Breeding Standards

[JodanOrNoDan]

The day there are standards for mutations is the day I will quit breeding.

For those who have experience breeding we know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that not all mutation can fit in a standard, clown for example or pied, who is to say a reduced clown should be standard while a busy one should not.

I have hatched animals over the years that did not fit the typical idea of what people have it mind when it come to that morph, so what it's not standard, does it make it less valuable? I think not quite the contrary.

If I sell something for a certain price believing is high quality sooner or later someone will recognize that and pay the price for it, if someone does not and expect me to price it like Joe Schmoe than my answer is simple "buy from Joe Schmoe"

The problem is people are not patient they want to sell their animal soon as they start eating (quality or not). Personally I don't care if it does not sell I have no problem keeping it, and if I really want to move it I wholesale it. Why? Because I would rather wholesale than offer an animal at rock bottom to an individual, just like you will never see me have an auction either.

People need to believe in their animals, and be patient, that is the main issue.

If you can't feed it, keep it or see value in it that you have to dump it, maybe you should not produce it to start with.

I have been doing this since 2006 and I have seen a lot of people come and go and it's always because they have the same complaints, and it all come backs to the points I made earlier, it's a unique market and you must be able to adjust.

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There are many different ways to look at things. People complain about how to assign values to things that are subjective and that they are getting undercut. The solution I put on the table has been done before in other "industries", and it can be done again. Should it be done is another matter entirely.

However, for anyone to say that they produce quality animals but then are unable to say why they are quality animals does not add up.

I am in no shape way or form dependent on my animals for income. I will have my animals regardless of "the market" or if someone else thinks they are not attractive. The ones that I have decided to sell, sell. I have animals in my collection that even I think are ugly. I am not afraid of getting rated. This thread is about business though and business I know. There is nothing special about ball pythons that makes them different from any other animal that is bought and sold. Every business changes and evolves. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. I have prospered in my primary business for 25 years because I can adapt and I have a good reputation.

I have offered suggestions because it sounded like what people were asking for is price fixing and that is a huge no-no.

I also thought this would be a topic that would be good for open debate, but maybe not yet. When I have my thoughts together I will either contact people through PM or start a new thread if we can be productive that way.