Prices down?

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Why are hatchling prices so low right now? I am really unwilling to comply with these rock bottom prices. I would rather hold them. What is going on?

[zach_24_90]

That's just the market. I'm getting spiders at 30m/40f and pastels at 15m/f mystics 100m/f cinnamon and Mojos 30m/50f... And the bad part is it doesn't matter if you want to comply or not prices will keep dropping and your just going to get stuck with males. Nothing personal just business

[CD CONSTRICTORS]

Stick to your guns on fair prices. Once people dump their stock below market you will have a better chance at getting your asking price.

Value your animals and do not give them away for wholesale prices to the public.

[Shera]

Don't if you don't want to, but probably most importantly, don't advertise low prices. Maybe take low ball offers if you really need to move them and even say that you are open to offers, but it's those people that advertise their rock bottom prices that mess up the market for everyone.

[jcoylesr76]

this is always a problem, year after year. does not matter the gene. someone always tanks the market, then everyone matches to move their animals. if you feel your animal is worth $200 reasonably, then hold your price, what is a year feeding $50. so you got $150 less its feeding, $100 if you add in upkeep. most of the tankers don't want to put $50 of food down a $200, $2,000, or a $$20k animals gullet. this is the reason. market prices suck. hold true and it will be worth it. your animals will be better in the long run anyway.

[King's Royal Pythons]

The people that are looking for the cheapest snake that they can find are not the ones I want to sell one of my animals to anyway. People that are willing to pay a little more for quality generally take better care of their animals. Those that say "it's just business" obviously don't care who gets a snake, as long as they get their money. I do care. I want each one of mine to go to a healthy loving home. If someone tells me that they are willing to buy one of my pastels for $10, then I don't make a sale. If they are only able to afford a $10 pastel, how are they going to be able to afford to take proper care of it?

Stick with the prices you feel comfortable with. You may have to hold on to it for a while, but it's worth it in the end, not only worth it for you, but for the animal as well.

[AlexisFitzy]

Omg I'm so glad you posted this! There have been a couple threads along these lines but a lot of people have been saying that it's just basic economics and that's what it's "supposed" to do. So I'm glad to hear that others are standing firm on their pricing because I am too! Just because it's economical doesn't mean it's necessarily right or should be supported. My animals lives are worth so much more to me than $10 or whatever dirt cheap price people think is "fair". It's just not right. And I also agree with if someone doesn't think that the asking price is fair and starts offering $10 - $50 for it, how in the world are you supposed to buy an enclosure, hides, substrate, water bowl, thermostat, heat pad, hydrometer, FOOD, and possible VET COSTS!! They are going to be keeping this animal for up to 30 years. That's 30 years of food and maintenance and if they are not willing to pay the couple hundred dollars that they are worth than idk how they expect to be able to pay for it's care. This aggravates me to no end and when I told people that it wasn't right and that I'm never going to sell my animals that cheap EVER I got reprimanded for it. I think it's pure insanity. So glad that other feel the way I do, and that some people see that the lives of there animals are worth so much more to them than a couple of lousy bucks!


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[zeion97]

Prices are just prices. I nearly shot myself in the foot last year when I was going to pay $800 for a champagne female and at the last Tinley show they were 200-400. Prices go down over time, as with supply and demand. There will always be people who will lowball prices, wether they be in a hardship in life and they just need to move there animals, or they just seek greed. It's the way it is. I've always seen sales fall in to two category's, pets and breeding. A high quality breeder will always sale for more than a low quality pet but in the end, the seller is the one who sets the initial price, and the buyer will than negotiate.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Thank you. I am glad to hear others agree with me here. It is crazy how a $600 morph in Spring this year went to a $400 morph in the Summer and is now listed by some on fauna for $250! Crazy. Even the prices of females are awful.

[Raven01]

The people that are looking for the cheapest snake that they can find are not the ones I want to sell one of my animals to anyway. People that are willing to pay a little more for quality generally take better care of their animals. Those that say "it's just business" obviously don't care who gets a snake, as long as they get their money. I do care. I want each one of mine to go to a healthy loving home. If someone tells me that they are willing to buy one of my pastels for $10, then I don't make a sale. If they are only able to afford a $10 pastel, how are they going to be able to afford to take proper care of it?

Stick with the prices you feel comfortable with. You may have to hold on to it for a while, but it's worth it in the end, not only worth it for you, but for the animal as well.

X2
^Right fricken there!!!
What I have been saying all along. If you breed for quality your animals will always be worth more than than those that are the reptile equivalent of puppy mills.
Less valuable animals such as the $10 pastel postulated above I would be more inclined to sell as a package deal. A full tank or tub set-up that is appropriate for the animal with the animal essentially free. You make the money on the set-up and the buyer then has invested enough that you can be reasonably sure they will be motivated to care for the animal. Plus, you know the set-up is good because you did it yourself.

Let's face it, most breeders are not looking for single gene males period except for high end or hard to find genes. And, if the gene has been around awhile most single gene males are pretty much considered "pet only" value wise or very slightly above. Like it or not the couple hundred dollar GHI day is coming, those that won't be burned by it are the ones breeding exceptional quality animals and good combo's which will always hold a higher value.

People have a habit of over-valuing what they have i.e. buying a $5K snake and growing it out and forgetting that in the year or two they had zero production from that animal others have been producing animals with the same gene reducing the demand and therefore the "value". If you can pull $3K a snake off that gene your first year people seem to not realise that the animal you bought has already paid for itself and its' upkeep in that single year and then some. It is not a $2K loss in any way shape or form.