[Rumor time] BP Economy taking a dive soon??

[domenge]

So I was talking with a couple who have been breeding snakes and been in the "game" lol for 30 years now. They brought up that the ball python scene is taking a bit of a dive soon. They made a valid point with A LOT of people starting to breed, and all these new morphs coming out that the supply is higher than the demand. I just wanted to start a nice discussion on what you guys think?!

[Dave Green]

Every year I hear the same thing but every year I sell my snakes. I have one 2011 left and so far I've sold five 2012s within 24 hours of putting them on my website. I'm not worried, this is a very popular hobby and while the supply increases each year it seems that demand does as well.

[Jonas@Balls2TheWall]

New morphs = New supply = New Demand

[Slim]

The sky's been falling on this hobby for almost as long as people have been waiting for the second coming.

My theory is that the two events are actually tied together and when the trumpet sounds and JC shows up in the clouds, he'll be holding a sweet Coral Glow Pied in one hand and an Axanthic Killer Clown in the other...

[Don]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYrHOBB5zoY

Here's a video from a big breeder who doesn't seem that concerned about the market. Video was made just last month.

[The Serpent Merchant]

95% of the breeders out there aren't producing anything in volume... They have a handful of clutches each year. It's not like everyone is BHB or NERD.

I don't think that we will ever see a sudden drop off, it's not like the stock market where everyone can pull their money out overnight. If anything a gradual reduction in sales over years maybe but nothing catastrophic.

For every serious breeder that gets into (and stays) in the game I bet 5 people who don't breed or only produce a few clutches get into the hobby. Online we really don't see these people much because either they don't have enough interest in the hobby, or they have already figured out their husbandry and don't need to ask questions.

[MrLang]

Disagree and I do market analysis for huge banks and hedge funds for a living.

I think this issue might need to be more clearly defined, though. What are you meaning by 'taking a dive?'

[RobNJ]

I think the market is very stable and will actually improve over the next few years for many reasons. The hobby is being taken up by more and more people, it's not only common base morphs that are "affordable" anymore, and there are still endless combos to be made yet as well as many morphs that haven't been widely released and several promising projects in the proving out stages.

Established reputable breeders sell out year after year, trades take place on big and small scales, and for anyone who has trouble moving animals, they can always sell them to a reseller who no doubt will be able to move them. I don't think the demand is diminishing in the least.

[MarkS]

The ball python business has been 'taking a dive' for several years now. Personally I find the feeling of weightlessness while in free fall exhilarating.

[versicolor]

I don't think it will take a dive. Before I even acquired my breeding group I had people taking numbers for snakes. I'm still a year or two away from even paring and it's as if the clutches are already sold. This hobby seems nuts like that.

Paul