As an "outsider", a Colubrid guy, I thought I would throw my opinion in - for whatever it's worth.
I have never understood the demand and price for different morphs of snakes - especially Balls. It seems to me that when something new comes out at $10,000, eventually there are more of them and the price is down considerably in a few years.
Is it REALLY that big a deal that one snake has more yellow or white than another? Now, I LOVE the looks of Piebald Balls. But I wouldn't pay an arm and a leg for one.
And unless you are a breeder who will re-coup your investment, why buy one at all when a standard or lower cost morph will give you the same Ball Python?
Now, obviously there is a market for these designer snakes, because people are buying them, breeding them, and selling them. But for someone like me that doesn't know the difference between a Bumble Bee and a Lesser, it makes no sense.
I think Ball Pythons are wonderful animals, and the standard gold and black are gorgeous in their own rights. I suppose all the the morphs are great for people like me - it means the generic normals are cheap
Interesting topic, to be sure. And it goes far beyond Balls. Look how cheap Flat Screen TVs are now! Those that paid thousands for them years ago can get the same thing today for a couple hundred.
Reply With Quote