Herp Trader charges to advertise and they are not as popular as APS etc when it comes to searching particular reptiles for sale.
As for the downward spiral of the reptile industry, I'm not surprised with the amount of fly-by, wanna-be reptiles keepers that get on sales sites and offer ridiculous prices for reptiles that are well under the normal asking price. This is what has slowly killed the hobby and it's profit margins for all long-term keepers/breeders to help in the up-keep of these animals. It's just not worth the pittens you get for the amount of effort, time and cost of keeping these beautiful animals.
I remember when Albino Darwins were 7k ea, what are they now... $500 ea. Those that have been in the industry long-term, would agree that is just pathetic, especially when you can still look at these beautiful and rare animals and think how can such a low price of $500 justify the costs, time, up-keep and the safety of placing these animals into the hands of people that can barely afford the $500 let alone the cost of feeding them, vet bills, maintenance etc.
So well done to all the cheap skates out there for ruining what was a thriving hobby, you know who you are!
P.S. And it's not about lining our pockets with the big dollars, about ensuring these animals go to a good home with people that can afford to pay a top end price and can afford to look after them correctly. It also cements a long-term commitment in keeping these animals correctly and for the survival of the hobby. Hence why so many reptile sites are disappearing!
