The price can sometimes be lower because you are not paying shipping.
However, the price can be higher because most of the customers won't have much background, and will buy on impulse. Also, once a customer holds the animal, they are more likely to want it - regardless of price and quality.
Furthermore, I would not take the pet store's word for the morph. If the store employees don't have the expertise to determine for themselves, they are just going on what they remember the breeder/wholesaler supposedly told the manager/owner.
I would never buy an animal from a pet store if I wanted to start a breeding project with it - just too many unknowns. Nevertheless, a pet store can be a perfectly good source of...pets. There is a lovely BP at our local pet store, $85, claimed to be Enchi. I wouldn't have given him a second glance, but he was out and I had a chance to hold him. I very much liked him - good energy. (maybe in a few months if he is still there. Discretionary funds for a proper set-up are rather low at the moment.)
Take your time with this, do some more research, and maybe read a few related books. There is always a more beautiful snake out there - so there is no need to be in any hurry.
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