Bp question

[Gerardo]

I was wondering how many people have Pet ball pythons that are kinda expensive. I see alot of people that get $1,000 Snake but Its usually followed by " I plan to breed him/her with ... My question is how many people have PET dreamsicles or other similarly priced morphs? Is there even a market for PET morphs that are expensive?

[Atrox]

How many buy expensive snakes just as pets, rather than for breeding purposes? Probably not many.

I would, but I'm not addicted enough yet.

[Kaorte]

I bought a lot of my snakes with the intention of breeding, but right now I just plan on keeping a small collection of them as pets. Right now I have the following:

Killer Bee, Queen Bee, Citrus Bee, Lavender Albino, Mochi, Lesser Axanthic, Pastel Butter, Citrus Calico. I'll probably try to trim it down to 7.

[DVirginiana]

To each their own, but it's going to act the exact same as a normal so I just don't see the point in morphs unless someone's going to breed.

[Daigga]

Albinos and pieds are pretty commonly kept as pets, and the local petcos in my area are known to sell spiders, pastels, enchis, and the occasional bumblebee (with the bumblebee being the most expensive at 275). Of course I would also throw out that lots of people buying these with the intention of keeping them as pets grow into the BP breeding addiction.

The more expensive genes aren't usually bought as pets, but who knows? There are plenty of people willing to pay 600 to 800 dollars for a dog they didn't plan to show or breed just to get the exact animal they want, so it wouldn't surprise me if there were people willing to do the same for a snake.

[Gerardo]

Well a dog is different. They become members of the family. I wouldnt sell or tarde my dog. I cant say the same about my snakes. Like many other peopl I want some high end morphs. I just cant see myself dropping $1,000 on a Snake i dont plan to breed. Dont get me wrong Im in this hobby because I love ball pythons. Just wanted to know if there was anybody that had a collection of high end pets.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

There are some collectors out there (not breeders willing to pay the price) those are not the people you see on forums either.

Now personally I have sold "pet snakes" at $1500.

Keep in mind that some people spend a lot more for some dog breeds with no intention to breed so why not a snake.

[thejennabird]

Coming from a slightly different perspective, I bought my butter pastel with no intention of ever breeding (or owning more than one BP). I still don't plan on breeding. I just love the way butter pastels look. I know someone who bought a Purple Passion for the exact same reason. If you're only going to own one snake your entire life, why not get one in your favorite morph? Snakes are cool to look at as well as hold, and I've found that people who are afraid of or uncomfortable around snakes have a positive reaction to Gloria because she's so much prettier than they expect.

Sure, you can spend $25 for a normal. But for a pet you're going to own for decades, I'd gladly spend a little more and get something I really wanted.

[Lizardlicks]

Part of why I wanted to start breeding is that there are SO MANY morphs I want, but I can't justify dropping a grand or more on a critter that will sit around and look pretty, no matter how much joy it brings me. But I still consider them pets first and an investment second.

[rlditmars]

Both have 4 corners, and 4 sides and hang flat on a wall, but I rather have a Rembrandt then a black velvet Elvis picture.

Some people will look at ball pythons as living art and will pay according to what suits their fancy. It isn't about how they interact, it is about how they look and how the owner feels when they proudly display them or show them to others. Just my $0.02