I was actually looking into this the other day, and I found a link to this guy's blog that has a large amount of information on this very topic. He goes into it analytically from a very focused and analytical mindset, looking mostly at how to make it profitable if you were going to invest your time and money (or potentially an investor's money) into purchasing and breeding ball pythons. I found both blog entries absolutely astounding and thought-provoking. I'm not sure what the policy is on posting links to other blogs, so for now I will refrain until I look into it, but he touched on a lot of the same topics/objectives you brought up yourself, as well as a brief how-to on making your hobby at least potentially profitable. I'm looking into breeding myself for the first time, ever. I had a ball last year and I absolutely loved her to death even though she was a "normal". I didn't care. I'd always wanted a snake, had always been told no, and when I'd finally saved up enough, I bought her, the enclosure I needed, lights, thermometers, timers, infrared thermometer, UTH, a hide, a water bowl, and some substrate. I had her for about six months, and then I got my orders to leave the unit I was in to come to where I am now...I had nowhere to keep her while I underwent training, so I was unfortunately forced to find her a new family to care for her, who was very grateful to take her under their care and give her a good home.
I'm going into it purely from a hobbyist's perspective. I don't care if I lose money. I don't care about potentially shelling out 1,000 dollars for a snake that cost me a tenth of the vet bill. I'm getting into it to produce my own Blue-Eyed Leucies, because from the moment I saw them, I wanted my own, and the pairs that you can breed to get them yourself are ultimately a lot cheaper than buying the one snake outright.
Now, when I do eventually breed the parents and hatch my first successful clutch (taking into account the human error factor and the off-chance that maybe an egg or two dies due to error or other incalculable issue) I plan on holding back at least one of each morphed egg that hatches, and selling the rest. I don't expect to break even. I know that my initial costs to set up both snakes to live comfortably, the monthly cost of substrate, mice, lights and heating, and everything else will negate any "profit" by a good amount most likely. But since I'm in it just to enjoy my animals for what they are and make sure they're all raised as comfortably as I'd raise children (if I had any) or pets (of which I've had quite a few), then it isn't a question of profit margins as it is about how enjoyable it is for me to raise them, breed them, and ensure the newborns are put into great and caring homes. If I can enjoy myself doing just that, then I'm happy.
Now if I get burnt out for whatever reason? Then I can always stop breeding, continue raising my snakes as pets, and continue on my way.