Obviously, get what you like. If you want to start a collection with the intent to breed, my advice is to look up really cool combos of three or more genes, and then look for a group of three that would make those combos. For example, my plan in the next few months is to buy a female (or male) cinnamon fire and a lesser pastel of the opposite gender, with an eye for an adult female. Both snakes will cost me under 500, and with that combo I have the possibility of sterling balls, fire sterlings, some combos with lesser thrown in and all the one and two gene possibilities. I love sterlings and fire sterlings.

So, pick out a two or three gene male with a cost cap of $2,000. If you want to settle your collection in and start breeding next year, then look for one or two females (three if you can find a good deal) whose cost totals (all together) about $1,500.