Expensive garters

[Jeff B]

Well I don't know Richard, they must be worth it at the time for a lot of people, because I produced over 50 snows and albino red-sideds and have sold every single one of them (minus the one albino female and snow male that I kept for myself) plus sold all the by-product hets, yet still I keep my day job, lol you should see my expences in a year, ouch, my rodent and bedding bills alone would probably cause you a heart attach Richard, plus since my Garter Snake Morph business is a legally registered business, I actually pay taxes as well. I think they were kinda cheap considering how beautiful they are and what great dispositions they have, and their number of morph gene copies, maybe I wasn't charging enough? lol

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

For the record... palpating the female that was courted prior to arrival here dictates that she is gravid. The female that recently locked up is obviously not showing yet... but it was such a good strong lock... with a nice plug that i am fairly confident that two clutches will be produced this year. No further interest from either male is a good sign. I am honestly hoping for smaller clutches, larger babies... and will hold back the majority, if not all of the babies. When they come out, I will know nothing of which ones are going to be standouts when they grow up. The only way to pick the standouts, will be to hang on to everyone. There are a few different "looks" to this morph... one is white and black, another is BLUE as a puget... in fact, looks so much like a puget I worry they will be labeled as such by amateurs, and my personal favorite, the female that recently locked up has an ever-so-faint hinting of color under the green glow... stunning. Jaw dropping... effortless beauty. As we all know... concinnus come out looking ridiculously dull compared to what they will become. The interest in anery's at hamburg at my table was overwhelming when I had them on display. I am not going to count my chickens before they hatch... but I have a feeling that I am not going to have any trouble selling any offspring that I may decide to part with... but if I get small enough clutches... I am holding them all back, as I won't be able to tell which babies are going to be BLUE, which will be WHITE, and which will be that "if you squint your eyes you can almost see some pink". I am not going to make the mistake of selling off so many offspring that these snakes become a dime a dozen in three year's time... oh no way... these snakes are too special for that! And I am not talking monetary value... I just mean that to me, they are special in a way I can't explain. And if it were not for Richard wanting to "pass the torch"... I would not have had the opportunity. Richard has made it clear, at least to me, that he does not intend to collect and sell the animals for a profit, and does not intend to send them every which way... because he knows very well that THAT alone will destroy any set "market value" (something I don't believe in anyway, as everyone has the right to sell at the price they want to.... but that's a whole 'nother argument)

Heck, I don't even SELL the majority of my babies. I trade them.

Totally (sort of off topic) on the "people skills" We all have our virtues and our faults... not everyone can be a people person... but there is maybe only one person that uses this forum that knows ME well enough to know that I myself...and this will surprise many... am NOT a people person. And that my people "skills" while good, are learned from managing in retail... they are rather superficial... merely a cordiality (I think that''s a word? haha) Long story short... I am secretly evil and slightly antisocial.... lol!!! When it gets down to it... I can't stand people in general, I generally find my own species to be going so far down the tubes that it's practically not worth having "people skills" anymore. I do everything in my power to avoid people in large doses because I am ashamed to be a member of the same species as most.

[ConcinusMan]

Richard has made it clear, at least to me, that he does not intend to collect and sell the animals for a profit, and does not intend to send them every which way... because he knows very well that THAT alone will destroy any set "market value"

With that said, let me make things clear right now because I know how things get spread around really fast in certain circles and I'd rather you hear from me now, than to find out later.

I have made some (males only) available to other people, and might just do it a time or two more. You might find out, you might not so let me explain now, before you do find out.

As you know, last year I did sell a male to someone but I certainly didn't make any profit to speak of. That single male, bound for Canada, well, you get the idea. Not even going to have any effect. It was intended to be a pet and the person had no grand plans for breeding. Besides that, like I said, Canada, and only a single male.

I also have another male right now that is completely useless. I mean, this guy isn't the slightest bit interested in sex at all, no matter how attractive a female may be to most other males. He just isn't interested in breeding at all. I've had him for about a year, he's well adapted to captivity and tamed, treated and cleaned for parasites, etc., so it seems a shame to just release him and/or let that year go to waste but I really don't need him any more. I need the room. I really do believe it takes two viable anery's to have any hopes of reproducing them any time soon or perhaps at all.

Well that's perfect because I found him a buyer who is dead set on not ever breeding reptiles again. I found this out before I even offered him this snake. He just thinks they look nice and just wants one male. Fine with me. Again, I won't make anything. I will just get back some of what he cost me in care, meds, fecal screen, etc. over the past year. This shouldn't undermine anything or cause them to be "a dime a dozen" in a year or two, since it's only a male, and won't breed anyway.

I just want to be clear that although you guys aren't the only ones that have got these, I have sold a few to other low profile non breeder people who just want pets, and you two are the only ones besides myself that have breedable females and it will stay that way. Those are rather hard to come by in the first place. Last trip I made out there, I saw only two anery females out of a lot of snakes. They were in such bad shape, I doubt they will even survive the summer, let alone the stress of captivity.

Here's one of the two anery females I saw. You can see what I mean about the shape she's in. Anyway, it's clear to me that this place cannot spare any more anery females. There's plenty of normal, or near normal ones though. Poor girl couldn't even slither away fast enough to outrun a slug. With a little luck, we have enough already to get them established in captivity and I won't need to collect anymore ever again.

[ConcinusMan]

You are right. I wouldn't do that. I really have a great time going out there and spending a few hours observing them in the wild. I wouldn't want to ruin that for temporary financial gain. I certainly don't need to get a rep for being someone who sells large numbers of unhealthy WC snakes either. Lord knows I don't need that. The only ones I have let go have spent plenty of time in captivity and proven themselves to be healthy and well adapted.

There are people who have known about these for decades and have been coming out here to enjoy watching them too. Since we haven't been seeing these in the market place, it's pretty clear that the "rapers" haven't been out here collecting and that's good.

[RicMartin]

I agree with Shannon that humans are way overrated; the opposite of garters.

I have no experience with the market, other than as a buyer, but maybe most people are not shopping that heavily these days due to the economy being tanked?

I know I'm not. Otherwise I'd be looking at some groovy flame paradoxes, overpriced or not. I don't plan to ever own every type of garter, & the local ones here (California) are legally out of the question for me, so my moto is simple:

"Radixes are forever, & paradoxes will eventually come home to Cali"

For now, I rather spend my scarce money on our snakes than on toxic Chinese gadget imports. Crazy, ain't it?

[ConcinusMan]

... the local ones here (California) are legally out of the question for me...

Not necessarily. It's not at all against state law for you to collect and keep several native garter snake species (there is of course, a bag limit). You just can't breed, buy, sell, or import them from elsewhere. The only exception to that is certain counties or cities may prohibit it (collecting and keeping native garter snakes) even though state law allows it. For example, San Diego county does not allow keeping or collecting native reptiles at all.

I asked them directly, asked the right questions, and got the correct and updated info on that just recently: Reptile Regulations by State - Caresheets

[RedSidedSPR]

I was shocked by the price of an albino scott has. $500. Plus shipping. Ouch. But I guess it's different when it's albino? Since they're "special?"

[RedSidedSPR]

I just saw a lavender albino python for $45,000 friggin' dollars. I know that's not a garter, but WOW!!

[ConcinusMan]

I was shocked by the price of an albino scott has. $500. Plus shipping. Ouch. But I guess it's different when it's albino? Since they're "special?"

No, they are somehow magically worth more because of where they come from. Before everyone gets upset, I'm only joking. Kind of.

I don't really even know what $500 snake you're talking about.

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't really even know what $500 snake you're talking about.

Here's a couple of $400-500+ (i get the feeling you don't believe me...)
Scott Felzer's Garter Snakes, specializing in aberrant garters
Scott Felzer's Garter Snakes, specializing in aberrant garters
Scott Felzer's Garter Snakes, specializing in aberrant garters

And here's the $45,000 ball python, just for the heck of it.
Most Expensive Snakes