The REAL reason for dropping prices?

[yeahyeah]

Why are people selling 08s so cheap? I just saw fires for 700. Do people start selling at lower prices because 07s are older and larger so they feel they must drop their prices for 08s? A lot of 07s being sold are pretty small, around 400 grams. I just saw an ad for an 07 that was said "over 350 grams!" with an exclamation point like that was a big deal. Are you kidding me? Give me 4 or 5 months with a baby and he'll be 400 grams. I'd rather pay 700 for a baby morph than 1200 for a year old that isn't even that big.

I understand that prices will drop. But why are breeders selling morphs for so cheap at the very beginning of the season? They have plenty of time to sell them, why rush? There is no one else selling the morphs for cheaper. They are the first ones!!! I don't see a lot of 08s for sale as of yet. No one is low balling them so why are they starting the season off at such a dramatic price difference?

[Nate]

That's a free market for ya.

[naba2002]

this may be the first clutch of some relatively new breeders and they are tryin to make a quick buk????? i dunno jus an opinion

[SPJ]

I actually like it.
Gives me a chance to acquire animals I couldn't a year ago.
Even selling for lower prices, you still make good money.
Even with pastels, you get 5 of them and they are all males, sell them for $100 each, and you still made a nice return.
Lower prices means more people can afford the animals.
Heck, maybe one day I'll be able to afford a crystal.

[littleindiangirl]

I actually like it.
Gives me a chance to acquire animals I couldn't a year ago.
Even selling for lower prices, you still make good money.
Even with pastels, you get 5 of them and they are all males, sell them for $100 each, and you still made a nice return.
Lower prices means more people can afford the animals.
Heck, maybe one day I'll be able to afford a crystal.

Yup, I think this new market can be a good thing.

Think of it in a pyramid style fashion. Only a few at the top can afford the big ticket items.

As you go down in the pyramid, the number of people that can afford certain animals only grows. While you wont see an immediate return like you would if the animals cost more, you DO have more and more people able to afford those animals, and you'll sell out quicker than before.

[muddoc]

Even selling for lower prices, you still make good money.
Even with pastels, you get 5 of them and they are all males, sell them for $100 each, and you still made a nice return.

Unless you paid $1000 for your first Pastel male.

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Unless you paid $1000 for your first Pastel male.

But even then, that pastel male should be able to sire 20+ eggs in his first breeding season, half of which are pastels. Theoretically, in your first year you could make all your money back and still have the snake for many more years.

I think it's weird that people are dissapointed they may not make their money back in their very first year. I can't think of a single business where the owner expects to turn a profit his/her first year.

JonV

[SPJ]

Unless you paid $1000 for your first Pastel male.

Close. I paid $750 plus shipping.

I also paid a LOT more for my first spider and albino than what they are going for now.

Even so, no matter what you paid back a few years ago, you will make back the money put into purchasing them.

[Gloryhound]

Some possible reasons I see.

A lot of relatively new breeders realize they can not ask what the big guys are as they have no reputation as a seller at this time and when given a choice between a nobody in the industry and a big name I think most people will go with the big name all other factors being the same. Also once the larger breeders have their 08's out a lot of people will buy from them without even looking around.

Also I think the current economy is hitting a lot of small breeders hard. They need to get some cash moving to pay bills, be it general house hold bills or the credit bills it took to get them moving. Additionally if the economy gets tighter or is already tight enough more people will start cutting luxuries out of their spending, and ball python morphs are not high on the list of things needed to live. Breeders could be looking at capitalizing while and if they can.

Additionally some people are looking at the pricing from reptile expos early this year and think those prices actually reflect the market as a whole. We will have to see if that is true or not, but by low balling early they could end up creating a trend.

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Supply, demand, and a very sloooow economy.

JonV