If it's too good to be true....

[rabernet]

Did I price my snake lower and work up to higher prices? No. Now due to what I was breeding my animals I offered were in the Hobbiest end of the market. As my collection grew so did the price of the animals I was able to offer for-sale.

Price difference is a marketing tool that for a myriad of reasons is not excepted in our industry. No other industry do you see people getting openly dragged through the mud as bad people for running sales for weekends or 50% off for memorial day ect ect.

My suggestion is that if you want to sale your animals market your stuff accordingly, and price it right and you shouldn't have a problem.

This.

I also did not start out pricing my animals below what more established breeders sold their animals for.

An albino is an albino (in your example). Just because Ralph Davis, or Tracy Barker, or any other big name makes one, they don't sprinkle it with pixie dust that makes it worth more than yours. Sell if for market value.

Participate in forums like you're doing here - build a reputation for being a keeper who cares about her animals and helping others, and you won't have a problem selling your animals for market value.

One thing you have to remember - just because your animals don't sell the first day, first week or even first month you post it for sale doesn't mean it's not going to sell and that you have to slash your prices. Your buyer just hasn't found you yet.

I'm perfectly willing to hang onto animals until they sell, especially females, because the more weight they put on, the more their value goes up. A 500 gram female should sell for more than a hatchling.

I've never been intimidated by the big breeders or more established breeders - and you shouldn't either. As long as you are producing quality animals that people desire - you'll have no problems.