Good luck with that. I seriously doubt their prices will go down any further. These pythons are rare in captivity due to the long civil war in Angola. Although the war is over, the fields and forests are covered with land mines, and few dare to risk catching these pythons in their natural habitat. And it is still a country of extreme civil unrest. The wild capture and exportation of these pythons is highly unlikely making the bloodlines we have here in the US very coveted. Hence the high price tag.
You have to understand that Angolans are rare enough in the reptile hobby that many people don't even know what they are. And once they learn about them, it'll take time to realize that the $1000+ price tag for a pair is worth it. Angolans just do not endeavor a market in the same way ball python morphs do and there is not a huge market or following for them like there is with balls. As such, those who want them are willing to pay for them.
But it's harder to find someone willing to buy from a relative unknown in this species. I will be honest with you, I purchased a 1.1 pair only a few weeks ago - from Chad Duggin. Why did I choose him even though I paid a bit more? Because he is one of the foremost breeders of Angolans in the US. He is working with the 2 bloodlines I personally desire (Trooper Walsh and Casey Lazik lines) and his female is producing 14+ egg clutches with mulitple twins and my 2 will be line bred on her. Once I build up a breeding group and produce some nice offspring, I can begin marketing them - with some help and input from Chad who is well-known in the field. I hope to build up a solid reputation with these snakes as this is the species I wish to specialize in.
I am in NO way criticizing you, but your ads leave out a few important details which might be important to serious buyers. In your first ad, you are asking to trade. Well, unless someone has those snakes you list, no one's going to really jump on that. And your second ad mentions that they are "reduced" but you don't say what they are reduced to. What exactly are you asking for these snakes? (don't answer that here - as Deborah mentioned, this is not the place to post the details). What are their bloodlines? Do you have documentation of those bloodlines from the original seller/breeder? These are things that should be in the ad. I may well have inquired on them myself if this information had been there from the start. Again, I mean NO disrespect - only trying to help you!!
Lastly, one should never get a species because they might be a good investment. You should always choose a species because you love it and truly enjoy working with it. Angolans are not everyone's cup of tea, however, once one has been bitten by the Angolan bug, there's no going back. These snakes are truly amazing!! They have a boa's personality in a ball python's body. Best of both worlds!
If your pair is still available, pm me. I may still be interested.
Originally Posted by Evenstar
Good luck with that. I seriously doubt their prices will go down any further. These pythons are rare in captivity due to the long civil war in Angola. Although the war is over, the fields and forests are covered with land mines, and few dare to risk catching these pythons in their natural habitat. And it is still a country of extreme civil unrest. The wild capture and exportation of these pythons is highly unlikely making the bloodlines we have here in the US very coveted. Hence the high price tag.
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