Debating getting rid of everything...

[jtyson123]

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on here. Over the last year, the whole thrill of breeding these snakes has really lost its appeal to me. I started selling a couple snakes, then eventually ended up getting rid of about 10. I didn't have a huge collection - about 30. Now I am left with the stuff that I really wanted to work on before, but don't know if I care much about it now.

I feel like I am wasting soooo much time and money. I was hoping for the breeding to pay for the hobby, or at least come close. Last season was a big strikeout, this season is looking better, but not much better. However now, dealing with everything just feels like a chore.

Should I sell everything off? Should I sell some and keep some? What should I do? I could use the money, and my time free'd up, but don't want to quit and regret it later. I only have a couple higher end snakes, and the rest are all hets and a couple normals.

If I do decide to sell everything, do many people buy entire collections? Or am I going to be stuck selling them one by one?

I appreciate any opinions you all may have. I just can't make up my mind.

[Kyle1989]

If I were you I would sell most of them but keep a few favs. Good luck with decideing.

[Skiploder]

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on here. Over the last year, the whole thrill of breeding these snakes has really lost its appeal to me. I started selling a couple snakes, then eventually ended up getting rid of about 10. I didn't have a huge collection - about 30. Now I am left with the stuff that I really wanted to work on before, but don't know if I care much about it now.

I feel like I am wasting soooo much time and money. I was hoping for the breeding to pay for the hobby, or at least come close. Last season was a big strikeout, this season is looking better, but not much better. However now, dealing with everything just feels like a chore.

Should I sell everything off? Should I sell some and keep some? What should I do? I could use the money, and my time free'd up, but don't want to quit and regret it later. I only have a couple higher end snakes, and the rest are all hets and a couple normals.

If I do decide to sell everything, do many people buy entire collections? Or am I going to be stuck selling them one by one?

I appreciate any opinions you all may have. I just can't make up my mind.

People who stay in this hobby for the long run do so for reasons other than money.

They do it for reasons other than breeding. They do it because the love their animals. They look forward to interact with their animals. They do not look forward to the cleanings and feedings and record keeping as chores - but activities that they find peace or pleasure in.

I've seen a lot of people come and go. A lot of people who have sprung into this hobby and built up a cult of personality around them due to the fact that they could get two expensive snakes to screw. They convince themselves and others that they are in it for the love of the animals, but in the end the love of the dollar seems to cancel out the love of the species. At some point they realize that they aren't going to strike it rich in this ponzi scheme and quietly fade off.

Then there are the people who get bit with the bug and begin collecting animals. They have no idea how costly and time consuming such a collection entails. Again, we see them light up the forums fiercely and briefly and then quietly fade away.

The forums are rife with these people.

Are you one of those people who are in it for the snakes or the money? If it's the latter, do yourself and your animals a favor and find good homes for them.

Are you a person who got into things too fast and the cost of the hobby outstripped your means to support it?

I honestly can't tell from your post. Is the cost of the hobby weighing you down or did you expect the hobby to pay for itself? (it rarely does).

If so, sell your animals. The hobby should not be a chore. It should be something that brings you pleasure - something you look forward to doing. The last thing anyone needs in their life is something that they elect to do but have no passion for. Time is too precious.

Understand I am not judging you. If for whatever reason you take no joy in keeping and breeding snake, the best thing you can do is find something else to spend your time on that you enjoy doing.

[jtyson123]

People who stay in this hobby for the long run do so for reasons other than money.

They do it for reasons other than breeding. They do it because the love their animals. They look forward to interact with their animals. They do not look forward to the cleanings and feedings and record keeping as chores - but activities that they find peace or pleasure in.

I've seen a lot of people come and go. A lot of people who have sprung into this hobby and built up a cult of personality around them due to the fact that they could get two expensive snakes to screw. They convince themselves and others that they are in it for the love of the animals, but in the end the love of the dollar seems to cancel out the love of the species. At some point they realize that they aren't going to strike it rich in this ponzi scheme and quietly fade off.

Then there are the people who get bit with the bug and begin collecting animals. They have no idea how costly and time consuming such a collection entails. Again, we see them light up the forums fiercely and briefly and then quietly fade away.

The forums are rife with these people.

Are you one of those people who are in it for the snakes or the money? If it's the latter, do yourself and your animals a favor and find good homes for them.

Are you a person who got into things too fast and the cost of the hobby outstripped your means to support it?

I honestly can't tell from your post. Is the cost of the hobby weighing you down or did you expect the hobby to pay for itself? (it rarely does).

If so, sell your animals. The hobby should not be a chore. It should be something that brings you pleasure - something you look forward to doing. The last thing anyone needs in their life is something that they elect to do but have no passion for. Time is too precious.

Understand I am not judging you. If for whatever reason you take no joy in keeping and breeding snake, the best thing you can do is find something else to spend your time on that you enjoy doing.

Interesting point of view.

About me - I have loved snakes since I was a little guy. I started catching them and bringing them home. I got out of them around 12 years old. Then I picked up 2 ball pythons about 3 years ago. That led me to get an albino burm - which I enjoy more than any of my other snakes and a RTB. These 4 snakes I got because the people who owned them couldn't take care of them. I didn't spend big money to buy high end morphs, I rescued them. The balls had terrible mites, were underfed and not kept properly. The burm was mean and never handled, underfed and also kept poorly. The poor RTB was lucky to be alive. The people who had it were beyond stupid. She got fed a small rat every other month and sat in a room with no heat, no water, no substrate in a 10 gallon tank and was 3 years old. Since then I have also rescued an adult male tiger retic. I like to help the animals.

Then the ball python bug got me. I spent time on forums and saw the possibilities. I didn't dive in too fast really, Over 2 years, I collected 32 snakes. Some may say that is too fast, but I just bought the ingredients for what I wanted to make.

I thought the hobby would at least come close to paying for itself. I was hoping for the results of the breeding to pay for food for the year at least. I wanted to make the snakes I wanted for my collection and sell the rest to fund some of it. In hindsight, that was a pretty foolish decision I guess. My ROI has been next to nothing, and I just don't know if I can justify continuing to spend money on such a crap shoot. Playing genetics god is fun in its own way, but I'm not sure if its fun enough. I would love to produce some of the awesome snakes I have seen, but it is such a miserably slow hobby. I have always been one for instant gratification and honestly I have a hard time with the idea of a project that could take 5 years.

Its not so much about the money. I know I will never get my money back out of them if I sell them, and probably still wont if I keep them. I guess its more about the time.

I really enjoy interacting with my 2 big snakes - the burm and retic. They are so personable. The ball pythons aren't nearly as active, and though some may argue this, I don't think anywhere near as intelligent. So I guess when all is said and done, I won't get rid of my big snakes, but I just don't know if I should hold out for some cool stuff to happen with the balls or if I am wasting my time.

[Jessica Loesch]

Wait, I'm confused.

I thought you said you rescued most of them? "I didn't spend money to get high end morphs, I rescued them."

Then you bought more.

In my experience, mature animals sell for more than their hatchling counterparts, especially females. So if you want to make your money back, sell them. Get into things you enjoy more.

[jtyson123]

Wait, I'm confused.

I thought you said you rescued most of them? "I didn't spend money to get high end morphs, I rescued them."

Then you bought more.

In my experience, mature animals sell for more than their hatchling counterparts, especially females. So if you want to make your money back, sell them. Get into things you enjoy more.

Should have clarified, when I started, I didn't spend money on high end stuff. Only once I decided I wanted to start breeding did I start spending money. In the beginning, my intent was to have a few pets that I rescued - just 2 normal balls, the burm and the rtb.

[mastaxaph]

Not a lot of people can buy whole collections. One by one maybe group discounts helps sales.

[janett]

I got hooked about 3 yrs ago. I first got a normal from PetSmart. Then was a Pastel Jungle that caused a great deal of stress eating and so forth, long story, but basically I got her from Kingsnake a "reputable breeder" she never ate. Tried everything. I got her at a year old. Kept her for a year. So at 2yrs old she ate once (softfurred) and NEVER shed. She died at 364 grams at 2yrs old. Paid a good amount of money to 3 separate vets and all said that she had NO parasites, etc. She hated people, wouldnt eat, always biting, when I would pick her up she always wanted to be up high to climb up on something. Anyway, she started having brown horrible smelling liquid come out of her mouth and cloaca. She died about a day after that. As soon as she passed, I laid her on her back, and did an autopsy. I slit her from head to tail, and found that her stomach and liver had ruptured. PLUS her tissue was flaking off and white like a mold. I was very proud of myself on what I learned that night at 3am. I keep a detailed report on all my animals that have passed. This helps me to remember certain situations and the outcomes etc incase I have the same situation with a future snake.

Anyway, after her and all the problems and stress I had with her, I still have another 11 snakes that I have since bought. Ranging from hets to normals, to my Caramel Albino female that I love. (NO KINK!!! ) I am in it for the love of the animals.

Every morning I check temps, water, spot clean, and spend 10-15min holding each one and talking to them. It is time consuming. Recently one of them had a RI and I babied her like there was no tomorrow. Morning and night I would take a Q-Tip and swab her mucous out of her mouth, notate in my book, give her oral suspension of Baytril and notate again. It is time consuming and it is something that I enjoy. I am the kind of person that if I don't love what Im doing then I don't do it.

For me, its not about the money, I enjoy my collection. I PLAN ahead what I want to breed and this way I know what to buy instead of just buy something for the sake of buying something. If I don't make my money back then oh well. Everything happens for a reason.

Adult female BP 9 our of 10 times sell for more than a baby/hatchling. Thats true even with Normals. A normal hatchling can sell for $20 but my adult 8yr old Proven female cost me $60. So, depending on what you spent in total (I keep a record of everything included feeders,etc) you may NOT make back what you put into it, however, you will be happier if you are removing yourself from something that you do not enjoy.

BTW-Im looking for a female Pastel around breeding weight for my Spider.....So, ill be a potential buyer depending on what you have!

[Skiploder]

Interesting point of view.

About me - I have loved snakes since I was a little guy. I started catching them and bringing them home. I got out of them around 12 years old. Then I picked up 2 ball pythons about 3 years ago. That led me to get an albino burm - which I enjoy more than any of my other snakes and a RTB. These 4 snakes I got because the people who owned them couldn't take care of them. I didn't spend big money to buy high end morphs, I rescued them. The balls had terrible mites, were underfed and not kept properly. The burm was mean and never handled, underfed and also kept poorly. The poor RTB was lucky to be alive. The people who had it were beyond stupid. She got fed a small rat every other month and sat in a room with no heat, no water, no substrate in a 10 gallon tank and was 3 years old. Since then I have also rescued an adult male tiger retic. I like to help the animals.

Then the ball python bug got me. I spent time on forums and saw the possibilities. I didn't dive in too fast really, Over 2 years, I collected 32 snakes. Some may say that is too fast, but I just bought the ingredients for what I wanted to make.

I thought the hobby would at least come close to paying for itself. I was hoping for the results of the breeding to pay for food for the year at least. I wanted to make the snakes I wanted for my collection and sell the rest to fund some of it. In hindsight, that was a pretty foolish decision I guess. My ROI has been next to nothing, and I just don't know if I can justify continuing to spend money on such a crap shoot. Playing genetics god is fun in its own way, but I'm not sure if its fun enough. I would love to produce some of the awesome snakes I have seen, but it is such a miserably slow hobby. I have always been one for instant gratification and honestly I have a hard time with the idea of a project that could take 5 years.

Its not so much about the money. I know I will never get my money back out of them if I sell them, and probably still wont if I keep them. I guess its more about the time.

I really enjoy interacting with my 2 big snakes - the burm and retic. They are so personable. The ball pythons aren't nearly as active, and though some may argue this, I don't think anywhere near as intelligent. So I guess when all is said and done, I won't get rid of my big snakes, but I just don't know if I should hold out for some cool stuff to happen with the balls or if I am wasting my time.

Can you go into more detail as to what "cool stuff" happening with your balls entails? More personality? Breeding? What........?

I'll ASSume after reading what was highlighted, that the balls were more of a money-making venture than anything else........

[cdavidson9]

Can you go into more detail as to what "cool stuff" happening with your balls entails? More personality? Breeding? What........?

I'll ASSume after reading what was highlighted, that the balls were more of a money-making venture than anything else........

I have a feeling he's speaking of completing some successful breeding projects, but I can't speak for the OP. Just from reading his post it's what I take from it.

To the OP: After reading everything it sounds to me like you obviously really enjoy animals with more personality. Some people I know totally think that BPs have awesome and distinct personalities which I can agree with to some extent, however after owning a Carpet Python and handeling some other species I know where you are coming from.

It seems to me that you got into the BP projects mainly for the money and for "seeing" some different morphs that you wanted to produce on your own. I know this is a HUGE part of why I and many other people get into this hobby (wanting to produce certain morphs), however we all know that you do have to have a boat load of patience. We all know that it can take a couple/three years just to get the animals to be breed ready, then we can't guarantee the animal producing viable eggs, THEN to even produce the snake we want, the odds have to be in our favor also!

Basically I guess what I'm trying to say is if you love the big, sporty snakes, def keep them... then ask yourself if you have the patience to work toward producing the BP morphs you intended to produce when you initially bought your animals. If no, then make a nice sale and spend the cash on something that doesn't take as much patience

Anytime I'm at a crossroads with a major (or non-major) decision in life I simply make a table with pen and paper. One side stating the Pro's of the situation/outcome/idea/whatever, and the other side the Negatives. List everything you can think of on each side, and it then makes it much easier to come upon a decision. Just an idea.