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What do you think of the current reptile industry economy? |
I wanted to post this blog primarily as a heads-up about an article that is in the newest issue of REPTILES magazine. The July issue features an article by Dave Good comprised of interviews with Bill Brant, Ron Tremper and Bob Clark. The article, titled “Reptile Economy,” reveals what these legendary and well-respected reptile breeders have been doing in regard to conducting business in these trying times of a down economy, as well as in reaction to problems that have been more specialized in regard to the reptile industry, such as anti-reptilekeeping legislation and the mealworm shortage the industry experienced in late 2008/early 2009. They provide interesting insight, from the trenches, as it were, to changes in focus some breeders have been making. You may get some clues as to what to expect to see being offered by reptile breeders in the future.
The article, while frank, is not all doom-and-gloom even though it does discuss problems breeders have been experiencing these past couple years. With the problems come solutions, and it’s interesting to read how these guys have been working to stay in business. However, for some breeders it’s been very hard to remain in business.
You may wonder why we would want to publish an article that discusses troubles within the industry. The reason is to keep you informed, of course, so you, the reptile-loving public, can see the effects of what is going on, and what might become worse should unreasonable anti-reptilekeeping legislation become law. The article includes a reminder to read Andrew Wyatt’s “The Reptile Nation” blog to stay abreast of proposed legislation that may affect reptile owners.
Subscribers should be receiving the July issue any day now. If you purchase REPTILES in stores, expect to see it on magazine racks around mid-May. At the end of “Reptile Economy” we invite readers to submit comments about the article, and I hope you will take some time to do so. After reading it, please let us know what you thought about it by submitting a comment below. Do you think we should avoid publishing articles that discuss in frank terms what the industry is going through? Or do you think this is important information that reptile hobbyists should know about? This is what we would like to know, as well as your thoughts about where you think the reptile industry may be headed, and what you think needs to be done to keep your favorite hobby alive.
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