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  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran ThyTempest's Avatar
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    ASF Price gouging?

    Since I decided to buy a trio of ASF's, I have been thinking more and more about why they cost 5 bucks a piece. When they are sold, they are only the size of a large mouse, which at a show, which is where the ASF's would be from, are no more than 75 cents. In addition to this, the ASF's dont cost nearly as much to keep and cause a lot less hassle in the breeding process. I say this because they eat half as much, drink a third as much, are extremely prolific and actually have protective fathers, and they dont smell. As far as I can tell, there is really not much work to an ASF colony, other than moving around tons of weanlings as they are reproducing so much. So why is it that a lets say 25 g ASF is 5 dollars, whereas a 25 g adult mouse is 50-75 cents. It makes no sense to me, they should be the same price, if not cheaper. I can understand a markup because of the lack of smell really being a selling point, but at what point does that become gouging? I think 5 dollars a piece is gouging, especially when they are not at all suitable to be breeder/feeders and pets.

    Just my 2 cents. Let me know what you all think.
    -Austin
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  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Beardedragon's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    In GA it is nearly impossibly to even find ASFs. there are billions of mice out there, and you can find them in almost every pet store in America. With asfs you have to go to a show or see if anyone local has any, which can be a huge hassle/strain. Its pretty much because they are not commonly available, and people will pay 5$ for one because they might not have the chance to get them again.

    - Matt

    Come here little guy. You're awfully cute and fluffy but unfortunately for you, you're made of meat

  3. #3
    Don't Push My Buttons JLC's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    It wasn't all that long ago that they were selling for $35-$50 EACH! While to those of us who talk about them a lot and are aware of them, they may seem fairly common now...they are still a relatively rare and hard-to-get rodent. There are literally millions and millions of mice out there to buy....and maybe only a few hundred thousand ASF's.

    And the price is driven by what the market will bear. If people are willing to spend $5 on a rodent, then why not ask for $5?
    -- Judy

  4. #4
    BPnet Veteran littleindiangirl's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    Your joking right?

    Here a feeder rat costs $5. I could easily charge a lot more if I was selling ASF. They aren't readily available, they do well with non feeding snakes, and dont get too large for most animals.

    You have to think about it from a business perspective.

    Also, not many people have them, I was lucky to get my trio after months of looking and waiting.

    Advertise the benefits of "natural" prey for ball pythons, often bringing picky eaters around to eating consistently.
    Advertise the benefits that they never grow too large for most BP's. Nor are they too small.

    They have very little smell for their size compared to other rodents.

    Sell only males, to prevent people from just breeding their own. Keeping an edge on the local market.

    All good ways to charge more than $5 ea.
    Last edited by littleindiangirl; 05-15-2008 at 10:45 AM.

  5. #5
    BPnet Veteran ThyTempest's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    I guess the rarity would be a profit upper, but at the same time, I live in the middle of no where (town of 2000 people), and I have found 3 people/companies that breed their own ASF's within driving distance. They are not THAT rare. And while yes, a large+ feeder rat is 5 dollars here too, but that is much bigger than a 5 dollar ASF.
    -Austin
    0.8 Normal 1.0 Pastel 0.0.1 Spider
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    0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula (Rose)
    0.1 Himalayan Cat (Meredith)
    0.2 Persian Cats (Madison and Myrtle)
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    Rats, ASF's, Turks & Dubias.

  6. #6
    BPnet Veteran littleindiangirl's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    Quote Originally Posted by ThyTempest View Post
    I guess the rarity would be a profit upper, but at the same time, I live in the middle of no where (town of 2000 people), and I have found 3 people/companies that breed their own ASF's within driving distance. They are not THAT rare. And while yes, a large+ feeder rat is 5 dollars here too, but that is much bigger than a 5 dollar ASF.
    Your lucky that you live that close to some breeders. You live near lansing-detroit, where there are simply more people.

    Up here... I would be most likely one of the few with ASF in mid-michigan. A few in Flint, and at least one more on the west side of the state...

    Then from there I think it goes up to Tim Hurkman in Northern Michigan.

    They are few and far between. Luckily, we have some big names here and just over the border to spur on some ASF breeding operations.

    Oh, and to the price of a rat. $5 is for any size rat in my area. Yea... they cost that much around here. Petsmart doesnt sell live feeders.... Little shops charge an arm and a leg for a feeder rat or mouse.

    It's absolutely ridiculous. A PINKY mouse cost me 1.75 at one shop in town that actually had some.

  7. #7
    BPnet Veteran SPJ's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    Petstore prices here (for the few that do have live feeders)
    Mice range from $1.99 for a pink to $4.99 for an adult
    Rats range from $2.99 for a pink to $8.99 for an adult
    The ONE place that gets ASF's charges $35.99 EACH!

    If your snake prefers ASF's and will take f/t, give American Rodent Supply a call. They carry frozen ASF's at very good prices and shipping is free to certain areas.

  8. #8
    BPnet Veteran littleindiangirl's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    Quote Originally Posted by SPJ View Post
    Petstore prices here (for the few that do have live feeders)
    Mice range from $1.99 for a pink to $4.99 for an adult
    Rats range from $2.99 for a pink to $8.99 for an adult

    The ONE place that gets ASF's charges $35.99 EACH!

    If your snake prefers ASF's and will take f/t, give American Rodent Supply a call. They carry frozen ASF's at very good prices and shipping is free to certain areas.
    That's what I'm talking about. Every petstore within an hour drive of me rarely have enough feeders, and when they do they charge a lot. (for a crappy feeder too)

  9. #9
    BPnet Veteran panthercz's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    I paid $10 per female, $5 per male and had to drive 3 hours into another state to get them.

    It's called supply and demand, there is a limited supply yet a high demand. If you happen to be lucky enough to have a breeder near by, then I envy you.
    "If I were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book, record and person...I'd probably die of exposure."

    czphotography

  10. #10
    BPnet Veteran ThyTempest's Avatar
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    Re: ASF Price gouging?

    I live between Battle Creek and Jackson. The three I am talking about are a pet supplier in Toledo, via the Taylor show. And two people near Kalamazo via that show(sometimes), though I think one comes down from GR.

    And to SPJ, an adult mouse at a petstore here is up to about 2 dollars. I am getting the ones i am feeding now from Pruess Pet's in Lansing. It is a more upscale exotic petstore that takes better care of everything, and their mice are only a dollar fifty. From a show, you can get adult mice for under a dollar, usually less than 75 cents. Not sure about show rat pricing, but I would bet it is way under pet store prices.

    I guess the point I am getting at, is ASF's should not be that expensive. I am getting a trio and I will probably end up with way more than I need, so I will euthanize and freeze, or sell live if I can find someone willing to pick them up, and I am not going to charge 5 dollars.

    Maybe what I consider a lot of driving is a lot more than everyone else. You say you had to drive three hours, I am having to drive at least 2, probably 2 and a half with traffic, to get to the Taylor show. I dont see this as a lot, being from a small town I accept that even a grocery run is 25 minutes to the store one way. That said, 2+ hours driving is no biggy for me. However, I will say that the gas for a 2+ hour drive sucks.

    Before I started buying from Pruess, I got feeders at Pet Supplies Plus is jackson. They are small feeders, but descent quality, no mites or ticks, etc. They are not on the best diet, but in all honesty, they arent on the best diet with me yet either. They had probably 40 feeders @ 2 dollars each. Pruess breeds their own, and while I dont know how many mice they have on hand at a given time, I would be willing to bet a hundred or more live, and several hundred frozen.
    Last edited by ThyTempest; 05-15-2008 at 11:04 AM.
    -Austin
    0.8 Normal 1.0 Pastel 0.0.1 Spider
    1.1 Het Kahl BCI-08's-FS/T
    1.0 Hypo Citrus Beardie (Citrón)
    0.1 Citrus Beardie (Tang)
    0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula (Rose)
    0.1 Himalayan Cat (Meredith)
    0.2 Persian Cats (Madison and Myrtle)
    1.0 Shih-Tzu (Gizmo) 0.1 Lhasa-Apso (Lana)
    Rats, ASF's, Turks & Dubias.

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