Prices at the pet store

[wolfy-hound]

Pet stores have to pay employees, insurance, rent, electric, supplies, etc etc etc.. plus the wholesale price to get those animals. So yes, the snake will be higher for the convienance of buying one at the store.

I usually tell folks to attend a reptile show if they want any sort of reptile. GOod prices, massive selection and you can talk to the breeder usually. But I don't diss pet stores for prices, as long as they are honest about what they sell, and they try to keep them in good conditions while they are "on the shelf".

[Kingofspades]

Consider this though...
You want to buy a normal ball python as a pet.
You find one for $30 from a breeder...and pay $40-50 shipping...then you have to worry about it coming in alive or at all...

Sometimes it's easier to pay $80 at a Petstore...assuming they are in good condition and it's not a slum store.

[unspecified42]

Consider this though...
You want to buy a normal ball python as a pet.
You find one for $30 from a breeder...and pay $40-50 shipping...then you have to worry about it coming in alive or at all...

Sometimes it's easier to pay $80 at a Petstore...assuming they are in good condition and it's not a slum store.

Or you find a breeder in your area and go to their facility to pick up a normal at about $15. You know it's a captive bred animal from a reputable source and that it hasn't had a life full of stress and being exposed to who knows what illness in who knows what conditions.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Agreed--many breeders will sell animals directly at very little markup over wholesale (but of course, there will be some).

Retailers purchase animals at wholesale prices, and then mark them up normally, so naturally the price is higher.

This is perfectly fine, and it's important to remember these animals are all individuals. They are not interchangeable. You can't just grab any old snake and call it the same as every other. If you see an animal in a pet store that REALLY grabs you, and you want that animal...there's no reason you should feel that you've paid too much, if you buy it.

As a breeder, we want to get these low-cost normals out of our collection as soon as possible, because they're eating. We make very little money on pet animals (normal males), and if they stay too long, they'll eat up all the profit we would have made on them...and we still won't be able to sell them for any more to make up for it. So, we sell them to pet stores quickly. The pet store can sell them for a lot more, and won't be losing as much on feeding them as a result.

Some unethical breeders will feed normal males poorly--even putting them on a 14 day feeding schedule, just to save a few extra bucks in the end. Always ask weights (both hatching and current) when buying pet snakes, and be wary if a weight is too low for an animal's age. A good breeder should be able to provide you with feeding records for any animal you buy from them, including a normal male. If they can't, you might even be better off buying one from the pet store after all, so long as THEY can tell you when it ate last, and it looks fairly plump.

At shows, be cautious--if someone has a pile of hatchlings in one bin, and some of them look thin, run away. Pet stores aren't ALWAYS the worst option, even if the prices are higher.

[Theluciddreamers]

Going to a reptile show could be a good option, if there is one is your area. My pet store sells normals for $65. I went to a reptile show that was closest to me, but was still about an hour and a half away. With gas costing me exactly $20 there and back, $5 a piece to get in (me and the GF), and then the $30 dollars I spent to get one. I spent almost the exact price that I would have at the pet store. The only difference is the breeder I got him from was reliable, and if I had any problems or question I could get in contact with him. So I would say take your time getting one. Look at all your options in your area. If this is your first ball then you probably spent some good time researching the kinda snake you want. So why not take the time to find the one thats right or feels right for you. Just a little rat for thought!

[glk832]

Thanks to all.

[seeya205]

Thanks to all.

I hope your son is male! LOL! It should be pretty easy to find a baby female this time of year!

[chris4554]

I like in Tennessee and couldn't find a breeder close to me so I looked at my local Petsmart for a snake. They were normally priced at $80 but I caught it on sale for $40. They will probably but the snakes on sale when they start to get to big to keep there. They prefer to sell little babies I'm pretty sure. If you can't find one elsewhere keep checking back.

[rj1204]

For most people, they probably look on Craigslist/local paper and if they don't see anything, they buy from the pet store because they don't know where to find a BP breeder. At the same time, I think it is usually a good thing that the BP's in the pet stores are higher priced. It seems when most people (not all) spend more money on something, they seem to take better care of it.