A bit more to add:
Sorry for dissecting your comments Mike.
This is important also, the only way I found your store was through looking at mojaves in that price range
(Which checking again I see it has sold ).
Use your introduction and profile bio here to add your social media pages and on all your social media, add links to your store, and vice versa.
Post pictures on Facebook and Instagram of your animals with tags.
Get involved in conversations.
Start conversations!
Message the big guys and ask for help, you would be really surprised at how willing they will be, as proven by Mike right here.
This is mostly a “pay it forward” hobby.
If Mike helps you today, one day in 10 years you might sell him that 5 recessive gene combo for a decent price
I know how you feel about not having your animals sell, and it can be really frustrating as a new breeder, but don’t give up! I also have some snakes listed for sale that have been up for months, but I am willing to wait as long as it takes, but I think of it as a learning opportunity as well, it can help me figure out what people like or don’t like and I can adjust my post to make the snake(s) more appealing. The other breeders on here have posted really good advice, and I would definitely agree with making at least an Instagram or Facebook page (I have both but I hardly ever post on Facebook), though it can also take a while to get a decent number of followers on those too. Try finding a local Facebook reptile page, post your snakes there, and link them to your MM page. That way maybe you can at least get your name out there locally, and if they leave a good review then it will help a bit with your reputation.
And just to verify that this is not hyperbole, I was standing at OzzyBoids table at a ReptiCon seven years ago when Tracy Barker called him to buy an animal he had listed. That animal was a VPI Axanthic Pastel Pin.
It also needs to be said that some people will never be successful because they just don’t want it badly enough. They do not have what it takes. It takes a level of dedication and tenacity that most do not possess. It is not a get rich quick scheme. This guy acted like he really wanted to do this but after tons of encouragement from many people here we get nothing from him. He didn’t participate in the conversation. He didn’t even bother to tell us who he is. I feel like I put more effort into trying to help him than he did himself. I sort of feel stupid for falling for it. It obviously wasn’t his dream as he claimed. We got played. Hopefully someone else who genuinely needs some guidance received some benefit from this post.
Hey hey,
We are fairly new to ball pythons and this is our first year on morph market. I have not had any trouble selling animals for the most part, I can tell you certain morphs go a lot faster then others. I will say that social media is a huge factor in the animals we sell. There is 500 mojaves out there, so why would someone want mine? Because a lot of people in this hobby want to support people they know or have some sort of connection to. Most of our sales have been from subscribers on youtube or friends on instagram and facebook.
My biggest tip is grow that social media… make friends and get you animals out there!!
I have absolutely zero doubt that they will, there is some fantastic info here that need ls to be taken seriously by every single person that wants to make money from their hobby. Not just in the reptile world.
I really appreciated your advice in this post and found it very helpful. Any opportunity to learn from some of the great names in the field is valuable because it give insight into the strategies that brought you success.
Breeding animals is a ton of hard work and often seems like an uphill battle at certain stages. If someone decides that this isn’t the right path for them, it’s probably better for them to figure it out early before investing a lot of time and money into it.
Also guys, don’t forget that if you have a YouTube channel we have a thread specifically designated to sharing it … Your YouTube channel.
(This is the only place in the forum where this is allowed)
I dont think a complete loss. I’m sure there are new breeders reading this that maybe were thinking the same thing but just didn’t make a post about it, and there’s some valuable information here.
it’s actually pretty funny how much in common ball python breeding has with other hobbies & industries I’ve also been involved in (horses and the music world). I don’t even own a snake yet and it seems pretty obvious to me that a single gene male is not particularly marketable in the first place.
just because he didn’t reply didn’t mean he didn’t take on the information and consider it. takes some time for criticism to sink in for even the best of us. it also looks like he sold the snake too, so his complaining was all for naught lol
Yup, agreed. This should be a ‘sticky’ or whatever the equivalent is here on this forum. Billy’s rant in the video above (and I detest ‘rant’ videos), Wilbanks and some of the other heavy hitters chiming in, active regulars participating… This thread is gold.
At the minute we already have quite a few “stickys” up, so many so that it is a bit overwhelming for new users.
However recently I started a new tag for topics like this where you can find helpful information and tutorials.
I ask that this tag is to only be added by staff members, to keep it on its intended course If you see or know of a post that will fit that tag, DM it to me and we will discuss it.
I will say, as a person who is only just now able to break into the hobby and is hoping to breed in the future, this thread is full of wonderful information and makes many points I hadn’t even thought about!
That being said one of the things that I didn’t really see mentioned (and maybe it was and I just missed it) is that having a professional-looking logo or landing page plays a huge factor in whether or not I, as a buyer, consider buying from a particular seller.
The logo is really the face of your business, and most of the time it is going to be what sticks in the mind of potential buyers. If your logo, brand, etc. looks like it was just thrown together in paint at the last minute, it reflects poorly on the business. A solid graphic for your business shows that you are willing to put in the time and effort to present yourself in a professional way, and it also demonstrates that you don’t skimp on the details. In the OP’s case, his store profile pic is just curly white font on a black background, nothing that stands out or really tells me anything about his store.
Sorry if this seems superficial compared to the other advice on this thread, but I’ve got a bit of a background in graphic design, so it is one of the first things I notice
Don’t feel attacked! Your logo is actually quite nice! It is visually interesting and immediately lets the buyer know several things about the store. The point is that it looks like you put in the effort to make something that looks nice for your customer base, which in turn makes you look more credible.
And of course, you can’t judge a book by its cover, and someone with a great front could be selling lemons. The fact of the matter is, though, that lots of casual buyers do judge books by their cover. So if you are a new seller and are following all of the other advice on this thread and still not getting many hits, you may benefit from investing in developing your brand and image.
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