Quote Originally Posted by Gloryhound View Post
You are absolutely correct!

I've actually been doing some research on a couple different economic models work out with falling prices. Due to unknowns such as continued demand, possible laws and regularions, Rodent food prices, and the price of rodents themselves a couple different models were mapped out. The undercutting of prices by small breeders could turn into a boon for the larger breeders. The larger breeders have rodent supplies that technically pay for themselves and in some cases actually make money for them. This makes the food cost for breeding zero. Additionally most large breeders currently selective breed and not flood the market with chain breedings. Once prices get to a low enough point they can begin chain breeding. The small breeder who has a rodent cost will not be able to sell their snakes when people can go to petco and get a piebald for $200.00 that was sold to the store in bulk form a large breeder.

Also low prices cause decreases in the quality of the ball pythons available. If the animal being produced does not hold open market value will people be as interested in producing the best examples to put on the market or as many as possible to bring them to the market and make the small per animal profit.

I really don't think low prices will be good for the hobbiest and holds more profit potential for large breeders and breeders who just don't care!
i understand where your coming from but also im not in this for the money. if i were a million air i would keep everything i produce, believe me its hard for me to sell these snakes. but in order to fund my ever growing collection, i must sell. breeders sell at the prices they need to stay operating due to a larg over head like i mentioned. so im doing the same, if i could sell one snake at $1000 and have money ready to pay for the food, bedding, and electric then i would only sell what i need to sell and keep the rest. besides when i bought my mojaves and other morphs they were alot of money but i didnt say to myself oh ill make back all the money i spent, what i said was wow what a beautiful snake. all im saying is basically for me to live comfortable and to be able to make sure my snakes are well taken care of i sell just to fund what i have and not to make a living, and thats all i care about. but honestly when you go to buy snakes you dont try to negotiate a better price everyone does, you know. and what i was trying to get at in my last post was this, if you had the opertunity to purchase a ivory from a big breader for $2000, and at the same time lets say me i sell that same snake for $1000 both are healthy and doing very good, which would you buy from... so thats my argument...the only thing big breeders has over small breeders is that they have stalk alomost all year around, so anytime you decide hey i want a ivory and dont want to wait bam they have 20 of them lol you know.. other than that a small collection breeder will sell for less and enough to stablize him or her self and if in it for the love wouldnt care about trying to get rich...