First BP

[Lickeypie]

As I previously stated in other posts, I'll be getting my first BP this weekend at an expo. I'm prefer female, but I'm not sure if I should just get a normal, or shell out more for a low end morph? Or if I get a female, make sure she's het, so if I ever decide to breed...

Is it possible to buy a morph under $100? And also, is it fair to negotiate with at the expo? (or is that just bad taste?)

Any opinions?

[Aaron_S]

It's fair to negotiate but don't insult.

If the animal is say $250 you can offer $200 but don't say $150.

There are morphs under or around $100.

Pastels, spiders, pinstripes, het albino, het orange ghost may all be had for $100 or less. For a female it may be a bit more.

[GarterPython]

I think that it is perfectly fine to bargain with the vendors and also I think you can get a pastel for under a 100$ and maybe a Spider if you are lucky? It all depends on why you like. Also I'm not a 100% sure on this a I don't know a lot about bps but the makes are usually smaller than the females almost guarantied

[Gravelanche]

I think i might be in the minority, but i think there is nothing more beautiful than a pure blood ball, nice shiny scales with well defined camouflage. i have yet to see a morph that draws me in as much.

that said i am not a crazy naturalist, my gecko is albino and im breeding with a tangerine this spring to see what i get.

[Lickeypie]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who also likes normal balls! I think they're beautiful. However, some morphs just melt my heart :3

I'm not sure if I'm crazy about pastel, but if I was able to pick up a spider, I'd be more than happy!

Also, does it change the price significantly if I say that I want a baby?

And! Would it be fair if the BP was lets say $95 and I offered $80?

[medicinhed]

I like looking at aberrant normals. If you are new to BPs, then just get what strikes you visually. Find out if the parents have faded out.

[Lankyrob]

I also prefer"normals" but mykee's recent clutches have started to tempt me to the darkside ;)

[Ms. Medusa]

I think it is valid to share this is your first BP-- I know when I vend, I tend to help out first time BP owners with pricing. Also-- if you don't care what sex it is, watch what the prices are on male versus female.

I agree about normal BP's-- they can be gorgeous---some of my most beautiful BP's are normals and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

You can easily get a male spider, yellow belly (which is a very subtle morph most of the time) or pin for under $100, the female is not necessarily going to be that low though a spider might if they really want to clear the table-- especially if you are willing to wait til Sunday afternoon near the end of the show. Alot of bargains are to be had then. Oftentimes the vendors are trying to make every cent they can at the last minute to offset their expenses.


Wanting a baby will change the price significantly depending on the morph. If you want a baby normal you can get it for 15 to 25 dollars at most shows. But really be sure it's eating, and find out what it is eating, how often, how old it is (if they don't know exacts then it may be a farm baby most likely from Africa and may not have eaten yet or they have bought out someone else's clutch)-I would veer away from those if you aren't experienced with hatchlings. It can be tough to get a scared hatchling to eat. I would honestly suggest trying to find someone who has a smaller business, who can work with you.


Many people aren't in it for the money- many want to see their baby they bred and have worked to get to a healthy place to sell to have a good home. I honestly believe you can start to form a long ongoing relationship with a vendor-- I certainly have and find that I tend to purchase from those people again. And my customers are generally repeat customers. Don't be afraid to be picky either. Afterall--- you will hopefully have your new BP for many many years.

[Corey209]

I'd go into the expo early as possible and try to pick up a normal for really cheap then put the rest of the money into your husbandry. You can also get a nice pastel for around 100.

Also if you're not stuck on BP's I'd look at hypo boas which are also cheap.

[Lickeypie]

Thank you so much Ms. Medusa! Your post was very helpful! I hope I lucky enough to snag a low morph.

Corey- I already bought all of my husbandry ahead of time, so I get to spend all on my BP :D

[bcr226]

Morphs are cool but for me, as long as it's a cool snake and social with the family, I couldn't care less about it being unique or special. To me, they're all special.

We have 8 snakes. two of them are confirmed morphs and a possible on one of the others. We'll be getting two morph boas in a couple of months but their temperament is much more important to me than being a morph. Now, with that being said, yep, I find a good natured morph, I'm in love with it. LOL

[Ms. Medusa]

Thank you so much Ms. Medusa! Your post was very helpful! I hope I lucky enough to snag a low morph.

Corey- I already bought all of my husbandry ahead of time, so I get to spend all on my BP :D

You are so welcome :)

[medicinhed]

My normal girl. Watching me reading the forums. And a close up of her 3 days after shed.

[Lickeypie]

Great pic, medicinhed, she's precious!

Normals are beautiful, come to think of it... I don't think I'll be getting a morph (unless I find one super reasonable!)

[DeesBalls]

pretty much what everyone else said... spider male, pastel male, pin male, yellow bellow, normal... i want to say i've seen mojaves for like $125, so MAYBE one of those. it was also a male...

[Corey209]

Great pic, medicinhed, she's precious!

Normals are beautiful, come to think of it... I don't think I'll be getting a morph (unless I find one super reasonable!)

I'd look into the basic morphs that really only change the color a bit like pastel/black pastel if you enjoy the normals.

[Gravelanche]

here is mine

http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/860815_10151296473196239_252926914_o.jpg

[Lickeypie]

Oh wow stunning snake, male or female?

Corey, I'm still new to morphs, but I LOVE the black pastels. How much do they run?!

[medicinhed]

nice one grav. i like the thick alien heads, belly flames and blush. appreciate the large format upload too.

[Aaron_S]

Oh wow stunning snake, male or female?

Corey, I'm still new to morphs, but I LOVE the black pastels. How much do they run?!

Anywhere from 100 - 300 depending on sex.

[Lickeypie]

I want to follow up with my purchase! I ended up choosing a male black pastel! Ill post pictures in the near future!

[Aaron_S]

Good choice.