Since this thread has already been hijacked in every which direction -- Let me ask how do you acquire a perfect example of a particular morph. It has been suggested (within this thread) that an exemptorary morph should command a higher dollar value; but with my limited research, it seems that the best way to get a prime specimen is to prepay before the eggs hatch and have first choice of the pips. Is this the case, or can you find the perfect butter motley at the Tinley Park show at a cost?
Both. I've seen some high quality animals at shows, but they are usually on the more common stuff and from people that (1) don't sell a lot online / don't advertise and (2) aren't really big breeders but have stock from high quality breeders. Big breeders often produce so many of one morph, that they make a LOT of perfect ones...and some trickle down to a show.
If you want the "perfect example" of something, you don't go to a show looking for it, though. Don't expect to find it there. You may find a perfect example of another morph, but the chance of finding the perfect example of any particular morph is slim. I've always got my best stock my placing an order before hatching season starts. If I want the "perfect example" of something, I would be placing an order now for a 2010 animal from the guy/gal with the best example of that morph that I could fine....and I would try to do that in a year when the breeder wasn't keeping any holdbacks for themselves. Heck, I've had deposits on red and green hognose since before this time LAST year.
I have a good friend (Ted) who I met as a customer in the early 90s. He's out of snakes now, but he wanted to try snakes as a small business. He came over, saw my stuff, bought a few things (it was the beginning of hatching season), and left. He called a few weeks later and asked about a pair or trio of every major thing I was working with. At that time, we are talking easily over 100 snakes. His stipulation was that he'd put a deposit down, but he'd get the best ones I produce of each type as determined by feeding and appearance 9in that order). We agreed. It happened. He got the snakes raised them up, and he had a collection better than mine because he got the best - ones even better than ones from the parents I owned! He did that with a few other people, and he picked up a few at a couple herp shows (mainly ETHS). Skip ahead a few years, and he sold out. I bought his entire collection. The ones he got from shows were all resold. They were nothing special - not a single one. All of the ones (minus a few males) that he got from me were kept, and I sold off the adults the replaced because his were better. I kept MANY of the ones he bought in advance from other breeders, too. They were that nice - I only sold the ones that were species/morphs I didn't want to work with, but they were dang good examples of that cultivar (whatever it happened to be). True story that taught me the value of buying EARLY and not from "what hasn't sold already." Minus a few adults, I can't remember the last snake I purchased at a show off of a vendor's table. (Oh, I've bought some from vendors before a show officially starts, but the average buyer wouldn't get to see those, so that doesn't really count, does it? LOL.) I'm POSITIVE that there are some if I think hard, but the rarity of it should show you my thoughts. I have bought a few at auctions, but those tend to get resold soon. I just do it since the auctions are always for a good cause.
Now that I've said all of that, shows ARE still very good places to get snakes. The above relates more to breeders that bet owners. Pet owners often do better at shows because they can shop for the one that catches THEIR eye. It may not be the "best," but they like it. THAT is what is important for pet buyers. Shows and show sales definitely have their place - like pounds are necessary and many people find perfect pets there, but breeders don't go to the pound looking for stock - and I don't want anyone to think I've said otherwise. It's just that the best usually sell before a show, the second best sell at a show, and the lowest quality tend to hang around until the following yer or end up with a wholesaler/pet store somewhere.
some bloods are not worth more than 30 bucks. My deeper colored bloods will go for top dollar. I guess you have to look at some morphs and price them acording to the quilty of the animal as we do with amel's, hypos and other morphs. Just my own oppion
The problem is that Americans don't get this. Take the "Abbott Phase" Okeetees. There are some amazing looking animals out there, and then they are some real crappy ones. The amazing ones go for up to $75 on average. The crappy ones should go for $25-$35. Those are my estimates, but they follow what I've seen online, too. BUT, Americans aren't always the best shoppers. They want deals over quality. They expect the breeders of $75 animals to compete with the breeder of $30 animals, and they think they'll GET the same quality. By time the learn otherwise (if they are capable of learning), it's too late. The breeder of quality may have been forced out of business while they are stuck with snakes that don't l;ook like what they wanted. Plus, even if they DO buy the $75 ones, they turn around and sell them for $25 to compete with the crappy ones because THEY can't market the differences successfully.
Going back to the blood references, I have some that I won't sell for less than $90/each. I have some I'm happy to almost give away at $45/each. The better ones are selectively bred and the worst ones are byproducts of other projects. I get people mad at me all the time because the $45 blood doesn't turn out as well as the $90 ones. They forget that THEY are the ones that choose saving a few dollars over getting quality. It's my fault for not giving them the best at the lowest price. In other words, anyone that thinks it is as simple as "quality sells for more" - even though that statement is very, very true - hasn't been doing this for long or hasn't been paying attention. Quality DOES count, but it isn't the
simple answer to everything.
