So I am currently looking to build up my collection from 1 to a couple of breeding pairs (excluding my current boy, unfortunately, because he's pet-quality, no matter how gorgeous a normal he is.)

Now, as a new prospective breeder, I have a couple of practical questions.

I've been approached by a small-time breeder local to me about purchasing a male pastel hatchling for 75. That's all well and good, but I haven't been able to find a reliable market value for a pastel male, and I don't want to reach too far and snap up a snake that I could potentially pick up farther along in my collection expansion, already built and ready to breed for a similar price tag as what this guy is offering. I also have a sneaking suspicion that he may just see me as a pretty face who thinks snakes are cool, and underestimates my (still-growing) knowledge of the python industry. Tl;dr-- what is the standard market rate for male pastels right now?

Question number 2: Here's what I ultimately want from my breeding collection to start with: a spider female, a pastel male, an axanthic male (possibly combo'd, I just love the axanthic look so much) and a female het pied. What should my purchase order be in a practical world? (As opposed to the ideal world, in which I already have successful projects going lol.)

Any and all opinions are appreciated.