While im sure Garrick is great, as well as other breeders mentioned here, nothing is guaranteed buying from a breeder. In addition to having an issue with a breeder in the past, I recently bought a snake from one of the TOP retic breeders in the nation. Rave reviews, everyone loves this guy. I spent more on the animal, compared to other breeders, because I was so impressed with the glowing comments others made about him on this very forum. While the animal arrived healthy, it had nowhere near the personality/temperament and feeding habits of which the breeder had specifically told me it had.

I followed EVERY piece of husbandry advice from the breeder to the letter. It has been months now and I have a snake that is unmanageable, difficult to maintain, and is proving hard to re-sell. Once the sale was made, and I voiced my issue to him, he stopped responding and has now fully disappeared. Point is, there is something to be said for having the animal in your hand, and able to interact with before you purchase. Im sure that there are many breeders that can ship you a healthy, active, and docile bp, but there is nothing wrong with purchasing a first snake at a pet store, provided YOU believe it is right for you.

I promise you that the ~60$ you spend on this animal at petsmart will not make or break their business. Yes these stores have a history of keeping reptiles in bad conditions, but if you find a goodie, do what you think is best.