The prices for deserts are high because they are pretty and there aren't many. Not everyone breeds, some people just want a nice-looking pet. However, to a breeder a desert female is worth less than a normal female, because at least the normal female can be bred, and while she can't produce combo morphs, depending on her looks she may help to improve certain genes.
If you're strictly looking for a pet try to find a normal with a sweet disposition. One of my favorites is a normal girl who isn't much to look at from a "morph" standpoint, but she's on my list of ambassador snakes and is one of just two that will come to the front of the tub to check you out when you slide it out of the rack. All of my others race to the back or duck into a hide, hiss, strike, etc.