Getting rid of normal offspring

[J.Vandegrift]

I had trouble getting rid of males, but females sell ok. I ended up wholesaling out almost all my poss het males as normals (kept most of my male poss het lavenders) and getting $8 each. I did not sell any poss het females, but I was able to get about $25 for normal females. It's hard for me at least to get much more when a couple hundred thousand CH babies were just imported a few weeks/months prior. If you don't mind holding and feeding them for a few months you may be able to get a better price from pet stores near christmas.

[J.Vandegrift]

There isn't any money in normals? Then why have I sold three this year so far?

I agree you can sell a few for a good price if you don't mind holding them for a while but there is a big difference between selling 3 or 4 normals and trying to sell 70 or 80.

[Ginevive]

Ouch..
This is an industry like no other, really. If you think about it..

[Lokua]

i somewhat agree with ginevive on this issue, while normals dont have much "monetary" value they are still living creatures and cannot choose there skin color any more than you or me can. there not worthless and i dont belive one should just dump them into the first random pet store that will take a few dozen on whole sale knowing perfectly well pet stores are the worse place to purchase a snake from and also those who shop at pet stores usualy have no idea of what there getting into. just see something pretty or "shocking" and have some disposible income.

though i disagree about having no value in something that is free. nearly all pets ive ever owned have been free and i love them and take the best care of them i can. had a free dog for over 14 years, thats a long time for a dog so i must of done something right. pet rabbit whom was free for lil over 2 years now, just got done rigging up a little winter box for him, even though i know he needs to be inside thats not possible.

anyways the point im driving twords is a value of worth should not be measured in monetary value. if you wish to give a pet away the receivers payment should be answering and asking questions to proove they are a responsible pet owner. a good question to ask a receiver if you are giving a normal away would be what sort of set-up they have if any and they should be asking you questions as well like if the snake has good feeding habits, if you sexed them and medical information.

one can easly place a pet and do it for free but a paycheck doesnt determine a persons credability or responsibility

[ama1997]

I get rid of my extra normal males or poss hets. To two local pet shops. I wouldnt just give them to just any pet shop for free or almost nothing. Do some checking make sure they know how to keep the snakes. If you go into the store and its all nasty dont sell to them. There are 2 shops i sell to. They both take great care of all there reptiles. Thats one reason i sell to them. The other is they wont sell something to someone that doesnt know how to take care of the animal. If some kid comes in, I want a snake. Well they have to be 18+ or have a parent with them. Then they question them about the animal to make sure they know how to take care of them. If they dont know the answers they dont get the snake. They give them a care sheet for that animal. They are not in it just to make money these two guys care about the animals they sell. I think thats cool so someone doesnt come in and say my 5 year old wants a snake. Then a week later they want there money back. Because the snake ate the family dog. Or They killed it or whatever and want there money back. I get 50.00 each for my captive born males from these two guys. They like it because there nice captive born babies well started and they dont have to worry about getting sick or non eating animals from a wholesaler. I dont have alot, i only have about 24 or 25 balls. Not more than 3 or 4 clutches a year. That will go up as some females get older. I get emails almost ever week from these two guys. Asking if i have any normal males ready to go. Like i said check into the shop make sure everything is cool. Clean well taken care of animals. Not 20 in one cage all that kind of stuff. Check into them make sure they know what there talking about when it comes to the care of an animal. See if they sell to anyone as long as they have money. Or that they really care where the animals go. Oh another thing i keep most of my females. If i know they are 100% normal then i might let some go. But all hets and poss hets i keep. Its kind of hard to find a good pet shop thats not in it just for the money. Most of them are.

[Ginevive]

Craigslist can actually be helpful too. I have used it to place animals for an adoption fee (around $30.) I find that the fee will filter off the losers who are looking for a novelty pet or even weirdos that would use it for something weird like an animal sacrifice (I know that might sound out-there.. but it is not, believe me.) It is not going against CL rules because yes, the animal is up for adoption and no, I am not "charging retail" compared to what pet stores are selling them for in my area. Unknown-sex imports are upwards of $50.00 in some stores! I figure that I am doing people a favor by making CBB normals available at a lower price.. and I always include a caresheet with any snakes I put out.
Another bonus: you can deal locally and this is helpful when you are not yet certified for shipping.

[Royalherper]

There isn't any money in normals? Then why have I sold three this year so far?
it does upset me that people view normals as something to "get rid of" and that "there isn't any money in them anyway."

I thinks it's safe to say that their isn't any money in normals. Maybe I should have said "much money". I don't consider $35 to $50(if your lucky) each as much money. If your lucky you will break even. That works for me. Does that mean that they are worthless? Not to me. I don't consider somethings worth as how much I can sell it for. I have many normals that I don't even breed. I just enjoy them. I'm sorry it upsets you that their monetary value is so low. I hope you can get use to it, its not changing any time soon. Unless you can stop the rate at which they are imported.

[Royalherper]

while normals dont have much "monetary" value they are still living creatures and cannot choose there skin color any more than you or me can.

though i disagree about having no value in something that is free. a value of worth should not be measured in monetary value.

one can easly place a pet and do it for free but a paycheck doesnt determine a persons credability or responsibility

all very good points. I agree 100%

[Entropy]

Pet stores in this area charge 79.99-149.99 for normal import babies...hows that for sticker shock?
Anyway I want to comment on something Gin said earlier about giving away animals. I myself have been the recipient of many many 'free' animals. My guinea pigs, my evil dwarf hamster Chins, even my cat Cooper as well as a handful of my snakes. They ALL recieve the same love and care as the animals I pay money for. I notice on sites like Craigslist people asking a $300 'rehoming' fee for their 1 year old designer dog that needs hip surgery that they can't afford to 'insure a good home'. Well, the price they paid the first time didn't insure it a good solid home did it? It's not about the money, it's about the person, many many people that get animals for free are great owners who love and care for the critters just as much as if they had cost a million dollars.

/soapbox

[rabernet]

I would sit on them for 20 years before I would give one for free, even if the recipient were my own mother.

That seems rather harsh to me. Weren't you just given a ball python for free last year? I also enjoyed being able to gift a lovely ball python to Joanna. Just because it was free didn't diminish it's value in her collection, as I'm sure Luna's value wasn't diminished in yours.