Mack snows.....

Just for the record....I think Alex has done the best possible job of preserving the market value. However, the prices being lowered of mack snows and super snows is inevitable because of supply and demand. I'm sure many new even more expensive morphs will be created out if it in the years to come preserving the investment of the people who have mack snows and super snows if they play their cards right......

I want to make one thing clear. I have a TON of respect for Alex as a business person and a person in general. While I disagree with somethings that in no way lessens the value of his business or the work he's done with his animals.

Originally Posted by dwedeking

No I wouldn't. That's not the issue. It's when you have more than one person agreeing on a set price for an item. If I was doing a new product that could be reproduced outside of my control I would be very careful that I sold to people I felt understood how to run a business, which means looking out for the return on investment. But I could not by law make them agree to a set price as part of the sales agreement.

I have no problem with protecting your investment, but there are proper ways of doing it.

I don't think no one ever agreed to a set price on the future snow offspring. (could be wrong here) They were merely trying to protect themselves from being undersold. It would be a kick in the groin that if the breeders are asking for $1,000 or more for their young, for MR. Discount gecko (anybody, no one specific here) to half price them and get the people to pay $500 (or less) for them, then next year those people are trying to undersell him and so on. Thats how alot of good morphs wind up worthless in just mere years.

Alex is a smart guy and I'm sure he knows that price-fixing is illegal. Actually, the way I took his whole approach was that it wasn't so much about the money as it was about not letting the mack snow gene go the way that the poor patternless gene did a few years ago, and be used, abused actually, solely to generate income for unscrupulous breeders - gecko-mill bred to crank out viable product as fast as possible with no regard to the future of the morph, and introducing a bunch of genetic weaknesses and deformities into the lines as a result.

Originally Posted by leaftail

Alex is a smart guy and I'm sure he knows that price-fixing is illegal. Actually, the way I took his whole approach was that it wasn't so much about the money as it was about not letting the mack snow gene go the way that the poor patternless gene did a few years ago, and be used, abused actually, solely to generate income for unscrupulous breeders - gecko-mill bred to crank out viable product as fast as possible with no regard to the future of the morph, and introducing a bunch of genetic weaknesses and deformities into the lines as a result.

I agree 100% laura. Bad enough trying to find patty's Withour kinked tails to worry about the possibilty of snows going that route.

O yeah one more word for thought. Prehistoric pets and the Blazing Blizards. Imagine if they had a genetic snow

Originally Posted by E2MacPets

Dan is a bad name to have in the leopard gecko business....

Originally Posted by Bringerofdoom

O yeah one more word for thought. Prehistoric pets and the Blazing Blizards. Imagine if they had a genetic snow

EXACTLY.

So, are we saying forms of price fixing equals "good ethics" or what? It never occurred to me that this might be a form of price fixing. I need to ponder on this topic a little more. . . .

I know they broke up monopolies, because they set prices without the benefite of the free market (Ma Bell). Everybody crabs at Bill Gates because he either eats his competition or bad mouths it to death - in the mean time, the majority of people get stuck with a sub-standard piece of software (except for us Apple users).

What's the difference? Alex works hard to keep the price up. He refuses some people the sales because he doesn't like their attitude - and if they get a hold of one - he and his counterparts successfully sink a reputation - and keep it under the water, whenever it tries to surface.

I'm not trying to cause problems. I'm just wondering how ethical it is to try and artificially maintain prices by what looks like price fixing? I suppose I had better go back through and try to pick up what I missed on this topic.

BTW - Steve - you had better be careful who you throw stones against. Everybody has cracks in their windows. It was only LOYAL friends and quick intervention that kept you from a similar situation.

Originally Posted by Bringerofdoom

Also with alex's screening process, it was making sure the snow project had a good start. Instead of someone pairing it up with just a $25 mate and then turn around and command high value or bargain basement value.

OK, here's a hypothetical. When I was breeding leos, I was working with developing a "tiger" line, very thick bordered jungles and line bred normals which had tiger stripes. They weren't worth very much - i bred them because I thought they were cool. I think they get 50-75 bucks a piece.

I think they would look KILLER in black and white. But since they are in a cheap morph, would he sell them to me? I think he would because I am a very good salesman (LOL) - but what if he didn't see the same vision I did. I have the money - a semi-decent rep - and good "ethics" - but a stock that some people think are ordinary.

Just a hypothetical - this is an interesting topic - and not meant to give a shot at anybody.

Oh, now, how can it be price fixing unless they're sterilizing all the leos before they sell them. speaking of which, I've been reading that some seed companines are genetically engineering their grain seeds to be sterile in the next generation, to ensure that people have to return to them for seeds. If you want to be mad at someone, go be mad at them. They're trying to get a monopoly on Wheat and Corn! I think that is really selfish. Mack snows, altho an addiction to some are not technically a necessity for life. So really, how much does it matter if the price stays high and/or not everyone who wanted one last year, got one. BTW, I'm one who didnt make the cut and you dont see me griping.