I was going to stay out of this thread but .. . . . . . .

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: : I understand supply and demand etc... but why have Indigo's stayed at around 350.00 . It seems alot more people are breeding them and I see them offered for sale with some frequency ( not like most colubrids i.e. corns and kings) . So why ? I see Eastbay Vivarium has a beautiful male red face for 600.00 and now im wondering is there a price difference for red ones compared to black ones (or brown)? Im just curious Im not trying to insult anyone on their prices so please do not take offense. : : Thanks : : Keith : Keith, : First, please dont take this post as a slam on you, it isn't. My writing style is sometimes rather passionate, so it comes across when I type. : You asked a valid question, allow me to give you a valid answer. : I am blessed to produce Eastern Indigos every year, as one of the few breeders that has any consistant degree of luck with these serpents I read your post with great interest. : Keith, people have layed out WHY these : snakes cost as much as they do.40 years ago, these snakes were$25.00 each *WILD CAUGHT* : Eastern Indigos sell for between $450.00 and $550.00 each, generally speaking, people that offer them at lower prices either: : a) Don't have that many Indigos, so may only produce 1 clutch(If any) per year. : b) Have VERY INCONSISTANT breeding results, which means that often customers orders don't get filled at all.(You mentioned earlier that more people are breeding them nowadays, I think if you really looked at it, in 5 year grids, you would see how FEW actually produce them every year or every other year.) : c) Are brokering them, haveing bought them cheaper from someone in a rush to sell out their clutch(Again, someone that isn't in this for the long haul) : Because they are not consistant producers. : Because they have a high rate of produceing : "infertile eggs" : Because they often produce offspring which : die in the egg, before they are born. : And because of the TREMENDOUS amount of not : only : MONEY....... : But also TIME.... : That is required to keep these : SNAKES CLEAN and WELL FED. : The price will ALWAYS be high. : Add to this the Federal status. : The permit process. Which in itself complicates matters in terms of sales. Dean said it earlier, if there was no cites permit necessary, I would sell out EVERY year to both Europe and Japan, at prices double of the ones you read above. As is, I sell a certain amount of my babies overseas every year, again to Japan and Europe. : I could sum it up as simply as this..you get what you pay for. I bought Boa constrictors a while back(BCC not BCI). Who did I go to to buy them? : The person with the lowest price? : The person with the flashiest ad? : No..I went with the person who's reputation with boas is stellar and well respected. Yes..I paid more..probably much more, but I know that I got good, healthy, captive bred(Not brokered) Red Tailed boas from a reputable source and ouitcrossed bloodlines. That person:Mr. Rich Ihle. : E. indigos are no different than boas,REPUTATION of the breeder is everything. Without it, you might as well be dealing with a broker, and take your chances that the snake isn't healthy or has been exposed to some disease or pathogen that could destroy not only your Indigo but your whole collection. : Red Faced Easterns cost more, depending on the degree of red present in both face and body. Mine are not produced from red to red breedings, nor mother to son inbreeding plans, so as to "FIX" the trait. I produce Reds from UNRELATED crosses between Reds and Blacks. Stronger snakes. : You've gotten a lot of opinions here... : Weight them out for yourself..and see what YOU want to beleive. But realize this, as time goes on, there will be less and less of these snakes, not more and more, and with habitat being eaten up slowly, no replenishment supply. : : Sincerely, : Fredrick Albury : : :

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