My GOD! Do prices usually slice in half every year!!!!

[WingedWolfPsion]

I think there was a time in the ball python market that utterly spoiled people rotten, because I see people saying this all the time: "You can't get rich quick doing this!"

Exactly how QUICK is quick to you guys? You do realize that in any normal investment arena, a 25% return in one year is COMPLETELY INSANE, right? And that's not an unreasonable goal if you purchase the right animals--you could even manage to hit as high as 50%. No, you can't make back the 20 grand you invested in one year (particularly if part of it went to equipment). But you can make it back in 3 or 4 years. The return comes on a 3 to 4 year cycle, which is how long it takes to raise a ball from hatching to breeding. Most people struggling along making just enough to care for the animals are breeding for the enjoyment of the hobby, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you actually buy in as an investment, YES, you can make it back. It's not guaranteed (but what investment, apart from government bonds, IS?)

Stop scaring off your future customers/competitors by telling them that there's no money in it. That's not true, and you know it. You can't get more people involved in the hobby by shooing them away. If you want the prices to fall more slowly, get people interested in investing in the ball python market. Making it seem unattractive to scare away competitors doesn't WORK for this business. Your competitors ARE your customers.

You're right--no other business IS like this. It's like a big scaly pyramid scheme with a few big names like NERD at the top, and the pet trade at the bottom as a release valve. The more people you can get interested in keeping and breeding balls, the more customers you will have, and the better the prices will hold. I love reptiles, and ball pythons are definitely wonderful animals. The fact that they make great pets is a large part of the reason all of this keeps working the way it does.

Encourage people to get involved. Give them realistic expectations--not discouragement, or overinflated ideas of what's possible. Above all, stop trying to scare off people who look like they might want a 'piece of the action'. Tell them how to do it right, don't tell them not to do it.