Competing with lowballers

[andyroof1979]

This is why i am frustrated...long post, was my reply on another forum. Hopefully this sheds light and shows I'm not just a hater.

I always have gotten my animals from people who ordered their parent animals from well known sources. Chris Allen, Sunshine Dragons, Daichu, Fire and Ice, etc.

My first ever dragon Pyro was a chris allen red/ orange sunburst x red flame/ cawley orange, produced by a good friend of mine. He knew where he got his animals from. I even bought a blood x chris allen red from him, actually he gave it to me when I built his reptile room for him. I want to know where my people get their stuff from.

The little red number I am waiting to get shipped to me was produced by a breeder who buys parents from Daichu and the like. His babies hatch out at a 4.5" average. As far as the sandfire goes, yes that term is used a bit loosely. I take it to mean colorful dragon that looks sandfireish. Frisky is pretty close and I am sure has some sandfire blood in her.


The Dunner's I am not completely sure how they started, all I know is that they were "noticed to be different looking" in some random clutch of Kevin Dunn's. However they seem to be reputed to be very robust dragons, boasting good size, pattern, and color. Also being a co-dominant morph, it was easily outcrossed.

I plan on purchasing my dunner from one Mr. Chris Allen himself. We will see how that turns out and you know I will be posting when I get him in a few months....I am thinking no later than June, I may even go and pick him up from the Hamburg, Pa show instead of ordering him online.

Then when you consider Bruiser, my normal colored, 641 gram Italian leatherback I purchased from my primary insect source (Gordos Feeder Bugz) I will have a diverse gene pool with color and robust size to factor in.

I will pair Frisky to Bruiser, and Scarlett (dragon i am waiting for) to my yet to be acquired Dunner.

Now then with all that said, i am going through a lot of trouble to produce top shelf lizards, and this is what makes it so frustrating to have to deal with these lowbllers. They aren't bad people, it is a 50ish lady and her 30ish daughter. I don't think they know how to sell the higher end/ quality aspect all they know is how to price cheap and the dragons sell themselves. Me on the other hand am an unemployable entrepreneur, hence why I am a self employed roofer to begin with, so I take my hobby very seriously.

I had a very good name for myself before my wife and I split up and I took 3 years off of reptiles. I am used to competing with $30 normals, but not $60 animals listed for $30. My color/ quality/ bloodline response is going to be a tough sell now. At least at this show. I have sold 15 $70 dragons at one show a couple times competing with $30 normals, and would have sold more had i brought them.

I am going to have to step up hide production so I can do a couple other shows in Michigan as well and maybe 1 or 2 in Indiana. I do adhere to the 6 week or 6" rule and will leave any I just don't feel are ready to move on yet at home and all my dragons eat bugs and greens (at least some greens) before moving on, reputation is everything in this business. I will be pushing more dragons on FB and holding more back to the 5-6 month stage to separate myself from the competition. I did sell my last baby on FB. I posted it in 8 groups and within 20 minutes had 2 sales fall through, one come through and 1 in line if that didn't work out....oddly enough it was the lady i got Frisky from ...go figure. I probably would not have sold him to her as to not help her produce exactly what I will be producing and selling it for 1/3 the value.

I do this because I love working with the animals, BD's especially, they are my favorite reptile hands down. I have made a lot of bad choices and will probably never be able to fully retire, this is part of what I am planning for a semi retired life. I have well thought out plans as you can read above and come hell or high water I will be a profitable reptile breeder. I am determined.

[andyroof1979]

I think i am going to give them a couple of my fake rocks to put in their baby tanks they bring to the show, that way it gets my hides some attention from them being displayed. Worked well in the past, i had a few friends display them with their animals, and it seemed to send more customers my way.

[Reinz]

I think i am going to give them a couple of my fake rocks to put in their baby tanks they bring to the show, that way it gets my hides some attention from them being displayed. Worked well in the past, i had a few friends display them with their animals, and it seemed to send more customers my way.

There ya go.

That's the kind of stuff you do to separate yourself from your competition.

[Daniel.michelle]

Put your tortoises in a dimmed enclosure at an expo. Get a small battery powered led light ring and set it on the tortoises shell. Put them in the dimmed enclosure. Sell them +50$ of the original price as "rave tortoises"

If any of you do that, send me a picture. Seriously.

[andyroof1979]

I figured it out....you buy it low from them and sell it for 3x what you paid for it!

[Jhill001]

You forget some people will look at price alone and see your price and say to themselves well this must be better because it costs more even if its two identical things. They do it with Escalades, restaurants and many other products to include reptiles.