Really, is the market getting that bad?

[1nstinct]

i was on KS today and just came across a male black pastel 100% het albino for $150! I had purchased mine in march and he cost me $450, is the market getting that bad for black pastel combos? He also had a albino black pastels for $750, i know the market is based on supply and demand but it seems like, this is not helping the market at all, i might just be going crazy since i just finished my Bio 2 midterm

[snakesRkewl]

This time of year seems like it slows down more than any other time, and with elections coming up it might further slow things down.
I saw the add you speak of and shook my head at how low the prices were, but things aren't moving much and people get restless.
It's not just black pastels, it's the market is slow at the moment.

I will say I think you over-paid for your male if you paid $450, I bought one last year for $325 shipped and he's the sire of our albino black pastels we just hatched.

I saw black pastel 100% het clown females on Kingsnake for $600

[Brandon Osborne]

I don't think it's much about supply and demand these days. I agree with you that dropping the price just because its a new year or late in the season is just bad business. If they aren't selling for the asking price it's another story. The economy is not helping. Food, utilities, and the cost of living in general are ever increasing and income is stagnant. Times are tough.

[Nightfirez]

hmm i dont know

i know its a different ball game but black pastels no hets are fetching twice that here

[Gloryhound]

I don't think it's much about supply and demand these days. I agree with you that dropping the price just because its a new year or late in the season is just bad business. If they aren't selling for the asking price it's another story. The economy is not helping. Food, utilities, and the cost of living in general are ever increasing and income is stagnant. Times are tough.

The problem is a lot of sellers are not in it for business, so they could care less about what is good and bad for business. Then some that are in it for business don't understand business.

Then yes the economy right now has been contracting for 4 to 5 years, you can see it by looking at our GDP growth. Fewer people are actually employed. A lot of people are making a lot less than they did before, resulting in a lot of people forced into selling animals at a low price since it is a supplimental income that they need to pay to upkeep their collections. Then a lot of college kids which accounts for the majority of this kind of businesses customer growth can't find work at all or work that pays their college loans.

[Ridinandreptiles]

I've noticed this too, so would you guys say it is a bad time to invest in snakes in general?

[Brandon Osborne]

The problem is a lot of sellers are not in it for business, so they could care less about what is good and bad for business. Then some that are in it for business don't understand business.

Then yes the economy right now has been contracting for 4 to 5 years, you can see it by looking at our GDP growth. Fewer people are actually employed. A lot of people are making a lot less than they did before, resulting in a lot of people forced into selling animals at a low price since it is a supplimental income that they need to pay to upkeep their collections. Then a lot of college kids which accounts for the majority of this kind of businesses customer growth can't find work at all or work that pays their college loans.

I agree. But I have seen numerous breeders that do this for a living drop prices by 1/2 from one year to the next, even though they sold out the previous year...and we are not talking about common morphs. It honestly makes me reluctant to do business with them.

[Gloryhound]

I've noticed this too, so would you guys say it is a bad time to invest in snakes in general?

It all depends on where you think the economy is going to go. If a sharp recovery is on the way and you wait till the recovery occurs your to late buying in. If you think the economy will drag along for years like it is then probably buying into snakes as a short term investment is not the way to go.

I agree. But I have seen numerous breeders that do this for a living drop prices by 1/2 from one year to the next, even though they sold out the previous year...and we are not talking about common morphs. It honestly makes me reluctant to do business with them.

I see a lot of it has to do with the fact that they are line breeding those morphs today right along with other breeders. By the time a morph drops to a couple thousand dollars in cost it is being line bred to every female 10 or 15 breeders have in their collection. That definately drops the price a lot quicker than the days when a lot of breeders didn't have 100 females up and ready to breed in a given year.

[1nstinct]

I see a lot of it has to do with the fact that they are line breeding those morphs today right along with other breeders. By the time a morph drops to a couple thousand dollars in cost it is being line bred to every female 10 or 15 breeders have in their collection. That definately drops the price a lot quicker than the days when a lot of breeders didn't have 100 females up and ready to breed in a given year.

Very good point about having a lot of females ready to breed at any given time, I plan on breeding for some black pastel albinos are one of my first 2 goals, and if the price to sell them is $150 its fine by me, seeing how this is a hobby for me, but its just sad knowing how bad the economy is effecting the Bp market/the breeders who solely rely on the market for income. I understand has bp have become one of the most know reptiles/probably the most common reptile now, and everyone is breeding them the market has to drop as their are more and more out there of certain morphs(pastels)

[iCandiBallPythons]

I wouldnt base market price on what one individual is selling a particular animal for especially on KS