The Craigslist in my area is so depressing

[Lizardlicks]

How does anyone deal with trying to find snakes on Craig's list when all the BP's look sick and stressed and aren't even close to being kept in a proper set up? Is my area just more terrible than others, or have you guys learned to train yourselves into resigned "nothing you can do" mode?

(Sorry if this is a distressing topic, but I really needed to rant to people who will understand and not just roll their eyes and say "it's just a snake"!)

[dr del]

Please remember if anyone is going to be linking to craigslist posts etc then it needs to be done in the quarantine forum as it generally raises everyones temperatures and they tend to fall afoul of the language rules.

[Lizardlicks]

Please remember if anyone is going to be linking to craigslist posts etc then it needs to be done in the quarantine forum as it generally raises everyones temperatures and they tend to fall afoul of the language rules.

Ahaha no I wasn't going to link actual posts... although it might perhaps be a good idea to move this post preemptively anyway!

[Commandokev]

I totally agree with the OPs thoughts. I look around all the time for interesting posts and it just gets so depressing.

[bcr229]

I've found a few gems in the dross that is CL. They are mainly local breeders "re-homing" normal or inexpensive single-gene babies.

[Spikeanoid]

What bugs me most in my area are people trying to sell dirty used cages. Yeah "if I price it out your two cages cost less than from the store" but the cages at the store are encrusted with poop stains on them either! No way am I, or any sane person, going to pay "$100 firm" for a couple of dirty 20 gal tanks.

[Lizardlicks]

I've found a few gems in the dross that is CL. They are mainly local breeders "re-homing" normal or inexpensive single-gene babies.

I only found one guy reducing his collection once, but none of the snakes he had were all that quality of examples of their respective morphs so I passed. It's been all people trying to rehome their neglected pets while trying to get $$$ for "all the quality equipment that comes with the snake!" idk how to tell them their hot rocks and fancy looking but very open hides are crap, their substrate is awful, and their tanks are way too big. One person didn't even have hides, justa couple fake plants a climbing branch and a weird gargoyle decoration? And their substrate was sand. The snake was free but they wanted $200 for the cage and equipment. If it didn't mean throwing money down the hole of what was most likely going to be a very sick snake, I would have told her to just give me the poor thing and keep her crap stuff.

I don't know if it's worth the heart ache and frustration seeing all these guys I can't do anything about in hopes of finding that one deal.

[albinos_rule]

I buy from breeders, not CL, I hardly ever go looking on CL for reptiles

[kaitala]

The best retail prices are $1 / gallon at petco for tanks. When i was in the market for tanks, id go $0.50 / gallon. That's also what I'd sell my plethora for, cleaned, but not necessarily meticulously so. (If there are bark parts and you dont like the 4 specks, dont buy them. )

Never bought off CL since it seems people in my area want $150 for a normal male.

[Laurenmassx]

I actually decided to take a look on Craigslist, that's where I've gotten most of my pets from. I searched ball pythons and came across a guy selling a male bumblebee & pinstripe for $125 I decided to go pick them up. The setup he had the snakes in were a 10 gallon tank with a branch and newspaper.... I was shocked. I got them home and set up their tanks with aspen bedding, hides, a big water dish, and a heat lamp. The bumblebee reacted to the heat lamp like he had never felt heat before and stuck his head right where it was then got right on his log near the heat, relaxed, and yawned. It was the cutest thing ever! The pinstripe I got is actually huge! I have to ugrade his tank ASAP! When I put the water dish in he went up to it and started drinking then literally dunked his whole head in! He's pretty tame though & the bumblebee is going through a bad shed so I've been trying to help him :/