I admit I bought Issa as a CBB normal for the price of $50, but I then dropped at least $100 or so for caging and everything else that day. (I picked up a thermostat from Matt about a month later, I think). I did buy Issa from a reptile specialty store, but the owners breed ball pythons themselves. Heck, I think they showed me a mojave? (I can't recall) and an albino that day.

Have you tried looking through www.kingsnake.com for shows or local breeders? Of course kingsnake has it's own classifieds, but most of the babies in right now are captive hatched.

Btw, it is about a billion times better to get everything setup, get the heat and humidity properly measured before you bring your first ball home.