What's with the price crashing?

I don't get it. 2010 balls are barely showing up on the market, and some people are pricing them at half of last year's prices? The demand isn't THAT low. What's going on? What are these people basing this on...the fact that they took longer to sell last year? Or are these people just broke and need the money THAT fast?

There is absolutely NO conceivable reason why lessers should be down under $300, they were at $400 last year. What are these people thinking? Do they WANT to lose money? I mean, pricing low to sell fast is one thing, but what's up with THIS?

Yeah, yeah, someone always complains every year, I figured I would be first this time. Maybe it's just that I always felt that demand controls prices. I actually expect prices for some animals may go back UP this year. Demand is going back up as people are recovering economically. I know it's a novel idea, but ASSUMING a price drop is just not very bright.

People need money and more people are producing balls. This why I keep this a hobby and not a business.

I don't think THAT many more people are producing balls this year than last. Like I said, the 2010s are BARELY starting to trickle out into the market. There are hardly any available yet, so why would people assume such a huge price drop before they've even tested the water?

I hear ya. That's what I was thinking.

Some people just don't care. They're out to sell as much as they can as quickly as they can.

but what they dont realize is they are cutting their own throats.... unless they just plan on doing this for ONE season.

Originally Posted by Southern Wolf

but what they dont realize is they are cutting their own throats.... unless they just plan on doing this for ONE season.

and another reason the price is dropping: people are breeding just to breed. They don't care about quality. So they produce cheep low quality animals they figure will move fast. And there right :/

Let's price a lesser that's a low quality (say its the worst in your clutch) $50 or even $100 cheeper then your "hold backs". What do you think will sell faster? Someone just wanting a pretty pet or someone who doesn't care about quality will buy the cheeper one. Causing cheeper quality animals to show up next season.

You get what you pay for generally. People that breed for quality are people who care enough to put what its worth into raising the animals, its a daily thing to keep up with them. After all, you are responsible for their lives.

Utta, the price usually drops--the question is, by how much. You can't tell how much the price is likely to drop until you can gauge the DEMAND--ie, how many people are buying, and how much they are willing to pay. For folks to simply go 200 bucks under last year's price makes no logical sense, no matter how many people there are breeding lower-quality animals. You can't judge how much the most butt-ugly animal you had the misfortune to produce will be worth until you know how much the average ones should be going for...until you know what the demand is.
(Just kidding--I've never seen a butt-ugly ball python, they're all gorgeous, some are just more so than others).

But why should the price have to drop... its not like snakes are a staple of life... they are an extra.... you DONT have to have them. So why should the price drop... either you can afford it now.. or you will save up a bit