# Buyers, what do you feel a sexed pair is worth?



## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

I have noticed lately everyone seems to expect to be able to buy sexed animals...nothing wrong with that, but I kind of feel some do not know how much longer and how much more effort that involves, thus, I started this poll.

So how bout it, how much do you think a sexed pair is worth, vs for example, a well started, 3 month old froglet?


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## daryl34 (Feb 24, 2007)

I would think 7-12 months of growth , plus food, plus extra tanks , would be worth at least double. Quality frogs are not cheap.


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

I raise-up many sexed pairs of tinctorius morphs and try to prove them before I sell them. I will sell Azureus young juveniles for $20-25, but sell 16 month-old proven pairs for $200. Rarer morphs or those that are difficult to breed can cost more. Hopefully, this demonstrates a real-world spread in value.

Richard.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

To show how I feel, if I had the choice between buying 5 unsexed froglets and a sexed pair for the same price or even a little higher, I'd definatly go with the sexed pair.


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

I agree with Richard, a sexed pair is worth a significant premium over froglets, and a proven pair worth a bit more over a sexed pair.


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## Nicholas (Mar 16, 2010)

Lets think about this rationally.


Of course sexed frogs and breeding pairs are more expensive.

sexed not as expensive as proven breeders... tho like the title and poll almost applies...

i mean if you sell froglets you have to grow em from tads. morph them feed them do everything required to maintain them and ensure healthy happy frogs. them raise them for the first few months until old enough to sell/ship

if your selling a sexed frogs you have to do everything mentioned above plus raise them for up to 1 1/2 years. continue to feed and do everything required plus provide extra space and buy more enclosures and terrariums to house them. culture more bugs and everything else...

now if your selling sexed pairs. you have to do everything above but also sex the frogs pair them. meaning more real estate to house even more frogs because not every frog is going to be just male female... you may end up with lots on males or lots of females and having to house and care for them as well... that more vested time interest and money$$$

Now to provide proven sexed pairs is even more work to do. no one you have to do all that is mentioned above BUT you have to make sure they are a proved breeding pair meaning you have to breed them and ensure they are having viable offspring... meaning another 3 months to 12 months worth of work. i mean a lot of times when they first begin to breed they just lay jelly mass or don't fertilize or anything of the such you have to breed them breed them and breed them until you get consistent breeding with healthy offspring.


So asking $250.00 - $300.00 for a sexed pair of proven let say... D. Leucomelas

Is not an unreasonable price...

now asking $300.00 or so for a non-proven sexed pair i would say is to much. price should look more like $200.00 - $250.00 

And just sexed adults I would pay $100.00 $150.00 may even find people who would sell them for $75.00 or so...

Juveniles more like $45.00 - $55.00

Froglets $25.00 - $45.00

Tads $5.00 - $15.00



These would be reasonable prices... i would agree... it depends on what you are getting and what your paying for as well...

example:I f you got a unhealthy proven sexed pair... and trying to sell it for $350.00 i would say your an idiot.... and i would almost certainly try and kill you for not taking care of your pets you took responsibility for in the first place.

I am not a breeder or seller... this just makes since Do the math: 
A Froglet takes about 6 months worth of care and preparations.
A Proven Sexed Pair could take 2 to 2 1/2 years of care and preparations

more time. more money.

When I first started this hobby i seriously figured i would pay $100 - $200 for a single frog (before I figured out they are not that expensive and getting baby's is pretty easy.)

The thing is I am still suprised a froglet is only 25 - 35 dollars... I could actually see them being more so like $50 to $75 dollars... think... it is 3 months for them to morph and another 3 months before they are the minimum age to ship...

50 dollars is not that unreasonable for a froglet.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Yeah, as a breeder, I put my similar input it this threads twin, that asks for the breeders' perspective.


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## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

I was always shocked that sexed pairs were so cheap, but not suprised they were'n't offered for sale often. With all the time, effort, food, risk of the froglets dying, etc, I would think everyone would want the instant gratification and just get a sexed pair of frogs. I bought 2 sub adult Matechos that turned out to be a pair last October for $125 each, and since February, I have gotten 53 healthy froglets from them. If I would have known that I would have gotten that kind of production from them, I would easily paid $500 for a sexed pair or more. I paid $200 for a trio of Leucs that produced 30+ froglets over the summer. Sexed pairs pay for themselves right away, and I feel should go for a lot more $ than what the current market bares. Of course, something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. 

On the other hand I sold a pair of Citronellas for $300, and even had people tell me that it was too much for the pair. The guy I sold them to just told me that he has gotten multiple clutches from them, including the last clutch of 16 good eggs! Paid for themselves in one clutch!


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

From a buyer's perspective (I've bought three sexed pairs in the past several months), I am willing to pay at least twice as much as two froglets of the same species/morph. In fact, if you buy froglets and want to end up with at least one pair, you have to buy 3 or more (everyone knows the odds) and then you have to decide what to do with the rest of them. I'd much rather spend the same money on a sexed pair than on five or six froglets of the same species. My sexed pairs have bred successfully (except the pumilio that I've only had less than two weeks).

When I begin to sell frogs, I would rather raise them to the point where I can sex them and sell them at that time, to make sure they are healthy and well established, etc. If I was swimming in froglets, sure, I'd want to sell some, but I'd rather raise fewer froglets and sell them as sexed sub-adults or adults than deal with selling lots of froglets.

But, I'm not in it for the money anyway. I just want surplus frogs to have a good home and make a fair profit to support my hobby.


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## spottedcircus (Sep 17, 2009)

I agree that a sexed pair is worth more to me. I started out buying froglets, now I'm still waiting to see if I have pairs, or if i ended up with all of the same sex. The couple of pairs that I have bought, have started producing froglets already, and i can justify to my husband that i am making some money and not just spending it. I'm starting to only buy sexed pairs if not proven becuase of the instant gratification of an already established pair that knows what they are doing.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I think this also greatly depends on what the goal of the hobbyist is - a tank full of frogs to watch and show off (the majority of the hobby), or to breed and potentially sell offspring in the future (a large portion of Dendroboard). I personally prefer to buy groups of 6 to 8 young froglets, raise them up, get my pair/group, then sell/trade off the extras - the surplus frogs tend to pay for the original purchase of the group.

It also depends on the species in question - for those frogs that mature quickly (such as the vent complex), a sexed pair should/would be worth less than, say, some of the slower-maturing tinctorius.


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## jeffr (May 15, 2009)

_It also depends on the species in question - for those frogs that mature quickly (such as the vent complex), a sexed pair should/would be worth less than, say, some of the slower-maturing tinctorius. _


It seems there is a higher mark up on frogs that take longer to sex such as tincs than thumbs or even Pumilio which can be sexed in under a year


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## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

zBrinks said:


> I think this also greatly depends on what the goal of the hobbyist is - a tank full of frogs to watch and show off (the majority of the hobby), or to breed and potentially sell offspring in the future (a large portion of Dendroboard). I personally prefer to buy groups of 6 to 8 young froglets, raise them up, get my pair/group, then sell/trade off the extras - the surplus frogs tend to pay for the original purchase of the group.
> 
> It also depends on the species in question - for those frogs that mature quickly (such as the vent complex), a sexed pair should/would be worth less than, say, some of the slower-maturing tinctorius.



I totally agree.

As someone who has no desire to ever breed I spend my money on More Animals than less.


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## Matt Mirabello (Aug 29, 2004)

The worth of a pair, independent of market demands, should be considered in the context below:

1) assuming a 50/50 sex ratio of male to female and a reasonable expectation of a "sexed pair" having an accuracy of 95% you would need to purchase 5-6 juvenile frogs to get a 95% probability of at least one pair.

2) if the frogs have some attrition (death) as they go from juvenile to adult then you need to purchase more than 5-6 for one pair. If there is a 50% mortality from juvenile to adult then you need to start with 12 juveniles to end up with 6 adults.

3) cost of getting a frog from juvenile to adult, this includes food, electricity, space and your time.
(not counting opportunity cost of some other species you could have had in place of the juveniles you were raising up)

4) Once you raise up your juveniles to adults there will inevitably be extra pairs (sometimes) and lone sexed individuals (every time). In this case this is a return of the extra money spent earlier on more juvenile frog in lieu of a "sexed pair." It is a bit cyclic reasoning in that the value of a sexed pair relates to the prices of individual sexed frogs from different sources.

The cost of a pair versus juveniles is going to be specific by species and available individuals at the time AND seasonal effects (cost of shipping)


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

I agree completely. If I acquire a group of 5-6 juveniles and raise those up, I can pick the frogs that have the best characteristics/looks out of the group to keep for my collection. Sometimes I'll get a second pair from the group and I can sell this off as a sexed or proven pair (more often, I keep all the pairs and this is why I have over 400 tinctorius tadpoles to take care of!!) Also, I try to buy frogs outright very rarely, and prefer to find other hobbyists to trade frogs with. Most collegial.

Richard.



zBrinks said:


> I think this also greatly depends on what the goal of the hobbyist is - a tank full of frogs to watch and show off (the majority of the hobby), or to breed and potentially sell offspring in the future (a large portion of Dendroboard). I personally prefer to buy groups of 6 to 8 young froglets, raise them up, get my pair/group, then sell/trade off the extras - the surplus frogs tend to pay for the original purchase of the group.
> 
> It also depends on the species in question - for those frogs that mature quickly (such as the vent complex), a sexed pair should/would be worth less than, say, some of the slower-maturing tinctorius.


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