Help a clueless dad.

[Lizardlicks]

Seconding everyone one the thread so far, but also reiterating Dennis' first post wrt breeding: don't go into breeding snakes thinking you're going to get the next hot combo. That's an extremely difficult goal to go after, and the big breeders have a huge advantage over you what with having tens or hundreds of snakes producing clutches every year, and connections with importers that are getting new snakes and possible morphs straight out of west Africa. What you want to do is select morphs that YOU LIKE, do some research and shop around for quality versions of those morphs, and stick to improving lines and producing even greater quality animals.

Now for basics: Here's the stickied threads about how to set up each type of enclosure. The cheapest and most effective enclosures are tubs. They not only inexpensive but they're easier to heat and maintain correct humidity with than a glass terrarium. Glass tanks are a bear to deal with stats wise, plus they're heavy, but they can be decorated and made to look nice. PVC caging combines the best of both, but it's the most expensive option.

PVC setup
Tank setup
Sterilite tub setup

Likely the most expensive piece of equipment you're going to purchase for you animals is a Thermostat, aka a tstat. This is the most important piece of equipment, and I know it's really temping to skimp here, but you'll be better off in the long run of you don't, especially if you plan to breed in the future. Spyder Robotics actually has a holiday sale on their Herpstat thermostats right now, so it would be a really good time to take advantage of that. Unless you're going with PVC caging, literally everything else can be grabbed at Target, or Walmart, or one of those kinds of places.

Most importantly, each snake needs its own enclosure, you should never cohabit them, especially when you aren't experienced with keeping herps. Take that into consideration when buying equipment: if you have two tanks that each have a heat pad to create a warm spot, you'll need to regulate both at the same time, so you'll need a tstat that can run more than one heat source like a Herpstat 2, VE-300x2, or Zoomed tstat, or you'll need multiples tstats, each running its own zone. If you have tubs on a row on a strip of heat tape, one tstat can control the whole shebang.

As for vendors, since you can see and hold the snake you're considering purchasing, you have an advantage! Things to look for in a healthy, well kept snake are: Good body condition, animals who's sides and back form a triangle are underweight; no stuck shed; no whistling sound when they breathe; and no mucus discharge (those last two can indicate a respiratory infection). Beyond that, what makes a good quality snake varies by morph and for some people it's a matter of opinion (pieds for instance, always look stunning, but people differ on whether they prefer animals with a lot of white, a little white or somewhere in between). Do your research and pick animals that catch your eye. If you see a snake that you just can't walk away from, even if it's something as simple as a pastel, that's the snake for you!

Last thing to be aware of is ball pythons can easily live for 30 years or more. It sounds like you're already on board with your kid's hobby, but if there comes a point where he can't keep the snakes (say, if he moves away to a dorm for college) you're going to have to take over managing and keeping the collection, so make sure that's something you think you'll be willing and able to handle.