Is The Reptile Market Doomed? | Future of Reptile Keeping and Breeding Industry
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ค. 2024
- Is the reptile market doomed? In this video, we explore the challenges and opportunities facing the reptile industry.
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This dude's been killing it, always has the best advice. He'll be on Trap Talk next Thursday night!
Thank you, bro! I can’t wait!
I was literally just telling the wife this a couple hours before I came across your video. I have been keeping boas for 8 years and wanted to start breeding pre covid but wasn’t able to for a multitude of reasons. Well this last year we gave it a shot and produced some beautiful hypo and normal double hets. I know what my animals are worth but trying to price them right is definitely the hardest part I have found so far but I am like you, I don’t really care if they sell. I love every one of them.
Great video, Jason. A lot of people get into breeding without being keepers first, or doing sufficient research and planning. Keep’em coming.👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Thank you!
This is a great video. I'm immediately sending it to as many people as I can so they can understand better where everything is.
"Reptile collection", "Investment snakes", etc have all hurt the way we talk about the "reptile hobby".
"If you just need a business then start something else" is solid advice. You can see many people, especially as discussed coming out of stimulus checks and spare time, showing up with snakes and expecting cash. No personal website. No branding. No animal management. Three TH-cam videos of "education". Many are confused why nothing is moving when the market is no longer in the pandemic era animal hoarding mode - if no one is buying then obviously no one is selling and dumping collections just cuts the value. Vicious circle.
I appreciate the shares and 100%! My sales are still very strong and this year seems no different than any other year. At the same time, I know others who can’t sell anything, but they have done nothing to promote themselves! They barely have social media, they don’t post in Facebook groups, and nobody knows who they are.
I don’t think the market is going to collapse completely. I have always preached passion over anything else. I have had time where (pre-Covid) I felt almost burnt out completely and one time I even sold out everything I had. Now that I keep pets more than actually breed and I use the animals for education I have fell in love all over again. My passion is simply debunking myths about these beautiful animals and educating others. Conservation through education!!! Another banger video brother. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much man! I appreciate the super thanks and 100% agree. It’s really hard when you have to make a living off of breeding Reptiles. You start doing things out of desperation instead of passion. Makes for a stressful instead of up fun experience.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles 100% agree brother!!
I can really relate to that kid who wanted the normal boa even though he could have had a fancy morph. After I met you at the Springfield show and you suggested I talk to Nick about his recent litters I ended up getting a normal female from him at the North Kingstown show (I would have said hi but you were talking to a customer and I was busy marveling at my new baby boa!), and I can't help myself from going into her room and staring at her a few times each day. I love the various morphs too, and really enjoy seeing what humans are able to do with selective breeding, but I think I'll always be more amazed by the colors and patterns produced purely through natural selection.
That’s awesome to hear! You can always chime in and interrupt me mid conversation. Even if it’s just to say hi, it doesn’t bother me at all! And I 100% agree! A lot of people just want really cool pets and are not in it because they want to breed. Many breeders forget about this market, and ironically, it’s the largest part of the market.
I imagine there will be lulls with the reptile market, but I also don't see it crashing entirely either. Hardly my area of expertise though; I just wanted to thank you for the boa I got from you last month! She's been amazing, and is easily one of the coolest snakes I've interacted with. I found you through MorphMarket, but decided to purchase her through your own website after I saw you had one. I doubt I'll ever get into breeding myself, but it's awesome to see people like you who have true passion engaging in it. Thanks a ton for the videos, and of course, the wonderful snake!
Thank you very much! That is fantastic to hear that she is doing really well for you! The market like everything does go up and down, but some people never get to experience the up-and-down because they’re marketing and branding is not where it needs to be. Many people just think it’s as simple as posting the animals for sale like posting a lawnmower on craigslist. It truly is a business. It needs to be treated as if you are going to breed.
You’re right it’s definitely not the end. Since may, I got rare powerhouse blood, coastal carpet, jungle carpet and macklots pythons. Got a img boa to pair with my anery and any other imperator female I’m getting in the near future also getting a male Argentine for my female argentine. I got them all for way lower than I would have thanks to some long time breeders.
yes this kid is real boa lover :) all the best !
Great video Jason!! Would love to have you on an episode of Boas & Beers with me and Tim Eisel
Thanks Stefan! That would be awesome. I was talking with Tim today and it sounds like a great time. I won’t be able to make it over to your end of the pond any time soon since I have another kid on the way, but we should see if there is a way to set up something virtual. I’m sure my cinematographer who films for me now can help set us up.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles You have high quality production on your side, so we can definetly do a virtual episode of it! Same if you want something with Tim, the other way around, we for sure can set that up.
Great advice and transparent information. The old adage 'if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life' is none truer than when breeding and keeping animals. I also don't like to hear 'collection', and HATE to hear folks say 'stuff' when referring to genetics. To refer to an animal in the view of 'things' is close to offensive to me, because I love mine so much. Thank you for this video, and thank you further for sharing the story about the child having that much passion for animals. Keep up the great work..
Thank you so much! I will occasionally slip up and use those terms myself, but it’s more due to habit because you read/here it’s so much
@@JasonsExoticReptiles Even if you do say those terms, I/we know your heart is always in the right place.. and that is in the wellbeing of your animals. It is the ones who are quick to discard their animals because they didn't prove out to be het for the 'stuff' they wanted. They don't care about the Boa.. they care about the 'stuff'.. Feel me? Keep makinitdowhatitdo
This and many other channels lead me to purchase my first boa (have snakes). He's a lipstick hypo baby and he's beautiful.
Thank you!
Great honest information. I’m so close to taking the leap of faith and taking what’s been a passion and hobby for me and trying to make it something more. I don’t need to chase dreams and try to be the next big face. Sharing this passion with other people and getting others in the hobby while turning a coin once in a while just seems like something that could be worthwhile. Do you think you could do a video breaking down what entry level breeders could do to get started? Anything from racks to budgeting to overall branding tips you’ve learned?
That’s a great video! We talk about a lot in the Patreon, but I don’t have a ton of content on here.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles I’d love to support thanks for taking the time to respond!
Nothing was worse than 2008! It will bounce back 💪🏻
The market is strong and healthy, but there are 10x more breeders that 2008 and 90% of them are relying only on MM to sell. If people want to make it through, they need to get creative and supplement with social media to build the brand and reputation.
Excellent video and excellent advice! Setting yourself apart and knowing how to talk to people is definitely key. This awesome guy came to my table yesterday talking about trying to figure out what kind of snake he wanted bc he wanted something that was engaging but stayed small. We talked for a good 40 minutes and he didn't buy anything yesterday bc he wanted to prepare more but I'm certain he will come back to me when he's ready bc we talked about so much to do with boa care and i got him hooked on them!
1000%. If the discussions are only to make a sale and not help people find the perfect animal for them, the breeders/seller generally do not do well in the long term. What you did is exactly what I do. There are times where I could force a sale and I know I could make one, but I would rather the person walk away, knowing that it was their decision and they got the animal that they wanted rather than the animal that I sold them.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles exactly! I actually wound up selling my crb to a really awesome person who had never heard of them before. It was a perfect fit too bc the crb would routinely bite me so I gave them a heads up that that was a distinct possibility and the CRB really liked them and never so much as thought about it. Perfect fit is the end goal always!
I agree with you
Very good video Jason! I totally agree, the reptile market is very similar to the housing market.
Absolutely! Looking forward to checking in later today!
Great video and like the new style!
Thank you!!
Great video love the upgraded quality!
Thank you!
Great video
Thank you!!
Great video Jason. I really enjoy the videos that talk about the industry and general small business strategies. Your insight is quite valuable. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Thanks man! I also think you are going to do very well. You are putting yourself out there and consistently making posts on social media. It is so important that people know the person behind the animal.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles thank you Jason. Your additional comments also ring very true and not just regarding reptiles. Any up and coming small business owner can leverage your advice. Connecting with your customers goes such a long way.
Well said, Jason. Thank you for sharing your points on the current state of reptiles.
Thank you!!
Great advice! I do miss the old format with you dodging blood boas.
I’m sure I’ll be dodging some bites in some upcoming videos lol
I don't think it will collapse. It has survived all the other economic woes that we have had up to this point. I do think it got bloated and will likely self-correct soon. Also, I agree that there is a lot to be said about marketing. Breeders like you and others that really put themselves out there, really make you want to buy from you versus the add on Morph Market.
I appreciate that! Marketing really is everything. It’s not hard, but it does take a little effort.
7:21 "... simple as the breeder who sold them that animal told them... buy that $10k animal post it up and it's gone..." but Mr. Ponzi assured me that it would be so!
Haha. 100%
Man.... I wish the timing was a little different. I am someone who got into this hobby during COVID, but I've always loved reptiles and Boas especially. I feel lucky that I was in a position to buy over ten really cool animals and provide them with awesome bioactive habitats and enjoy being around them at any time (I worked from home). Unfortunately I made a mistake and now for the first time in my 45 years on this planet I have to go to prison. Anyways, this means I am having to rehome everything. I got a morph market account and I don't know how some people make a living doing this lol... I think I understand the breeder's complaints a little bit better now. I never intended to make any money, I was just going to have a project or two for my own enjoyment and it's really pretty heart breaking to be practically giving all these beautiful animals away. It seems like my reptile room is shrinking daily and it's devastating. I literally cried after I dropped my first Imperator girl (just a common Boa) off at the hub... Anyways not really sure why I shared this with a bunch of strangers, I guess it's just a way to vent. Thank you Jason for the amazing two Boas I was lucky enough to purchase from you and as always you knocked it out of the park on this one! Thanks again and best wishes to everyone here!
That sucks to hear man. Definitely not easy making this a business, but there is a way and a process. Anytime you have to do something quickly, you’re going to take a loss. We don’t have the time to wait for the better deal. I think patience is something a lot of people lack when selling animals. It’s not something that happens overnight. It certainly can, but it may take years to sell an animal and get the a real price.
Top video
Thank you!
Hey man, lotta good points here, especially for some of us getting started in this side of the hobby. On another topic, how is the BIC project going? Longicauda gotta be my personal favorite Boa.
Thank you! What is the BIC project?
@JasonsExoticReptiles Sorry! Meant it as in have you had any luck with pairing/breeding your Longicauda
One of my personal favorites in the boa family and what I'm actually looking at picking up as my next snake(s).
I watched some of your videos with your Ivory male Burmese phyton and I'm still mesmerize. In my opinion you should pursue the mastery in this hobby the deep connection between you and the animal you want to keep. If you seek profit first then you are not in the right path.
100%! You must love the animals if you want to be successful as a breeder.
I’ve already been thinking about this and I thought all the projects I plan to make will probably be already done in 5 years and in 10 so much will be made I’m just gonna breed what I like and not for much profit but my og plan was to do that anyways
100%. The most stressful thing you can do is spend a bunch of money on animals and start chasing the next best thing. Only breeding for the potential of what somebody else might like, and you to some extent, but not because it’s what you truly like.
I am a causal breeder, literally a clutch a year. I keep a couple I want and sell the rest. If I decided to make a business out of it? It would take away from the whole allure of it. I can’t even go to reptile shows anymore because all I see are ball pythons everywhere. This has always been just a hobby for me and I’m satisfied with that. What I want to get into, in the future, when I have more room is conservation breeding like for example Louisiana pines..
That more specialized unique stuff always does well. It’s really good stuff to diversify with especially in times like today. It can set you apart from other people and really helps!
No, the market is fucking booming right now. Atleast in Colorado
Thanks excellent.
I don’t think the snake market or any reptile market is doomed it’s just like a big circle when the reptile hobby goes up and down hill but we can learn a lot about different species
I agree with this! New people come in and they try their handed breeding. The market gets flooded with animals, and those people get out. There was a temporary surge from that new group of people, but then it normalizes. That’s kind of one of the main points of this video. If you’re not in it for the long haul, you’re not going to do well. And if you are in it for the long haul, you must make marketing a large component. there are too many avenues and too many people to differentiate.
Hi man I'm new to your channel and I want to keep a Burmese phyton but I don't want a super big burm, like a manageable size any advice?
You will definitely want to look for a male and preferably get from someone like myself who has smaller animals. I do think there is a small genetic component in there as well where some people have very large lines of them still.
What about the person (like me) that picked up a mid/high value female as a pet. (Img motley t1 anery 100% het kahl) gorgeous and awesome personality. I was thinking in a year or two getting a male. Still not sure what type. I want what I like and… they’re not cheap. Labyrinth jungle, scoria fire is what I’m looking at. I’d be fine keeping all babies for 1-2-3 years but, eventually they’ll need a permanent home. I wouldn’t consider myself “a breeder” to go and brand a logo or anything. But, I also wouldn’t wanna let them go for less than they’re worth either… what would you suggest in this situation? Btw, that anery blood in the beginning of this vid 😍 yes please
That’s a very long answer. Question because I would have so many follow-up questions. I actually think people like yourself are the majority of the market selling online right now. That’s not a bad thing. However, the animals that you are buying and will be producing are also some of the hardest animals to sell if you have no reputation. Typically, you want to build a reputation off of the less expensive animals so that you can get the trust of people who may be sending you thousands of dollars and don’t know you at all.
A few things you may want to consider is do you really want to breed and will this be the only time you breed? Are you ready to house 15 to 30 babies. You may be able to get one or two sold quickly, but the others may be around for a long time. There is a cost and time component to that. You mentioned that they are pets, and there are real risks of breeding. You may end up with one of them dying and you may not get babies. Are you OK with that?
If you absolutely want to proceed forward with breeding, you are technically building a small hobby business. And in that case, you still need to treat it like a business or you are going to be sitting on quite a few babies.
So it’s a complex question to answer. I’m not pushing my Patreon, but this is exactly the type of stuff that would be perfect for the community chat or a one on one call. We can really get into the weeds of your specific situation and figure out the best thing for you to do. The community is probably best because you will be in grained with other keepers And breeders that may be interested in buying those babies if you have them. So, even if it is going to be a one and done type of deal. You will want to market it to some extent. Even if it’s too a small group like my Patreon. It will at least help build a small reputation amongst a few keepers in breeders that can vouch for you when time comes to sell the babies or they may become potential buyers.
The market won't collapse but if people just make run of the mill poor looking genetic representations, then yeah, they aren't going to sell. If you make interesting unique animals, they are going to sell. It's what you put into it.
Appreciate your thoughts on the current market
Everything should be focused on quality. With that said, even the run of the mill stuff is really good for people who just want pets. So many people forget that there are a whole bunch of people out there that do not want to become breeders. They just want to keep Snakes. So many customer are not even interested in morphs and have no desire to pay more than a few hundred dollars for a pet snake.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles true.
What would you say to someone who is planning on some hobbyist level breeding, one or two clutches per year? Assuming they put some branding and promotion behind it, as you suggest, of course. I don't plan on making a career out of it, but I also don't see myself neglecting the animals or the marketing. Just for the experience of it and perhaps making back some of what you put in.
I’d say that you’re probably going to expand as soon as you have the first litter and see how awesome it is, but all kidding aside I think you will be fine as long as you have the ability to wait a little bit. Alternatively, you could link up with a local pet store and wholesale the whole lot to them. That’s something I talk about a lot in Patreon for newer breeders coming into the hobby. It’s important to have that pressure relief valve that a pet store or similar can provide.
@@JasonsExoticReptilesI know someone who owns a private pet store that would take some of my babies but said they would need to be tested for IBD before he could even take them into the store. I’ve called exotic animal vets and they don’t seem to know anything about it. I’m also from CT not too far from your shop.
@@rockarolla4756 something to keep in mind! One pair I'm breeding is gonna give me het leucis and they're from a top tier breeder. I should be able to help out some other breeders with their projects and do alright. Trying to play it a little safer that way and I might get a bit lucky on the visual leucis. :)
I have a controversial view on this, but please keep in mind that I've been in this hobby for over 14 years. I am not a hater of the industry at all. I love browsing MorphMarket, attending reptile expos, and I own multiple snakes myself. However, I believe that eventually, keeping reptiles as pets will become a thing of the past, though it will be a slow evolution.
The standard of care is improving, which is fantastic and I fully support it. However, this also means there will be less demand for reptiles, and people will keep smaller collections. As a result, demand will decrease, and the cost of breeding will rise due to lower demand and higher standards of care. Prominent keepers like Tom Crutchfield are already shrinking their collections to provide better care for their animals.
One day, as we evolve, we will look back in shame at the use of rack systems and minimalistic cages. Fortunately, many people are moving away from these practices. Increasing pressure from animal rights groups to stop the sale of reptiles, along with more regulations on the industry, also play a role. Considering all these factors, I believe that one day, years from now, there will no longer be a pet reptile industry.
Definitely a unique perspective to get you thinking! I can’t say I 100% disagree. At the same time, I think people complaining they are not currently selling. Things are more for the factors mentioned in this video. No marketing and nobody knows who 90% these people are! My sales have been strong and consistent. At the same time, I have never really stopped marketing and educating. A big component of my sales comes from people who just want pets. People who really don’t care about breeding. I think too many breeders get into it trying to make the most expensive animals possible and forget that that is a very tiny market of people who typically have connections who they want to buy from.
Energy department of government wants to cut out the basking lights
Yes, they do. Unfortunately it’s not focused on basking lights, but they fall into that category.
Am I a snake breeder? No
Did I watch this whole video? Yes 😊
Haha thank you! Hopefully you still find it interesting and helpful!
Glad I sold my reptile company the industry is going to crash and burn bad, there are too many breeders, pumping out sooooo many morphs and over saturating the hobby and its going to die and lots will lose tons of money
It depends on the person. I think a lot of people are going to struggle. At the same time, I’ve consistently had strong years with growth year over year, including this year. The challenge is that It’s very easy to enter the hobby/market but a lot of those people don’t know how to actually be successful at branding and business. Unfortunately, those are the people who will struggle. This isn’t business like a Starbucks, where you open up, put the sign up, and the customers start flowing.
Nope. People have always loved reptiles and always will. The problem you are experiencing is the same one killing skateboarding right now. Business owners who know nothing about business inflated the market by not thinking ahead. Knowledge is at an all time high in our hobby and as a result it will only grow. That said, we need to learn what every horse and dog breeder and every farmer already knows; the massive amounts of money we can generate with these animals is usually just enough to keep going.
I kind of agree with the last part, but I feel like the comment doesn’t really relate to the video.
I agree that the level of knowledge available and keepers/breeders is at an all time high and will continue to grow. The problem is that there are tons of breeders and competition.
My sales have been fantastic and growing, but you see tons of people complaining that they can’t sell anything. Those are the same people who put zero effort into letting people know who they are and/or are also working with high dollar animals with no reputation.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles I agrée with that. Let me talk about the skateboarding industry for a second. Right now the industry is struggling. The reason is that people who don’t understand business but run them anyway saw a huge uptick in sales during lockdown. For some reason they didn’t anticipate the drop off and WAY over stocked product. Now nothing is moving and companies are retracting or closing down. I think a similar thing happened to the reptile industry. Ball pythons had already done a lot of damage pre pandemic in the sense that post ball boom everyone seems to be looking for the next ball python and it isn’t ever coming. Ball pythons were a special animal that got big at a very special point in the hobby’s history. There will never be a repeat because there are too many factors that would have to line up. That double whammy of ball pythons and then a glut of people getting in or over expanding all at once in an artificially inflated market is hurting the industry. Sorry if my comment seemed to imply you don’t know business. Rereading it I could see you thinking that. Nothing personal or even aimed at you. Should have wrote ‘’the problem WE are experiencing’’.
@@JohnAvillaHerpetocultural 100%! I was over a friends house who breeds ball pythons and some other specialized stuff. Really cool stuff actually. At the same time, he had 50 adult ball pythons in the same space that it would take 6 to 7 adult Boas. That’s a big difference and allows people to mass produce as opposed to produce what the market actually can handle. I think we’re both on the same page. It would be like if 10 coffee shops opened up right next to each other on the same street. Starbucks is still going to do fine because they have the customer base and branding. The other smaller shops are only going to do good if they produce superior quality to the others, the one shop that cuts its prices to try to steal customers might survive for a short term, but it’s not sustainable
@@JasonsExoticReptiles yup.
The covid hype is over
Absolutely! All that extra money with people at home and nothing to do is a time of the past.
Probably the realest sh*t I’ve listened to all week. 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Haha thank you!
Even though they sell their animals in the auction on morph market they're getting their money because they're not losing anything because you still have to pay that $200 shipping ya look at the auction and you'll see it $200 or $300 shipping they're still getting their money