Someone recently suggested to me that pricing for crested geckos was a 'trick'. I can see where pricing (which can range from $30-1030) can be confusing. This is a business with a product. Like any business, different people are going to figure in different levels of overhead. When dealing with a private breeder some of the overhead includes medication, quality food and gut loaded insects, vet testing, quality and well known breeding stock with established breeding lines (so that you have some idea what they will look like and what they will produce), time spent waiting for that breeding stock to grow to healthy weights, and also to rotate them with seasons off in order to keep them healthy and not abuse them by overbreeding, large caging with plenty of greenery and other things to make their lives in captivity as pleasant as possible, time spent supporting customers and new breeders, time spent raising the babies so they are well-started and won't die on you and a warranty if the worst happens, less quantifiable time and money spent on education and shows to meet other breeders and experts within the field to improve husbandry and address issues in the community. The final product is typically priced based on color, pattern, and structure...but the other factors all go into that.
Sometimes you can find a 'puppy mill' deal at a pet store or in the local classifieds. If all you care about is the up-front price then I say go for it. But 'caveat emptor' or buyer beware. A sick animal can cost hundreds to treat, especially if the illness spreads to your other animals. I'm not knocking all pet stores, some of them buy from local and/or major breeders who care for their animals and offer interesting patterns/colors and even decent structure. Some of them care for their animals carefully within the store. They are usually educated about reptiles and make sure their staff is too-and they typically won't be the cheapest store on the block. So how much is 'normal'? $50-100 is normal for a chain pet store. Shows are $40-550. Privately you can pay more for stock that isn't generally available to the public or is cutting edge with regards to color/pattern.
I have seen geckos priced as high as $1600 and one particularly famous one for $35,000. Were those prices a 'trick'? If you are looking for a pet then animals at these prices aren't for you. They were specifically aimed at high-end breeders and collectors who were looking for rare animals and understood what they were paying for. As a pet owner, entry level collector, or start-up hobby breeder it is fair to expect your price range to be between $40-350 for good quality and healthy animals. Particularly if you are buying babies or juveniles. If you are looking for ready-to-breed (RTB) females you are going to be looking at a higher price. If you are looking for high-end animals that other breeders are competing to buy, you are looking at a higher price. If you want unusual patters or colors then the price will be higher. Set your expectations accordingly and do your research. If you see a gecko that looks just like the last one you saw, but at double the price, then ask (politely) what the difference might be. Perhaps the breeder knows the pair that the baby is coming from throws outstanding animals and that this one will change later or has genetics that makes it more valuable. If you don't care about all that, then the less expensive gecko might be a better bet for you. Decide which factors are most important to you and don't pay $300 for a high-end gecko if all you wanted was a healthy pet of any color/pattern. You will feel tricked because you are not paying for qualities that matter to you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a high-end animal for your breeding program or a special look for your collection, be prepared to pay for your choices.
Sometimes you can find a 'puppy mill' deal at a pet store or in the local classifieds. If all you care about is the up-front price then I say go for it. But 'caveat emptor' or buyer beware. A sick animal can cost hundreds to treat, especially if the illness spreads to your other animals. I'm not knocking all pet stores, some of them buy from local and/or major breeders who care for their animals and offer interesting patterns/colors and even decent structure. Some of them care for their animals carefully within the store. They are usually educated about reptiles and make sure their staff is too-and they typically won't be the cheapest store on the block. So how much is 'normal'? $50-100 is normal for a chain pet store. Shows are $40-550. Privately you can pay more for stock that isn't generally available to the public or is cutting edge with regards to color/pattern.
I have seen geckos priced as high as $1600 and one particularly famous one for $35,000. Were those prices a 'trick'? If you are looking for a pet then animals at these prices aren't for you. They were specifically aimed at high-end breeders and collectors who were looking for rare animals and understood what they were paying for. As a pet owner, entry level collector, or start-up hobby breeder it is fair to expect your price range to be between $40-350 for good quality and healthy animals. Particularly if you are buying babies or juveniles. If you are looking for ready-to-breed (RTB) females you are going to be looking at a higher price. If you are looking for high-end animals that other breeders are competing to buy, you are looking at a higher price. If you want unusual patters or colors then the price will be higher. Set your expectations accordingly and do your research. If you see a gecko that looks just like the last one you saw, but at double the price, then ask (politely) what the difference might be. Perhaps the breeder knows the pair that the baby is coming from throws outstanding animals and that this one will change later or has genetics that makes it more valuable. If you don't care about all that, then the less expensive gecko might be a better bet for you. Decide which factors are most important to you and don't pay $300 for a high-end gecko if all you wanted was a healthy pet of any color/pattern. You will feel tricked because you are not paying for qualities that matter to you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a high-end animal for your breeding program or a special look for your collection, be prepared to pay for your choices.