• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Did we create a monster?

R

Repti

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I've been reading many forums and I see a tendance in leopard geckos. I don't want to point out any people with this post. What I see is this:

A see a post about a person that show his geckos. There is like let's say 10 really nice geckos, nice morphs, tangerine albinos, SHTCT, etc. Then in their signature, there is a link for their website! I'm like yeah let's go see it. But when I go on the site, I find out that the breeder is actually at his first year of breeding, never bred any leopard geckos.

Is it me, or it's not normal?? I mean there is like steps no? like first you breed your first pair of normals or high yellow. Then you buy 2-3 more females.

Then if you want a website with your breeders you make one. no??

Why do first year breeder already have a website and an available page when they did not even had any eggs in their life...

Maybe i'm too old school! Anyway, what are your toughts about that! Sorry if my post is not clear, i'm not that familiar with english.

Simon
 
People make their websites to show off their animals and get a head start so people are familiar with their animals and site before they have anything to sell. I dont' see anything wrong with it.
 
yah.this will be my first year breeding leopards.i have some nice SHTCTs and a male tremper.i dont have a site yet but i will.ive only sucsessfuly breed cresteds.i think its stupid to have a site when you dont even have a pair of animals.and i think its stupid when you have a site and havent bred anything at all..thats why i waited to make a site.i guess its kinda comon nowadays.
 
Repti said:
A see a post about a person that show his geckos. There is like let's say 10 really nice geckos, nice morphs, tangerine albinos, SHTCT, etc. Then in their signature, there is a link for their website! I'm like yeah let's go see it. But when I go on the site, I find out that the breeder is actually at his first year of breeding, never bred any leopard geckos.

Is it me, or it's not normal?? I mean there is like steps no? like first you breed your first pair of normals or high yellow. Then you buy 2-3 more females.

Then if you want a website with your breeders you make one. no??

Why do first year breeder already have a website and an available page when they did not even had any eggs in their life...

Maybe i'm too old school! Anyway, what are your toughts about that! Sorry if my post is not clear, i'm not that familiar with english.

Simon
Click to expand...

Well this is my first year actually breeding leopard geckos, and I have posted pictures of them here and I do have a website which has a link in my signature line. And yes, it does say on my website that this is the first year that I'll be breeding leos. I've never hidden that fact. It's also my first year breeding fat tail geckos and bearded dragons, too. BUT, I've been breeding snakes for a few years now and I didn't think adding the geckos to my page would be an issue. If someone is planning on raising a certain animal, I think it's a good idea to get the webpage put together BEFORE you get tied down with additional chores that breeding entails.
 
Hmmm, this will be my first year breeding leos as well, but I'm not selling them. I will probably post pics of the babies just like any proud parent would. I've had leos for a while now, I just recently started to really get involved with them because now I have the cash to do so.
 
I see no problem with this. And not everyone "starts out" with normals. My first babies were Rainwater Albinos het patternless, LVPA, and Tang Albinos.
 
My first leo was a hypo tang from TheUrbanGecko. I just thought she was pretty :)
 
I agree. Alot of people start out with what they like the best and are only hobbyists anyways... some of them. I myself 'started' w/ a Tremper and a few Tangs, but never got eggs from them. Then I started with Carrothead Carrottail Tangerine Jungle Giant Albinos, and Tremper PA`s, and then just about EVERYTHING ELSE LOL :hehe: . My first Leopard hatchlings were Patternless Albinos, and this is our second year allready.

No Normals here. I like them, but not enough to breed them
 
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raiquee said:
I see no problem with this. And not everyone "starts out" with normals.
Click to expand...
I agree with Desire'. I was initially attracted to leos because of the LVPA's in particular, and those were among the first that I purchased when I decided to try my hand at breeding them. I like normals too, like Dan said, but not enough to get a bunch of them to breed. Besides, even though I like normals, it doesn't seem that there's really much of a market for them, and I would rather produce something that I have a better chance of finding a home for. I don't think raising "high-end" morphs would be any more challenging to a beginner than raising normals, and I don't think doing so would make them a "monster" either.
 
This is my second year breeding leos but I started out with Chameleons and imports a few years ago so my site was up then and things have evolved into the leos only.
 
I think that it is more or less an introduction as to who they are. If they have "high end" reptiles, hatch some out, and come out of the blue with these high end reptiles, people are going to question who they are, where they're from, if they are scamming or if their intentions are pure.

However, if they take a few months before they begin breeding, set up a website to briefly explain who they are, post on the forums (whether it be this one or another), and get their website out in plain view, I would be less cautious about purchasing from them. Especially if they are an individual which I have had communication with on the Forums or through e-mails.

I have a bad memory for people's names. It takes me forever to remember some of my friend's names if they aren't around. However it's easy for me to spit out a website URL, even if I can't remember exactly who it belongs to. So if I see a first year breeder's website and see they'll have some killer animals in the future, I'll remember the website. I might even bookmark it.

To say that it is stupid or ignorant is an opinion which I respect. However, from a purely business stand point, creating a website and showing off your animals before you even have any eggs is one of the best forms of advertisement out there. It's the same reason that people post pictures of "future breeders". They create a waiting list and such. From a personal stand point, creating a website before you have eggs leaves you more time to spend on the website, seeing as you don't have to take care of eggs, breeders, and hatchlings. That's why I made my website early this year.
 
I don't see a problem here.

I think anyone serious about doing this either as a hobby or trying to make a little money(LOL) on high end morphs should have a website. It's just a sign of the times. If you are not getting your information out there with what you have and/or will have available you will have to house all the babies longer, before you find them good homes. I believe if you don't have a website or some presence on the internet you are not doing it right. I think it's more responsable for a breeder to make sure he or she has every option to find good homes for the offspring so that they don't become over populated and run out of room, which can lead to health issues for all animals and humans involved.
 
This is my fifth season breeding and first on the internet. I agree with the idea that people should keep them for a while before they start breeding. Just to make sure this is something they will stick with. At least make sure you have a way of finding homes for any future babies.
 
ByRandom said:
However, from a purely business stand point, creating a website and showing off your animals before you even have any eggs is one of the best forms of advertisement out there. It's the same reason that people post pictures of "future breeders". They create a waiting list and such.
Click to expand...

That's what I find not normal. I mean, people wanna be "big breeders" real fast. Although many are saying that they do it for the hobby, I know that behind their minds, some of them want to do it for the money. Anyway thanks to everybody that asnwered the thread! Keep the opinions coming!!

WindyO said:
This is my fifth season breeding and first on the internet. I agree with the idea that people should keep them for a while before they start breeding. Just to make sure this is something they will stick with. At least make sure you have a way of finding homes for any future babies.
That is what I find IMHO normals steps.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
First off, well said Josh, I couldn't have expressed my thoughts better.

Repti said:
That's what I find not normal. I mean, people wanna be "big breeders" real fast. Although many are saying that they do it for the hobby, I know that behind their minds, some of them want to do it for the money. Anyway thanks to everybody that asnwered the thread! Keep the opinions coming!!
Click to expand...

I'm sure people dream of eventually turning their leopard gecko hobby into a full time business. Heck, I do! Realistically though, it's just not going to happen for most of us. These websites are a fantastic way to make sure our surplus animals go to great homes, since we can reach a much larger customer base AND have some control over who our customers are.

This was my first big year producing babies, yet I still only produced 36 (32 of which I sold, some I even gave away to good homes!). Granted, I didn't set up my website until I was ready to sell, but I don't see a problem with people setting up sites before hand. It may be counting your eggs before they hatch though! ;)

Personally, I think people who start off with a non-normal leopard gecko are much more educated and prepared than someone who buys a normal. Sure, petshops sell albinos, patties, and some blizzards now, but it's still hard to find decent tangs, super hypos, carrottails, and other line-bred traits in shops. Most of the time the 'normal' leopard geckos are the cheap, easter bunny sort of pet. Y'know, to placate kids on the spur of the moment with no idea of how to take care for them. If you've done your research enough to know that there are private breeders who sell top-knotch animals, and you are willing to spend that much money on your initial group, more power to ya!

Besides, now-a-days the normals are harder to find than all the other morphs! I've seen people selling what we would've called super hypo tangerines a few years ago as normals!
 
Repti said:
That's what I find not normal. I mean, people wanna be "big breeders" real fast. Although many are saying that they do it for the hobby, I know that behind their minds, some of them want to do it for the money.
Click to expand...

Since you seem to know that people want to be "big breeders real fast" and that they're lying about their intentions, then is your catalyst for starting this thread just the fact that some people might be taking short cuts to becoming a "big breeder"?

Repti said:
WindyO said:
This is my fifth season breeding and first on the internet. I agree with the idea that people should keep them for a while before they start breeding. Just to make sure this is something they will stick with. At least make sure you have a way of finding homes for any future babies.
Click to expand...

That is what I find IMHO normals steps.
Click to expand...

Just because someone takes bigger steps than you, doesn't mean that they're a "monster". Shoot, when I'm in a hurry I can make it up or down the basement stairs in 3 or 4 steps. That combined with me (1) posting pictures of my geckos (2) having my website in my sig. line (3) and being in my first year of leopard gecko breeding must make me one scary monster... :reddevil:
 
Well Paul, I must commend you. After looking at your site I am impressed. Not very many people could do all that you say you've done in their first year. You have 20 females listed so that means as many as 240ish babies. To have a website and breeding plan in your first year for that many is impressive. I know I don't have 250 houses yet so you are definitely ahead of me. What is that like 40 hatchling every two to three weeks? Now those are some impressive sales numbers in your first year. I was just thinking those are some high numbers for an average non monster first year breeder. Unless they have an in demand high end morph they are selling for below market value. I was just thinking it would be a better idea for someone with no clientele or proven market to test the waters before they dive in. Maybe it's just because I look at this as a hobbyist first and businessman last. My goal each year is to make enough to maintain my geckos and the advancement of their morphs and traits. I want to breed quality over quantity. With their health and welfare being my most important thing. So I am overly careful about having houses for everyone I hatch in case I can't sell them. I don't know how much 240 geckos eat but I know 80 eat alot.
 
I see nothing wrong with setting up a website prior to having overwhelming experience. The people who are in this hobby for the longhaul know who they should be buying their animals from. The people who just want to buy one of those "neat lizards" don't care.

I also want to note that I don't see anything wrong with buying from a non big name breeder. Just be sure to ask a lot of questions. Try to talk to them via the telephone at least once. If you don't get a good vibe from someone, walk away. The cheapest price isn't always the best deal.

I don't know about anyone else but I do know that Paul knows what he is in for. He is a very concerned breeder. Even though this is his first season with leopard geckos, he is a very experienced keeper. He also will produce some very high quality geckos. I have every confidence in him. He is prepared for the animals that he will produce. I have seen his collection in person and I have such confidence in his caretaking that he has one of my prized males on a breeding loan. There are a lot of people who jump into this hobby and find themselves in over their head. Paul is not one of them.
 
Josh that was very well said.

I don't see the problem with some making a site right away. For the same reasons Josh has already pointed out.

I myself have been messy around with several web site building tools trying to get something together. I just haven't been able to get anything that I am 100% happy with yet. But I think it is another part of our hobby now days. I know I have wished serveral times that the information and private breeders would have been so easy to find when I first started keeping reptiles some 20 years ago.
 
I have decided that I take offense to this post....

Did we create a MONSTER?

1. I took this really to be a post about a leo a possible large or super giant (hint the Did we create a monster) a true monster sized leo

2. People build and maintain websites, that is anyones right

3. Just because they are new to leos does not mean they are new to reptiles

4. Who the heck is the WE that CREATED which MONSTER?

5. Are webistes a monster?

6. Are we not allowed to buy web space and put on it what we choose to.

7. etc etc, Im too angry after reading this and my original reply to keep typing!
 
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