Is winter a quiet time?

[camt44]

Hey,
I am currently trying to sell my first reptiles that I have bred, 4 little Central Netted Dragons that hatched at the end of April, and they aren't getting any interest. When I wanted to buy some a while ago, they were always selling out really quickly. Yet now they have been advertised for over a month with no success. Is it the time of year? Do people generally not buy reptiles over the winter as they are all starting to slow down? Or am I doing something wrong?
Thanks
Cam

 

[Serpentess]

If there's an high number of hatchlings about at the moment; the demand will be less and the choices will be higher.
This means that selling them might be more difficult. You will have to get competitive with your prices and how you are advertising.

 

[camt44]

Well at last look I was the only one selling them in Sydney, both on APS and Petlink, so there is no competition really, and the price is the standard price for them, if not a bit less, so I don't know

 

[Serpentess]

Interesting. Maybe you can put up an advertisement in the Herp Trader as well.

I didn't think winter was a slow time to buy reptiles because I myself have already purchased 2 snakes this winter.
Going to purchase winter snake number 3 sometime on the weekend hopefully and winter snake number 4 is being organised.

 

[camt44]

Haha, well you seem to go against my theory quite a lot. Yeh I was going to advertise on Herpshop, but I thought it would be cheaper to advertise on APS (15 for a year, instead of per ad) and I thought (from my experience in buying them) that they would go quickly this way.
Cam

 

[Serpentess]

Haha, yeah.
Anyway you're right... I have seen a lot of price drops on herps lately, so maybe I'm just an anomaly.
I wish you good luck.

 

[Bearded_Lady]

I have noticed the winter lull as well... i honestly think there are just too many reptiles (of all species) and not enough buyers at the moment. Little dragons are high maintenance compared to something like a hatchy snake so people are possibly steering more towards snakes at the moment?

 

[Kristy_07]

But baby netted are soooooooo cute! Surely that's why everyone buys reptiles? How could they resist?!

 

[sandswimmer]

If you want to sell something, lower your prices. If something is cheap it will sell. Simple as that.

 

[camt44]

Haha, yeh well I've only had reptiles for like 2 years, and in that time the prices have come down sooooo much, so I think it is the problem of too many reptiles aswell. Yeh and they are cute! What else do they need to have going for them?

 

[Bearded_Lady]

Or you could keep them and wait till the market picks up? Although from experience baby dragons can be quite demanding...

 

[bigi]

i dont understand it either Cam, i have seen the pics of them and they look like healthy little critters. Netteds are awesome animals, full of personallity, i keep many of them and thier up keep is minimal. i actually find them more interesting than a python, they jump around, dig holes, wave arms, bob their heads, chase each other, a lively fascinating lizard that are easy to keep.
good luck

 

[kupper]

just remember this time of the year is quiet for everything , this is everyones bill time / recovery time

the sudden interest rate rise ect effects everyone

 

[camt44]

Yeh they are really healthy thanks Bigi, and I think they are awesome lizards to keep, even at a few weeks old they were doing the head bobbing and arm waving which is pretty funny to watch. They aren't demanding at all to keep, I have room for them so it's not as though I am dreading the fact that they are still here, so I think I'll just hold on to them until they sell, even if it is a few more months. I was just curious why they aren't getting any interest. Thanks

 

[ozziepythons]

Selling reptiles is very much hit and miss and winter can be the slowest time to move hatchies on. If they were very cheap they may still not sell, it just takes time and persistance. It took me a long while to sell an olive python once (over a year), and eventually a buyer found the ad and he was overjoyed the snake was for sale and took it. Again most of this seasons Murray Darling carpet hatchies I had moved quickly, yet the last two I'm selling have been reduced to $90 each and no one has answered my ads for them. So your not the only one, just keep trying and they will sell down the line.

 

[butters]

Same for me. I have a range of critters advertised and no response. On the whole it just seems to be slow at the moment unless you have something in high demand.
Dropped prices on a few things and still no response. Same for me though I have the room and at this time of year feeding and upkeep becomes less of an issue so am happy to wait.

Cheers Andrew

 

[sweetangel]

why not wait till they are old enough to sex and then sell in pairs but i would recommend herptrader. i got really good results from them with my ackies!

 

[camt44]

Yeah they are slow growers though, so it takes ages to be able to sex them (one of my now adults had a 'sex change' at like 15 months old, it used to be a female...). I think I'll just hold on to them, and eventually they'll sell