Obviously, the animal has to be in good apparent health, feeding well, and in a clean environment. Nothing turns me off more than poor conditions--except seller rudeness or ignorance.

What I look for is the WOW factor--good color, unusual or symmetrical pattern, reduced pattern gets my attention, and no obvious defects that could be passed down to offspring. Robin's lesser and pastel, and Waltah's & BigLu's cinnamons, and anything Brock has made lately have all been outstanding. Those are morphs that I wouldn't think twice about paying a few extra bucks for.

It's not just one characteristic; it's the whole picture.