increased reptile postings

[mechnut450]

Ok I been looking on line as always for reptiel post, on craigslist and such and i seen a large number (over the last year ) of people getting rid of their entire collections and such. I only look semi local like NJ,PA,MD, and DE, but the numbers are getting higher and higher .I know times aer gettign tough but dang. I don't kno if it due to money issues , kids gonig ot college and such or what but it shocking. Has anyone else seen this or am I just missing some point like summer and stuff ( i don't think it all breeding related since soem of these snakes are a good 3+ years old.

[monk90222]

Take a look at the economy. Job loss. If a person has to either feed his/her kids or his/her snakes, guess who wins?
Also when times are tough you try to sell off things that can make you quick $$ inorder to buy neccessities. Snakes are not neccessities.

[Denial]

Ive had to sell a few snakes since I have become unemployed. It sucks but you have to do what you have to do to make sure your family is taken care of and those bills get paid

[Solinger]

I think time of the year has a lot to do with it as well. We have been looking for a Corn snake for my daughter and most of the people we see rehoming them are either because the kids are bored with them (i am guessing christmas presents) or older kids going off to school.

[mechnut450]

i can see everyone point with the jobs lost and all. I can even understand that with some going to school. It just distrubing on how fast they willing to let the family pet go rather than say drop the internet, limit going out to movies instead.

[pavlovk1025]

i can see everyone point with the jobs lost and all. I can even understand that with some going to school. It just distrubing on how fast they willing to let the family pet go rather than say drop the internet, limit going out to movies instead.

What makes you think that they didnt do that already? They could be posting their ads from the library. Times are tough man.

[Wh00h0069]

Ball python morph prices are dropping very quickly each year, because so many people have started breeding. A $10K snake will be worth $2k in two to three years. Therefore the business is not a lucrative as it once was. This along with the falling economy is the cause of so many selling their collections.

I am selling my collection, but not because of the two reasons above. I have not had any luck switching my ball pythons to f/t, and can not find a rodent breeder close to me. I have to breed my own rodents. I do not like breeding and cleaning up after rodents. I am also going to be moving into the city, so breeding rodents in the garage may be challenging if I have nosey neighbors. I have decided to sell all of my snakes that eat live and only work with snakes that eat f/t. Although I do hate to part with my ball python collection, I think that I am going to be much happier when I don't have to deal with the rats any longer.

[Neal]

Also they may not be able to get rid of internet due to having to go online and such, i've seen to where some colleges do online tests, and that sort of stuff. The economy is tough right now and I guess if you have a few snakes, being petstores charge like $3 for an adult mouse, it adds up monthly.

[rjk890]

A few years ago Forbes Magazine posted an article on how Breeding Ball Pythons was a great investment and lucrative business opportunity.

Breeders were also pushing the same idea as well in order to fetch the high prices they were asking, even for CoDoms. I mean how many people really paid $4k - $6k for a Spider BP, just to keep it as a pet?

Many people that were not even reptile enthusiast bought stock.
(Breeder Stock.)
Some herpers that were not keeping BP's at the time decided to start working with them as well. In hopes that they could make a living doing something they love.

With so many new breeders, and some of the Big Boys putting multiple thousands of eggs on the ground for the last few years, combined with the fact that we are in a recession, the supply of BP's is far greater then the demand for them.

People are just trying to sell of their depreciated "living stocks" before the bottom totally falls out of this industry.

All of the proposed legislation to Ban, or at least Restrict the keeping, breeding, selling, and interstate travel of these animals probably does not help either.