Prices of garter snakes?

[Majorica]

The type of garter snake that I was interested in most seemed to have gone up in price a lot. Was a "sticker shock " to me to learn how much the garter I wanted increased in price since I first found these for sale on the internet. These garter snakes were $45 before and now these garter snakes cost $175.
Which seems unusual as most people complain about declining prices as more people breed their chosen species.
Just wondering, are garter snakes gaining popularity in general and thus more demand then supply?. OR maybe supply has gone down and demand has remained the same. This is the logical assumption when I see a steep price increase.

[Majorica]

Please note: Just to be clear, I'm not trying to complain about the prices or the increases.

[Albert Clark]

The type of garter snake that I was interested in most seemed to have gone up in price a lot. Was a "sticker shock " to me to learn how much the garter I wanted increased in price since I first found these for sale on the internet. These garter snakes were $45 before and now these garter snakes cost $175.
Which seems unusual as most people complain about declining prices as more people breed their chosen species.
Just wondering, are garter snakes gaining popularity in general and thus more demand then supply?. OR maybe supply has gone down and demand has remained the same. This is the logical assumption when I see a steep price increase.

It depends on which garter snake you are planning to purchase. There are certain standards that apply to the price. Unlike ball pythons, boas , and geckos that have a fair market value and one that is referenced by the "morph market "website. There still is a standard pricing based on the particular species and subspecies, availability, and of course the demand for that particular garter. There soon will be a garter snake " morph market" where standards in pricing will be more readily accessible for everyone.

[Zdravko092368]

Depends who you buy from as well, some sell much higher than the market because they can but you can still find them cheaper usually.

[AntTheDestroyer]

I agree with you that the price some people want is ridiculous in my personal opinion. The problem is that there are not many breeders of garters so they get to set the market value, and as long as they can sell animals there is no reason to change it. It would be silly for any breeder to sell animals for any less than they can get for them. What I don't know is who is paying these prices for these animals. The fact that they are paying premiums suggests they will be breeding, which in the long term will bring down prices.

[Albert Clark]

I agree with you that the price some people want is ridiculous in my personal opinion. The problem is that there are not many breeders of garters so they get to set the market value, and as long as they can sell animals there is no reason to change it. It would be silly for any breeder to sell animals for any less than they can get for them. What I don't know is who is paying these prices for these animals. The fact that they are paying premiums suggests they will be breeding, which in the long term will bring down prices.

Well, i dont think its silly to sell for less than what a breeder could get for a given animal. Why? Because its really about turning over your inventory and moving it to make room for others. That's really more important than expecting a big payout. In the long run you can make up the difference in selling more animals for reasonable prices. Of course this is hard to do and essentially impossibe with some specific species and morphs but that is where the fair market value and standards come into play. The people who do pay the higher prices is bc they can. Doesnt necessarily mean they will be breeding, it means they really wanted a particular animal regardless of cost and they have the ability to pay and are happy to do so.

[AntTheDestroyer]

Well, i dont think its silly to sell for less than what a breeder could get for a given animal. Why? Because its really about turning over your inventory and moving it to make room for others. That's really more important than expecting a big payout. In the long run you can make up the difference in selling more animals for reasonable prices. Of course this is hard to do and essentially impossibe with some specific species and morphs but that is where the fair market value and standards come into play. The people who do pay the higher prices is bc they can. Doesnt necessarily mean they will be breeding, it means they really wanted a particular animal regardless of cost and they have the ability to pay and are happy to do so.

It is simple economics, an animal is worth the most people would pay for it. If you are not turning over your animals quickly you either have not located your market or have priced too high. I disagree I think most people view higher priced snakes as an investment. I for one could afford these higher prices but don't see the value.

[Majorica]

I forgot to mention that the garter snakes gettingg prettier/ more colorful was given as an explaination for part of the price increases.

[Albert Clark]

I forgot to mention that the garter snakes gettingg prettier/ more colorful was given as an explaination for part of the price increases.

This is true in part, but more specifically... it's the demand for certain garters and the supply or lack thereof. People want what they want... and if it's not available or very sporadically available then that would be the single most reason for pricing to get higher.