Big Breeder VS. Small Breeder
Seems that for as long as I have been in this hobby there has always been a slight divide between the big and small reptiles breeders. In my opinion, it’s something that both sides use as a marketing tool. The small breeder claim that the big guys don’t have the individual care for each animal or their clients, and the big breeders claim that the small guys can not afford to back their animals up in the unlikely event that something tragic happens. To be honest both sides have valid points. Being that once I was considered a “small” breeder and now I guess you would put me into the “big” breeder camp. I know that when I had a smaller collection I was more in tune with each animal and could probably tell you things about their habits, where as now I would have to rely on feeding cards or employee’s experiences. I personally can’t say that our customer service is worst because now I spend my entire day with reptiles and my clients, where as when I was smaller I still had a job and limited time. On the other hand there is some truth to buying from an established brand (big name), but I would imagine that most small breeders do stand behind their animals and if something ended up in a tragedy they would figure a way to make it right.
I guess the bigger question to me is; why does there have to be two camps? We are all reptile breeders and we all love our hobby, right? The smaller breeder has a lot of advantages over the big dogs and the big dogs have a lot of advantages over the little guy. I have never and will never use my status in the hobby as a way to steal a sale away from a smaller breeder. And I think that most smaller breeders feel the same way. As a matter of a fact, most of my business has been grown by smaller breeders, they are my best clientele. I want them to make sales, and lots of them, so that when they want something from me, they have the money to do so. Conversely, they should want the bigger breeder to flourish, because in most cases we are in the position to take the bigger risk on the newest projects. We also reach a much larger group of people with our message and the trickle down effect is normally where the smaller guys generate the business.
In the end, for me it’s not about how big of a collection you have, or how big of a name you have in the hobby. A buyer is going to choose where to get their animal based on three things; price, quality and service. Whether you’re a big name or the smallest name in the hobby, you have to be able to provide a good cross section of those three things. And lets remember, if the hobby grows, we all grow. Although, some might not admit it, most small breeders aspire to be big breeders one day. And maybe the other way around too!
I think the hobby as a whole will be a better place when we realize that our enemy is not another facet of our hobby, but the people that are trying to take the hobby away from us. All I have to say is long live the small and large reptile breeders! Booyah!
