Corn Snake Success at Tinley!

*Cleo! Sorry ><

Hope you find Dolly soon!

I recently saw some photos of Travis' booth elsewhere and let me just say, that is not quite what he quoted me for an amel palmetto. o.O; Maybe I should have bought it after all...

Originally Posted by Hikari

Cleo is so cute! Glad to see you found another snake to keep you company! (Now if Dolly comes back you'll be all set!)

You got to see palmettos too, that's so cool!...so expensive though x_x They are very pretty.

Ty so much.

Set a bottle trap with a pinky last night, but no joy. I bought a bag of 50 pinkies at the show so have a lot to spare. I also feel better at least trying to make food available to Dolly.

Originally Posted by Surimi

I am soo jelly!!! You got to see Brian! From BHB!!!!
Alsoo lovveee Demeter!! Such a pretty thing

Originally Posted by Surimi

*Cleo! Sorry ><

Hope you find Dolly soon!

Thanks. That means a lot. Yes, Brian is very approachable. I'm a little shy when it comes to things like that so it was really nice to be able to meet the Barczyks.

Originally Posted by Dragonling

I recently saw some photos of Travis' booth elsewhere and let me just say, that is not quite what he quoted me for an amel palmetto. o.O; Maybe I should have bought it after all...

I hear you. It sure was neat seeing all of those double trait (and maybe more traits, I can't remember) palmettos. One thing is for sure, people look, they drool; but very few are able to buy. Unless you are very rich or have serious breeding plans the price is just out of reach.

I know from reading his web site Don Soderberg did everything he could to keep the price up.

I'm a nobody as far as breeding corn snakes, etc., go and I hesitate to even express an opinion, but while the demand for palmettos is there, the price seems to me to be out of balance with the demand at the moment. There may be few palmettos, but the ones there are, appear to not be selling very quickly. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. Is the price going to hold? I wonder. With so many affordable and real beautiful morphs is the demand for the palmetto there at the current price? I've been thinking about this ever since I saw them at Tinley.

(Fortunately I can go here on this thread cause anything corn snakes and Tinley is fair game.)

In any case Dragonling, I hope you get your palmetto soon, that you are able to breed many beautiful babies, and that you get a good return on investment. Can't wait for your palmetto pictures!

I'm a trifle conflicted on the price of Palmettos as well, on the one hand, it is nice to see one of our often very underrated colubrids actually going for some decent prices, competitive with the BP and Western Hognose market. And I really hope as many people as possible can get a good return on their investments, I don't begrudge anyone that! And I sure hope no one decides to completely trash the market value on them like what happened and is still happening a bit, with the Tessera gene! That is really unfair and I don't think a very good thing overall to do to the market on corns, I think that contributes a fair bit to the throwaway "cheap" view many people in the reptile world have of corns.

Yet I do wonder if the current price is actually practical right now?? Does seem like there aren't many moving at those prices. They are also very far out of my price range and I really would like to have one at some point, so I'm also waiting somewhat impatiently for them to get down into my range!

I've seen one person having a temporary sale with palmetto het pairs for about 1000 BPS. Otherwise I'm (mostly) pleased to see prices staying steady. Eventually someone will have to drop them, cuz you're right there just isn't enough demand at that price. I'm hoping by the time I have visuals they're at least around $500. Considering I'm adding a few genes, the odds of producing my target are low with only one clutch per year, but I'll have plenty of hets and possible hets to go around. I have no idea where to even begin pricing a possible het palmetto. Good thing my first clutch is still a couple years away.

Right now the people who paid $4000+ are very unlikely to cut the price too far just to unload their stock, so significant drops may yet be a couple years off. Or at least I hope so...

There's a really good podcast on Corn on the Pod in which Don Soderberg discusses Palmetto pricing.

Originally Posted by Tavia

I'm a trifle conflicted on the price of Palmettos as well, on the one hand, it is nice to see one of our often very underrated colubrids actually going for some decent prices, competitive with the BP and Western Hognose market. And I really hope as many people as possible can get a good return on their investments, I don't begrudge anyone that! And I sure hope no one decides to completely trash the market value on them like what happened and is still happening a bit, with the Tessera gene! That is really unfair and I don't think a very good thing overall to do to the market on corns, I think that contributes a fair bit to the throwaway "cheap" view many people in the reptile world have of corns.

Yet I do wonder if the current price is actually practical right now?? Does seem like there aren't many moving at those prices. They are also very far out of my price range and I really would like to have one at some point, so I'm also waiting somewhat impatiently for them to get down into my range!

I agree, in some way all corns are almost too cheap. Not everyone looks at corns as spiritually priceless as treasured pets and as breeders as do most who inhabit this forum. One huge positive of keeping the prices high in spite of any stifling of demand is that is helps keep them out of the hands of the irresponsible. You have to really want and value this corn to buy one. Thanks for your very thoughtful replay to my wonderings.

Originally Posted by Dragonling

I've seen one person having a temporary sale with palmetto het pairs for about 1000 BPS. Otherwise I'm (mostly) pleased to see prices staying steady. Eventually someone will have to drop them, cuz you're right there just isn't enough demand at that price. I'm hoping by the time I have visuals they're at least around $500. Considering I'm adding a few genes, the odds of producing my target are low with only one clutch per year, but I'll have plenty of hets and possible hets to go around. I have no idea where to even begin pricing a possible het palmetto. Good thing my first clutch is still a couple years away.

Right now the people who paid $4000+ are very unlikely to cut the price too far just to unload their stock, so significant drops may yet be a couple years off. Or at least I hope so...

Thank you also for your very thoughtful response to my thoughts and questions.

Depending on any other hets involved it's hard to guess the value of a possible het palmetto. Since it's a real gamble is $200 too low or is $300 to high? (And I'm not sure I'm even in the ballpark with those guesses).

Yes, it would be quite a dilemma if you've paid that much for your breeders, but are having trouble moving your hatchlings at the prices that help add to their allure and give a decent return on investment (though they are plenty alluring for what they are). To me, being in that situation is analogous to having a house mortgage and being underwater.

I definitely do not want to see these beautiful animals devalued. That not only hurts everyone involved, but as previously discussed hurts the value of all corns. I venture to say it's hurts all who not only breed but also who keep and love corns.

That's another thing. On the snake side, BPs predominated at Tinley and I imagine they do everywhere. Frankly, why would a BP be so much more valuable than a corn? Heck, they are more difficult to maintain and while very pretty and wonderful animals, they are no more wonderful than our corns. But because BPs are a better return on investment there are many more BPs being bred from what I can tell. It is clearly very lucrative.

I hope you have many visuals and proven het palmettos (at least percentage-wise if you only have a clutch a year). For the aforementioned reasons I hope that the marketplace works in the favor of you and all who have made this substantial investment. Last, may the genes be with you!

Originally Posted by Nanci

There's a really good podcast on Corn on the Pod in which Don Soderberg discusses Palmetto pricing.

Thanks, Nanci! I'll look that up.

Originally Posted by Dragonling

I recently saw some photos of Travis' booth elsewhere and let me just say, that is not quite what he quoted me for an amel palmetto. o.O; Maybe I should have bought it after all...

I don't frequent the forums much, but this post was brought up to me and I figured I should address it as I'm sure there's a misunderstanding someplace. For the record, I have never priced a Palmetto at any show differently than what I did in Tinley, nor have I priced one on the table for anything different than what my online advertised price is for 2015 hatchlings. The $8000 animal that is being referred to is an older ready to breed animal. Perhaps that's why the price I quoted you is less than what you see here????? I just wanted to reassure everyone who has invested in the project with me, that I am not double dealing and everyone is paying the same price. Hopefully this clears things up a bit.

Thanks,
Travis Whisler
(316) 371-4499

Originally Posted by twreptiles

I don't frequent the forums much, but this post was brought up to me and I figured I should address it as I'm sure there's a misunderstanding someplace. For the record, I have never priced a Palmetto at any show differently than what I did in Tinley, nor have I priced one on the table for anything different than what my online advertised price is for 2015 hatchlings. The $8000 animal that is being referred to is an older ready to breed animal. Perhaps that's why the price I quoted you is less than what you see here????? I just wanted to reassure everyone who has invested in the project with me, that I am not double dealing and everyone is paying the same price. Hopefully this clears things up a bit.

Thanks,
Travis Whisler
(316) 371-4499

No no, though I had at one point considered buying a larger snake. I was referring to what looked like an anery palmetto hatchling among a bunch of normals that appeared to be 5k.