Crisis in the market for Ball Python morphs

October 2009

"I am going to get out of a tight spot just in time and go back in my old job".

A well-know german ball python breeder made this confession to us in mid September 2009. We don't want to disclose his name but would like to add, that he is not the first one who gets out.

One of the reasons for the ongoing crisis in the previously prosperous market for ball python morphs is that several major american breeders glut the European market with bags of ball pythons which they are selling for dumping prices (up to 50% off).

The sales of these animals in the U.S. has drastically decreased due to econimic crisis, overproduction and the more and more stringent laws as to the housing of boids in the U.S.

Several years ago it got about the U.S. breeder scene that one can earn serious money in Europe with ball python morphs, especially in the fairs at Hamm/GER and Houten/NL. Furthermore, it is not a handicap either that one can declare the exorbitantly expensive ball python morphs as normal-priced generic ball pyhtons and thus safe a serious amount of import taxes. The customs officers don't know about the prices anyway...

The production of these breeders is construed to the US - market. In the U.S. 1200 animals and more are kept in warehouse-like facilities and produce a corresponding number of eggs. And now the European and especially the German market is glutted with large number of hatchlings. Rumor has it that one of the major ball python breeders has already acquired an estate in The Netherlands in order to change residence where appropriate. 

Meanwhile even the most naive consumer muses about that the ball python which he/she has acquired 2 years ago for 3.500 Euro costs less than thousand meanwhile, tendency further decreasing...

Why are we talking of market, prices and production here, when it's about hobby and animals? Quite simple: Because a large number of buyers is considering economical aspects when they buy an animal. True to the motto: If I purchase a pair of ball python morph for 3000 Euro apiece and breed it in a few years I am going to be rich (5 eggs times 3000 Euro = 15.000 Euro).

Oh well.... a naive fallacy, because the most state-of-the-art ball python morph is an old hat in 3 - 4 years.

Furthermore the buyers meanwhile see through the scam of many ball python morph breeder who was described by an insider as following:

"Take a ball python who hardly looks different to a normal one, give it a special name and add a zero to the price tag".

We are glad that the pristine wildlife forms of Boa constrictor are having a rather shadowy existence in the U.S. and that the means of manipulation in breeding true boas are very limited. So we have no reason to be afraid that we will one day face such a developement also in pure-bred boas.

Moreover, we are glad that a steadily increasing number of former ball python morph keepers is moving into the Boa constrictor camp. This is documented by the increasing number of calls that we get from ball python morph owners who lament about the dropping prices of these animals and inquire as to true boas. 

By the way, the conditions in the market for boa constrictor color morphs are identical to the ones in the ball python morph market.