Quote Originally Posted by JLC View Post
I don't think anyone could give you the answer you seem to be seeking. How much any individual might make depends entirely on them and their particular circumstances. There is no "formula" for something so variable as ball python breeding as there might be for a typical career field with a salary, or even something as volatile as playing the stock markets over a stretch of years.

Just a FEW of the variables that come into play:

How much money do you have to start out with?
What kinds of connections do you have for buying initial stock and equipment?
What kinds of connections do you have for selling high end animals?
What kind of presence and reputation do you have for selling ANY animals at all?
How much land/space do already have to dedicate to the project?
How handy are you at building/maintaining your own space and equipment?
How savvy are you at spending money wisely?
How savvy are you at knowing WHERE to spend your money in the ball python market?
How good are you at running a smart business?
How would you/do you treat customers?
How good are you at advertising?
How well do you actually work with animals?
What kind of attention to detail do you naturally have?
How many years are you willing to work earning absolutely nothing, with the hopes of one day being able to earn a living?
What size operation do you consider "small"?

And so many more variables that don't even account for the "luck" factor, which plays a fairly significant role, especially in smaller operations. The fewer snakes you work with, the greater the chances of "whiffing out" on breeding seasons. Pairs might not breed. Females might not "catch" or "go". Eggs go bad. And sometimes the odds just don't play in your favor and a large clutch might hatch out nothing but normals and common single-gene babies.

I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to make money from your hobby, but if it's to be successful, it MUST be a passion already AND you have to be seriously skilled and fortunate in a lot of other areas as well.
Thank you, Judy for such a well presented and thoughtful response. I must admit I do agree in that my question is not quite one that is able to be answered in hindsight and after thinking it through. I guess I just got excited with my new little friend and it lead me to this site with some dead end questions. Thanks for being forgiving with my ignorance on the subject.