Here's a very simplified, and possibly cynical version;
Some people developed a (and then afterwards, quite a few) very rare and desirable royal morph.
Other people were prepared to pay preposterous sums (many thousands of dollars) for these "new" animals to add to their collections.
Some other people decided that they would be able to make a few quid by also producing these new morphs, and though the prices came down a little, they also made quite a bit of cash.
So far so good. : victory:
Many people who had never before considered breeding their snakes were caught up in this "gold rush" and also began to pump out these very same animals.
People completely new to the hobby heard that there was gold in them there hills, and mistakenly believed that any royal python they produced would make them their fortune.
Hmmm not so good. :blush:
The market was then flooded by every combination of royal morph known to man (so far.) This abundance of animals lead to a massive price slump, and now all but the rarest of the rare can be bought for a pittance. :gasp:
If you think I am patronising you, rest assured I am not.
The tragedy for the hobby is that there are thousands of "normal" royals that people don't really want. Why have a normal when you can have a multi het gti 4x4 for ÂŁ80?
Have a look on the classified section of any reptile forum and see how many "breeders" are selling their whole collections, or how many and how cheap individual royals are right now.:whistling2:
(Disclaimer; there are still many royal enthusiasts out there who keep them for the pure enjoyment of the individual snakes. : victory
