have asked for payment plans from breeders who didn't advertise plans and I've never been turned down. I also had at least 5 or 6 emails or texts with the breeder before I did so.

[TucsonAZ]

I think it depends on what you're looking for, if it's a common snake it's easier to make a deal, some snakes are easy to make a deal on because they're uncommon as well. For example, I'm looking for a Desert Pied ball python, I'm certain there were more Albino Pieds or Clown Pieds produced this year than Desert Pieds but the Desert Pied would cost much less because it's "undesirable" and as a result easier to negotiate.

There's also an issue of people not wanting to advertise the price the snake will actually sell for, I'm seeing snakes selling often times for 25% or more under asking prices. I would start there, if they're asking $400, offer $300 cash and I'm betting they will say yes. For me economics would dictate taking that deal just due to the time, effort, and cost of keeping the animal for a potentially better offer in a market where the snakes aren't increasing in value. Clearly many of the people producing balls now aren't concerned with the economics of it but it should be a factor both give consideration to.

So my advice, don't make an emotional buy, know what the snake is worth going in and see what they can do.