saturated market

[C.C. Rider]

If you are doing it as a hobby and for the love of the animals, what does it matter if you cover the costs or not? I think half of the problem is that people buy animals as an investment, not knowing what the word investment means. It is not a licence to print money.
Some people seem to think they have a God given right to recoup their outlay on their first clutch and are very upset when they can't whether it be to UK breeding or US imports. If it really is a hobby to you and you really are doing it for the love of the animals it shouldn't matter. If you want to make a quick buck breeding reptiles is not the easiest way to do it, and if you don't particularly like the animals involved (someone mentioned Royals earlier,) then you should rethink what you are doing.
What price are we going to be paying for Albino Royals in 2/3 years time when all these imported animals start breeding, the £450 per animal spent now won't seem so cheap in 2012.

[Lisasgeckonursery]

Originally Posted by madaboutreptiles

So what makes you think that "Reputable breeders" are not selling their hatchlings off cheap to get rid of therm?

I didn't say they weren't, the prices are lower than ever so people have to meet what the market will pay. And if some people are panic selling then the market prices will be a lot less. Not saying its right or wrong, just a fact.
Most breeders never think they'll profit but some people seem to have bought reptiles purely with that intention and didn't think of space and money needed hence the panic when they can't sell immediately.

[captaincaveman]

Glad its stayed calm, was worried when i initially posted

[Mujician]

From my point of view all the animals i breed are pets. Some i will sell due to space issues, or to help with costs etc. Obviously its nice when someone gives me cash, but its not about the money. Its about the love of the animals - in my case KSBs! I have have 15 of them LOL! I know i will find it quite hard to sell some of the normal Kenyans, but the ones i do want to sell will go everntually.

[madaboutreptiles]

Originally Posted by captaincaveman

Glad its stayed calm, was worried when i initially posted

We are all grown ups cavie..........

[captaincaveman]

Originally Posted by madaboutreptiles

We are all grown ups cavie..........

some more than others

[Molly75]

Seems to me things are going both ways yes the market will be saturated in a few years as it already is with some species but some of the more uncommon are suffering too which is why I managed yesterday at PRAS to pick up a adult feale spotted python for 50 quid seems the only species selling is balls which in the future will go the same way as the corns have.

Paula

[Mujician]

Things will happen in waves i think. The morphs wont be so big and everyone will want normals etc. (Just an example - not nessesarily to that extent) There will always be 'the next big thing', ie, currently scaleless snakes, albino iguanas etc.

[excession]

Again, more sobering reading!

On the plus side in a year or two i might be able to get an Albino Royal and not feel obliged to make back my 'investment' on it and simply have it as a wonderful pet.

[oakelm]

I think the market is a bit full at the moment, I think everyone is cutting down because of cost which means there are a lot of adult and sub adult animals available as well as the usual glut of hatchlings. I think give it a year or two and some of the market will pick up.

Things like corns and leos that are selling so cheaply now and appear to have no market will still sell, maybe more slowly but I think each species has its followers and lets face it when people buy a first snake it is often a corn and first lizard is often a leo. I actually sold up my corns to make room for my growing collection of other species. But to be honest on a pet level I missed my corns, they are so nosey and just generally nice snakes that when I saw some upper keys corns for sale I just had to have them, yes they were a bargain but a pretty bargain, I may or may not breed them in the future but will always make sure I have room to do so. I am actually having a rack made because I thought I would have to hang on to my young royals this year, sods law most have sold now without having to drop prices but its there for next year just in case.

This year I was expecting to have a hard time selling normals both KSBs and royals but I think they have actually sold quicker than any other year so far, which as it stands at the moment is rather odd :s