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  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

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    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

SO ANNOYING

Dustin,

The animals that I selected weren’t ever meant to hit the public and what I've invested is more than you seem to know. Money isn’t my objective here. It was simply space and time.

However, the price tag I put on an animal is my own judgment, not yours. If someone doesn’t want to respect their value, I will simply keep it. That's how this business works. If you believe they are normal, than don’t buy them. I never tried to mask or misrepresent any animal I place in advertisement. They have all been done honestly and open. Maybe you can email and ask me what I see in the snake or maybe even ask for more pictures or videos? You might learn something rather than starting a thread without the slightest affirmation of what I’m doing here. I have enough proven genetics (that you haven’t seen) and have seen enough ball pythons to make an honest opinion on what I believe to be genetic.

And there is a line… If you knew me you would know that I wouldn’t have spent my time selecting a normal to sell. There are enough breeders out there who know me personally to appreciate that. Like I said, my imports ads are gone, I'll sell them when they are proven.

Good luck with your projects and nice “dinker”.

Brant
 
I do have to say it is hard to figure out what you're getting at with the ambiguous accusations. Dinkers are what they are and from what I have seen the few people that sell them do not misrepresent them. It's seems like the OP feels there is a concrete definition of dinker or feels there is no value in them. I'm having a hard time even slightly agreeing here and a harder time not trying to step on anyone toes.
 
Dustin,

The animals that I selected weren’t ever meant to hit the public and what I've invested is more than you seem to know. Money isn’t my objective here. It was simply space and time.

However, the price tag I put on an animal is my own judgment, not yours. If someone doesn’t want to respect their value, I will simply keep it. That's how this business works. If you believe they are normal, than don’t buy them. I never tried to mask or misrepresent any animal I place in advertisement. They have all been done honestly and open. Maybe you can email and ask me what I see in the snake or maybe even ask for more pictures or videos? You might learn something rather than starting a thread without the slightest affirmation of what I’m doing here. I have enough proven genetics (that you haven’t seen) and have seen enough ball pythons to make an honest opinion on what I believe to be genetic.

And there is a line… If you knew me you would know that I wouldn’t have spent my time selecting a normal to sell. There are enough breeders out there who know me personally to appreciate that. Like I said, my imports ads are gone, I'll sell them when they are proven.

Good luck with your projects and nice “dinker”.

Brant

Brant I don't understand where you find that I'm talking about you. I am mainly referring to several posts I saw on KS, NOT YOURS if you even have any on there because I haven't been paying attention if you do. Like I said I've seen some of the nicer stuff you have and I said I DO NOT KNOW YOUR PRACTICE your the only person that knows your own intentions so if you know that you don't fall into this category then why does it matter. I'm not even going to further justify the kinds of posts I'm referring to because it somehow keeps getting twisted back to you when I was merely expressing my opinions on a practice and NOT on your specific scenario. Not to mention the more I talk the more my words get twisted when I know what I'm trying to say but it isn't coming across the way I want it to. I think you get where I'm coming from because you did agree that there's a "line" but you still somehow think I'm talking about you when I'm not. I could post links to the kinds of posts I'm referring to but I'm truly not trying to single people out, that isn't the intentions of this thread. I was more doing it to see how other people felt about the practice but it turned into me trying to explain what I mean and looking like an idiot while trying to make a clear cut definition that is impossible to make.

And thank you, good luck with yours as well.

I do have to say it is hard to figure out what you're getting at with the ambiguous accusations. Dinkers are what they are and from what I have seen the few people that sell them do not misrepresent them. It's seems like the OP feels there is a concrete definition of dinker or feels there is no value in them. I'm having a hard time even slightly agreeing here and a harder time not trying to step on anyone toes.

I guess technically there is ambiguous accusations but not at anyone I can think of off the top of my head and I would let you know if there was but I don't pay attention to who is posting the animals. I don't have a concrete definition of a dinker, I'm merely stating my annoyance with the ones I've seen in the past probably 2 seasons. I don't care if anyone agrees because I've seen it and anyone who has been in the hobby very long has seen them too.

You guys are right when you say its not up to me to judge the dinkers and I sure don't want to but one last time THIS IS JUST MY OPPINION and if not a single person agrees then ok cool no hard feelings I've disagreed with lots of people in the past on these forums so I may very well be wrong here and won't deny it if I am but I won't change how I feel.
 
I hope everyone knows too that I'm not downplaying the role new genetics plays in this hobby or anyones individual projects. The only way I would give my oppinion on anyones projects is if they make a thread about it asking for input.
 
I see some "dinkers" that look to me like they will prove to be as genetic as any Yellowbelly or Spotnose, and it will only take breeding to figure their traits out. However, some people tend to label anything with a reduced pattern or a few more specks on their sides as dinkers. I have 0.2 "normal" girls that have no alienheads at all and have totally reduced patterns, resembling Womas or Tigers. I bought them as "normal", and until I see little reduced pattern/Tiger/Woma/Zebras popping out of their eggs, that's all they will ever be to me. With the number of animals in captivity coupled with the number of animals in the wild, there are surely new morphs just waiting to be discovered. I have seen animals come into the country 10+ years ago as "normal ch $15 babies" that are now proven morphs. It comes down to what you want to pay for an animal. If I hatch out something that is special, that I'm not planning on, you can bet that I will hold it back and prove it out on my own before I let any go to the public. If I see something out there that I think I can play with and spare the space and time for, I might pick it up. If you think you can prove out some new Blusher/Granite/High Orange/Burgundy/Fire/Leopard/White Sided/Half Moon/Coconut Head, it is yous choice to spend the money on it. I would personally only purchase an animal as a "dinker" if it was just totally incredible. I would rather put a proven trait in my collection.
 
So what I think your saying is that some but not all just use it to sell animals. Where as real "dinkers" you totally agree with and are always happy to see a new line pop out. I don't think Dustin is or was placing blame on anyone but as a whole group of reptile keepers there are some terms that just get a bit over used. Maybe we are all just tired of some of these things being tossed out.. aka :dinker:ringer:paradox:. Here is just a question.. Maybe it is just me. If the seller thinks it is a "dinker" why would they get rid of it if they really think it is something? Just asking this. Why wouldn't you want to prove it out if ya felt so strongly about it?

Really I like it when I buy a "smoking" ball that is "pounding" down rats.. Sounds like a bad 70's porn.. in a sick way.. I guess if cancer helps sell your balls then go for it. :)
 
"THIS IS JUST MY OPPINION and if not a single person agrees then ok cool no hard feelings"

Dustin- You have simply put to words what half of us probably think and just haven't voiced.

If I have seen 100 pictures of "dinkers" about 10-15 were even visually worth a second look. The rest looked like normals, nothing more.

Since dinkers are unproven, all you really have to base something a "dinker" is some visual abnormality. If you open a picture to see a common ball python, what visual abnormality made someone feel is was dinker "worthy"?

I agree with Greg... marketing ploy in most cases. Ignorance is some cases. Real dinker worthy in a few cases.

Like Dustin said...this too is just my opinion.
 
Really I like it when I buy a "smoking" ball that is "pounding" down rats.. Sounds like a bad 70's porn.. in a sick way.. I guess if cancer helps sell your balls then go for it. :)


Do you prefer railing rats? Destroying rats? Choking down rats? Pulverizing rats? Swallowing rats? haha.

Didn't mean to digress, however that was funny to me.

I completely agree with Ted here though. If you really believe it to be a genetic trait, you bet your @$$3$ that you are going to hold onto it to prove it out. I cannot stand when people throw the label on it just so they can mark up the price and maybe get a sale. It is taking advantage of those who don't know better. I saw a week or two ago. It was an import animal that had hardly anything special going on, however it was like 300 or 400 bucks. I wish I could remember who posted it. I understand 40 or 50 bucks, however $200+ mark up for an animal that isnt proven genetic, or even close to proven is ridiculous.
 
Lol where to start.... First at the mention of pounding rats, I will always pay more for a better eating equal quality specimen of a morph, and yes word play is marketing at some level pounding down rats simply sounds better than eats regularly on appropriately sized rats.

Secondly I don't think Dustin or anyone talking about overpriced dinkers are referring to legitimate dinking projects and yes beauty is in the eye of the beer holder (sorry couldn't resist). I think there was a simple reference to some people in this hobby putting a flashier name to a normal to try to make a buck in a word they were polishing a turd. (not calling anyone's animals turds or pointing fingers) but auctions or sales of possible mystic,leopard,specter or whatever else in a lot of situations nothing but a way to sucker someone out of money.

Third this isn't high school lets not be so quick to assume someone is calling you out or picking on you. Lol if I said something about not any product hell lets say I said I hated tacos if you work at taco bell I am not saying this is your fault. If you are selling a legitimate product sell it for what it's worth if you know you are not involved in said turd polishing don't get upset the people we are talking about know who they are even if we don't.
 
I could post links to the kinds of posts I'm referring to but I'm truly not trying to single people out, that isn't the intentions of this thread.

To all - the discussion is fine but do not start linking other people's ads or naming names as that ventures into BOI territory.
Thank you
 
"dinker" as far as I know, refers to an animal worthy of a breeding project to see if there is anything else going on with it genetically... It's a lot harder to call something a pastel...b/c it's either a pastel or it isn't....

Unfortunately this leaves the animal open to LOTS of interpretation. And this hobby has many business aspects to it, so I'm never surprised to see people trying to up-sell certain "products".

As long as there are people buying, there will be high priced "dinkers"

I'm curious what you all think about the market price for "possible hets" I'm drawn to Possible hets for the same reason I might be drawn to a "dinker"..... The possibility of getting something valuable for a "small" price... I think dinkers and poss hets are on the market because there is risk involved... people are drawn to that....

On a side note......has anyone check the definition of "dinker" on urban dictionary.....its good for a laugh... I'll never look at "dinker" the same way again....hahaha
 
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