Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 3,034

1 members and 3,033 guests
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,489
Posts: 2,568,446
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 45
  1. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-15-2015
    Posts
    137
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 45 Times in 29 Posts

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    One thing I'll say,

    I don't have a huge collection or a high end collection for that matter, with the cost of equipment, feeders and the snakes themselves, I'm about 6k in so far

    I spent around £6-700 on feeders, cleaning supplies and substrate last year alone


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  2. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-17-2017
    Location
    Palm Bay Fl
    Posts
    31
    Thanks
    16
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    I understand there is cost involved, i have ran a business before, successfully for that matter. I wanna get myself set up in the right path in order to be able to pay for that cost and expenses.

  3. #13
    BPnet Veteran
    Join Date
    08-31-2011
    Posts
    647
    Thanks
    193
    Thanked 425 Times in 261 Posts
    Images: 21

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    Questions like this reminds me of the motto or the Mystery Writers of America. Crime does not pay--enough.

  4. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-15-2015
    Posts
    137
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 45 Times in 29 Posts

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    In the bp game, there's no way to be guaranteed money.

    You could get the most expensive male, raise him up and he might not want to breed,

    He might go off food and not get up to size,

    He might breed and the female could either, not ovulate, ovulate but slug out or lay a clutch and the eggs might not go full term.

    You could get into the 'hottest' project but the value of that project will fall before you hatch anything.

    I don't think you'll find the answer you're looking for


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Jamiesniper For This Useful Post:

    PokeyTheNinja (03-21-2017)

  6. #15
    BPnet Veteran kxr's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-01-2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    740
    Thanks
    414
    Thanked 462 Times in 329 Posts

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    Quote Originally Posted by Jamiesniper View Post
    In the bp game, there's no way to be guaranteed money.

    You could get the most expensive male, raise him up and he might not want to breed,

    He might go off food and not get up to size,

    He might breed and the female could either, not ovulate, ovulate but slug out or lay a clutch and the eggs might not go full term.

    You could get into the 'hottest' project but the value of that project will fall before you hatch anything.

    I don't think you'll find the answer you're looking for


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I feel most of this could be true with any animals. Animals are largely unpredictable, you can't force them to breed, guarantee they won't get sick or control their fertility. I'm really curious if any of these people that are buying snakes for 10K+ ever have problems breeding them... I think I'd be devastated... though I can't see myself ever spending anywhere near that much on a single animal.

    Projects that I've been told will always sell include a lot of the older recessive stuff; albino, pieds, clowns etc.

    I'd really like to hear Deborah's take on the market. What does it mean to understand the market and to evolve with it? Does that mean paying attention to what sells and staying up to date on combos/new morphs that are produced?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #16
    BPnet Senior Member Tigerhawk's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-25-2013
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    1,779
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 729 Times in 621 Posts
    Simple don't do it. You nor the snakes will be happy. If you are just in it for the money.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to Tigerhawk For This Useful Post:

    PokeyTheNinja (03-21-2017)

  9. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-17-2017
    Location
    Palm Bay Fl
    Posts
    31
    Thanks
    16
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    People here make a living off these. Of course we all,have love for the animals. But at the end of the day some people here look at the money as well. And we all know that. No need to tell me not to do it. Again I'm looking for advice as for projects that always sell that's it

  10. #18
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-28-2006
    Posts
    24,845
    Thanks
    6,116
    Thanked 20,811 Times in 9,584 Posts
    Blog Entries
    1
    Images: 6

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    Quote Originally Posted by kxr View Post

    I'd really like to hear Deborah's take on the market. What does it mean to understand the market and to evolve with it? Does that mean paying attention to what sells and staying up to date on combos/new morphs that are produced?
    Understanding the market means understanding what sells and where to sell it, selling online is different than selling at shows, while low end animals do great among show goers, high end animals with a high price tag tend to do very poorly unless you are selling at one of the bigger show (Tinley, Daytona etc which are very expensive). Low end animals are harder to sell online as most people will not pay $60 in shipping for a low end single gene co-dom male, so those animals do not sell as fast and by the time they do (if they do) you will have more money in them than what they will sell for.

    Now because something sells does not mean you should jump right in and produce it, there are the ever popular spider and bees for example, they sell however the market is saturated with them so finding something that is in demand is high and the supply low is really what you want to thrive for.

    Now once you understand your market you have to be able to evolve with it, this is a very unique business and the market itself is always evolving, increase in number of breeders, decrease in prices etc and you have to keep up with all of it and in order to remain competitive you must continually reevaluate your collection, re-invest and upgrade your animals.

    Over the years I have seen a lot of people that thought that once they bought their breeder animals they would just keep making the same amount of money with them year after year and of course when they did not they blamed the market. Obviously those people cannot quite understand the market (which is a simple supply and demand) and the fact that the prices inevitably drop each year.

    To be able to compete you need to have better animals replacing the normal with single gene females, the single gene females with double genes one etc this allows you to make higher end animals and make animals that are in high demand while the market has not be saturated with them yet.
    Deborah Stewart


  11. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Stewart_Reptiles For This Useful Post:

    kxr (03-20-2017),Mike17 (03-21-2017),redshepherd (03-21-2017),the_rotten1 (03-20-2017)

  12. #19
    BPnet Senior Member cchardwick's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-13-2016
    Location
    Bailey, Colorado
    Posts
    1,664
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 1,049 Times in 622 Posts
    Images: 16
    I've been watching the ball python market now for a couple years and I can tell you one thing, the prices fluctuate like crazy! I picked up some snakes for $1,200 that a year later are selling for $600. And some I bought for $500 are in high demand and low supply, I could probably sell them for $800 or more. And as snakes age, in particular females, they can triple in price as they get older.

    I think the key to the ball python business or any reptile business is to diversify. Don't produce too many of one particular animal and saturate the market for that particular animal. From what I've seen the sub $500 snakes are the 'bread and butter' of the business, variety is the key. If I walk up to your table at a show and you have a bunch of snakes that are all the same I doubt I'd buy one unless I'm looking for that particular snake. Every time I buy a new breeder it has to have at least one new gene in it to diversify my collection. You can also diversify by expanding outside of ball pythons which many breeders are now doing, maybe pick up some dwarf retics or boas or king snakes.

    You'll also notice that most of the high end snakes are produced in very low numbers. Once their numbers increase the prices drop like a stone in water. I've actually seen prices for a particular morph plummet over night. Then when people stop producing them the prices can actually increase again. It also seems like it's seasonal, when everyone is producing the price drops, then when the supply is low the price jumps up again.

    To maintain prices I'd say you have to try your best not to undercut competitor prices, people will under cut your prices, etc. until the bottom falls out. I'd say target mid range prices and hold out for the cheap ones to sell.

    I've also noticed that very consistently most prices will fall year after year. I think if you want to keep up with the high end stuff you have to invest in the new morphs coming out every year and sell off a few of your low end stuff. I'd say you probably want 10% high end snakes, 20% mid range and 70% low end (cheaper snakes) to satisfy the demands of the market.

    I'd say investing in reptiles as a breeding business is almost as risky as the stock market, maybe even more risky. I've heard of people buying a $20,000 snake and by the time it's ready to breed the babies are selling for a mere $200. But if you hold out you can still make your money back, it just takes a little longer, you'd have to sell 100 babies to break even.
    Last edited by cchardwick; 03-21-2017 at 08:27 AM.


  13. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to cchardwick For This Useful Post:

    jlcalero (03-21-2017),PokeyTheNinja (03-21-2017)

  14. #20
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-22-2011
    Posts
    6,948
    Thanks
    2,510
    Thanked 4,897 Times in 2,992 Posts

    Re: Guaranteed Money

    From my perspective in the UK . .. the fabulously flourishing Royal market actually CRASHED in 2016 !

    Were seeing lovely Lessers and Mojaves / Mohaves going for £35 each or less !

    Even the old Classics like Albinos are half the old accepted price .. Of course the new paint schemes are still attracting good prices but even they are considerably lower nowadays .

    The " in things " are now the Hoggies !!!




  15. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Zincubus For This Useful Post:

    embrit345 (03-21-2017),EmilyandArlo (03-21-2017)

Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1