how to downsize

I've been taking a good, hard look at things, and have decided that it is time to cut back a bit on my collection. I'm out of space and, more importantly, I just don't seem to have the time to give the type of care I think I should. I've got arboreal cages that I haven't set up because when I do get a bit of free time - I have to clean, water, and or feed things. My problem arises from the fact that i don't have much "fluff" in my collection. The species I keep, I keep because I like them and want them around. With few exceptions (and eliminating them doesn't do much for my predicament, I can't just walk in, point, and say: "I want to get rid of those."
If my decision was based on financial issues, I could base my decision on how I could expect the best and quickest return. Another option could be simply thinning the population of some species (ie. Do I really need 12 of those, or 8 of those?). Instead, I find myself looking at the species that require the most of me in terms of time and effort...even though they are some of my favorites.
Just wondering which approach people would take.

I don't wish your decision on anyone! I would find it difficult, if not impossible, to give up some of my charges no matter how "normal" they are. (Sneaky little buggers worm their way right into the family don'cha'know!)

Perhaps listing to yourself the reason why you acquired some of your collection would help you decide how to thin it out.

Wish I could be of more help.

I've been in the same situation, more than once actually. As a side note, once you do succeed in thinning out your collection diligence is required or you'll find yourself back there again within a year or two.
This year was my latest round of it, although it actually started in the spring of 04. I took stock of things and realized that I hadn't spent more than two consecutive nights away from home in well over 10 years. Having a large and diverse collection often means enslavement to it as well.
I used a number of factors in deciding what I could let go. First I earmarked a few animals that would be with me for good regardless. A ball python I've had for 16 years or so, a runt sulcata tortoise that is part of the family etc.
Since time was a big factor in my decision, and the desire to be able to take a real vacation and enjoy life a little more, I first looked at the species that needed daily or near daily care. For instance you'd have to get rid of a lot of snakes to realize the same time savings that you would get by selling one pair of chameleons.
Insectivores were high on the list. I got out of bearded dragons entirely, and chams. Also I reluctantly let my group of star tortoises go. Now I have the one sulcata, and 4 dwarf monitors and the rest of the collection is snakes. That alone freed up a lot of time.

Then I looked at the snake species I'd worked with forever. I'd produced cal kings every year for over a dozen years. I figured I could let those go in favor of some species I hadn't kept long or at all. I'd basically lost interest in the cornsnake morphs so all those went as well.
Most reluctantly I sold my asian ratsnakes. These I do regret, but space was an issue as well and the 8 foot highly active ratsnakes needed big cages.

I also factored in the financial aspect to a degree. Many of the animals in my collection will never generate any money, but with them it's entirely irrelevant, I just enjoy keeping them and they keep me grounded in why I started all this to begin with. Everyone needs a few animals in their collection at least that are kept for no other reason than they really like them.
I did start dabbling in the ball python area a few years ago and have laid some good groundwork there which should hopefully start showing some results this year. I didn't consider letting any of them go. I do enjoy the balls anyway, but they are the one and only project I work on that has a primarily financial interest.

Thinning down a collection is always difficult, and you will have to make some hard choices and let a few things go that you'd rather not. I also find myself refusing to get some things that I've always wanted to keep just to be able to enjoy having more time for a while. There's a lot of things that I will keep one day, but for the present I'm just not going to do it. I've got my snake collection down to about 60 now. Sure I miss some of the things I let go, but it's been for the best. The wife and I were able to take off the first of the month and spend 7 whole days at the beach for bike week. Not a big deal to most people, but when you've been bound to a group of animals for so many years you forget how great it is just to leave it all for a while. If the ball pythons cooperate I'm hoping to be able to do a little more extensive traveling in the years to come and see some of the world while I'm still young. No way I could do that with the type of collection I used to have.

Oh Harald say it ain't so. LOL I did this last year with my birds and it is a very hard decision to make and then actually follow through on it. (Clay, if you think insectivores take up a lot of time, try breeding birds.) I went through my flock and first picked out my utmost favorites. These will not go even if they never lay a fertile egg again.

Each cage is numbered so I wrote those numbers down on paper from my favorite to my least favorite. Now my least favorites were not "culls" by any means. I made a mark at 16 cages and the rest were sold. I picked the 16 cage mark because that is the amount of room I want to dedicate to birds. I decided to keep 14 breeder pr of lovies and 2 pr of TAGs. That is less than half of what I had and only 2 species compared to 12 or 14 or more, I don't remember now.

That freed up my time and money to start buying snakes, my new passion. It also freed up about a 9' x 12' space to make a snake room in my bird room. Wohoo. Now I gotta get building while most of my snakes are still babies.

If you're going to downsize any of your ATBs, let me know. I may have some $$$ to spend there.

That is pretty much the the type of thing I have been looking at...and you hit the nail on the head with the concept of being chained to home. I went away for a couple days in June, and have been having problems with a few things ever since (I knew it would happen). Nothing major, for example - my male yellow anaconda went to the bathroom (probably as I pulled out of the driveway) and after sitting in the urine/ammonia smell he was sounding a bit raspy. It cleared up right away, and I haven't heard a peep out of him...but he hasn't eaten since. He's starting to look a little thin, and I just changed his cage in the hope of getting him started again (wasn't too worried, as I've had anacondas do this in the summer before). Doubt he will be of much use for breeding this year (that bugs me, because I've got 2 big females that are definitely ready to go...if I can get him going soon, I could cycle him late and try anyway. Right now, I'm leaning toward selling the arboreal boas. I really like having them (kinda like when I kept rocks), and I have already cut back on my group, but they are the most demanding of my current snakes. gotta run - will be thinking about this for awhile

Originally Posted by Karen Hulvey

If you're going to downsize any of your ATBs, let me know. I may have some $$$ to spend there.

Will do. I've still got several nice females.

Originally Posted by Karen Hulvey

(Clay, if you think insectivores take up a lot of time, try breeding birds.)

There are a few birds I would like to keep. I don't know about the breeding with some of the species, I'm not particularly inclined to hand feed at all hours. That would be the wife's area if we did that.
She's always wanted some lovebirds, and I would like a group of Lady Gouldian finches, they are so beautiful.
And of course my lifelong desire for a large bird, most likely a Congo African Grey, but also considered a B&G Macaw. I've always put off getting one though because of the commitment. I wasn't sure about leaving it and the need for attention and all, but I've loved those big birds all my life, just never made the decision to get one.

Having dealt with birds at the shop, I could never keep them at home - too much attention for the ones I like...I'm partial to umbrella cockatoos (and they like me, too). 2 jobs, 3 dogs, a wife, a house, and reptiles (both the hobby and business aspects) leave me with NO time for myself...the thing is, I can't imagine my life without any of them. OK, that's not true. I have fantasized about cutting back to 1 job. It would be nice if the reptiles could bring in enough $$ to allow that - here, watch all the pretty colors I turn while I hold my breath!!!

Harald you crack me up. Don't hold your breath too long, it will kill your brain cells. Hehehe

I love the lovebirds. I raise both lovies & timneh African greys and I have kept back 4 lovies as my pets. While I like the greys, I love the lovies more. Did I make any sense at all there?

I'll start a thread in the bird section with a lot of pics of my lovies and some greys in it and ya'll can take a look if you so desire. I have lots of different color morphs of the peachfaced lovebird. In the "bird world" they aren't called morphs they are called mutations. ohhhh ahhhh. Also the birds that are het. are not called that they are considered split to whatever it is. Weird, huh?

P.S. Harald I thought I was the only person with more than 1 job. Can we start a club?

we could, but I would likely be a noncontributing member...just not enough of me to go around. As for the reptiles, I've made a decision: I'm not getting rid of anything at this point. I am going to try to be more organized and scheduled in my approach to things, that includes setting up the cages and getting my other racks built. I'll take the time to do stuff that will ultimately make my life easier and allow for more efficient use of time/energy. Hopefully, that will be enough to get me through til I really have to get rid of stuff. That time will definitely be coming...when I have to figure out which projects are most important to me, and how I am going to make the space for them.