Are we the last of the old timers?

[MidSouthMorphs]

The ones who truly love the snakes, will carry on the tradition and will respect what the ones before them have done. I started with Ball Pythons back in 2000, collected and bred small time from that point up until 2006, sold off all I had to enlist in the Marine Corps. Check out some prices from 04, this shows how far the founders of the trade have come and the amazing progress they made to make amazing animals affordable to everyone.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ad.php?t=51417
Spiders

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ad.php?t=62261
Pied

I remember back then dreaming of getting a Spider or a Pied, even an Albino was around 2500-3000. I could barely afford Pastels back then. Normals and Pastels is all I had then.

[MidSouthMorphs]

Just for clarity, I am not considering myself as an old timer or founder.

[Homegrownscales]

I have massive respect for all those that are in this hobby for the love of the animals. My main fascination is how varied bp genes actually are. I respect the overall group of longtime breeders that have dedicated their time, lives, and passion for this hobby that I love so much. I only hope one day I will have accomplished so much in this community. I think many respect the hobby, and with that comes the willingness to be patient, learn, love and be disappointed at times. Those that don't show their true colors quickly and most of the time don't last very long.
Again, I thank and look up to all you long time breeders. With only 4 years breeding I still look to all the big guys for knowledge. Every year I am astonished at the amazing things that are being done with this species.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[snake lab]

As long as there is the hobby and the economic market with ball pythons it will get stronger and stronger. I dont think weve seen anything yet. I can remember a time where the albino was god. And then the pied. Then the spider went nuts. The spiders were 20 grand now look at em. As we see top dollar animals now the.market will crash on em just like its done before therefore driving breeders and hobbyists to quest the new bigger badder animal. The.economic aspect has created the ball python industry and its actualky fascinating if you look.at how far its come in just 10 years. Therefore i think in another 10 its gonna be insane. I do however believe in the mad scientist thing. Nature didnt produce the champagne or any of the other designer morphs it was breeders that manipulated the different genetics to create these morphs. Nature gave us the building blocks but breeding by man has created them. Which actually is pretty amazing considering alot of us started doing this without any degrees in the field of genetics. Thats the coolest part. I met a kid who came up to the table at the show today and was talking snakes. He showed intrest in a champagne female. Like a jerk i said you do realize how much they are dont you? He said yea i didnt want to buy it i was gonna see if you wanted to buy 2 that i hatched. Lol i was like what. Heres a 15 year old kid doin big things in the breeding game with a huge collection of cool animals.that made me appreciate the fact that the industry will grow and grow.

[Naginibellatrix]

Im a student starting ball python morph experiments.

im starting out with basics and graduating as the years go bye, ive only seen the tip of the glacier of what people have done before but im taking what they have done and applying the most appropriate information toward new breeds.


ive already come up with a few combos im almost positive will result in something cool. and a few that may or may not be disastrous


If you ask me, its not the end of the beginning. probably somewhere towards the middle

[MidSouthMorphs]

I don't think it's even in the middle. I think we have only started. Their is so much to be done and that can be done. And your not creating new breeds, only new moprhs of the breed. New morphs are popping up every year, thanks to the ones who have a good eye for small stuff going on in the patterns.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Just for clarity, I am not considering myself as an old timer or founder.

By the way NEITHER AM I!!! LOL, i haven't founded anything!

[PitOnTheProwl]

The funny thing is I HATE reading, during school and college i would only read cliff notes to get general idea on discussions.

When it come to snakes, my passion i read everything and ANYTHING i can get my hands on.

Same here.......... I have never felt so driven with any other thing I have done or tried in my life.

[mechnut450]

you know it scarey to think about how much that changed since I started with snakes in general back in 1995. I amit whenI got into snakes there was nothing really out there to learn from outside the 10 dollar books at the pet store. I never got interenet access ( dial up ) until like 2004 and then i only used it to find cartoons and such. I didn't even find forums and such until I got high speed internet back in like 2006 or so. I remember time wishing I afford a simple normals, (I got my first ball pythons as rescues ) I then spent I bet 3 weeks in the libary at school looking up info and such. So I am now 34 and I have 23 snakes and only just started breeding and I learned a lot in those years. I still don't know it all and I never will.

[Reesy]

As a beginner in this, I would like to say that the information that can be gained from the "old timers" can not be labled with a price tag. It is invalueable. I attempted to breed my ball pythons for the first time with no luck, however, when I needed help or emotional support there was always somebody out there with more experience that help get me calmed back down. I am in agreeance that the possiblities are endless. We now have 3 and 4 gene animals that look awsome. What's gonna happen when we start getting 6 or 7 gene animals. Anyway, many thanks to those who opened the door on this quest for the perfect ball python.