Question: Question for UK Breeders

This is a question for breeders of axolotls in the UK, NOT shops

How much do you sell the following axolotls for if its direct from youself:
Leucistic - 3 Month old
Leucistic - 6 Month old
Leucistic - 8 Month old
Leucistic - 10 Month old
Leucistic - 12 Month old
Leucistic - Over 2 year old

Wildtype - 3 Month old
Wildtype - 6 Month old
Wildtype - 8 Month old
Wildtype - 10 Month old
Wildtype - 12 Month old
Wildtype - Over 2 year old

I usually sell juvies at £10 each, once they are sexable I'd ask for £20 but accept £30 for a breeding pair.

But it also depends who you are selling to - I would give a discount to a friend, or throw in some food for a kids getting their first pet, or consider trades.

Advice is always free though

I've always found the cost of Axolotls interesting, but never sought any information on how they are priced.

I thought that since Axolotls are fairly exotic, that their cost would be high, but I suppose the shear numbers of eggs lain brings their price down. Also factoring in the cost of feeding larvae/juveniles, but this cost is dependent on whether you culture your own food which is cheap, or buy from shops/online regularly which is expensive. Then theres the water consumption, dechlorinator, potential electric bill. As well as considering the time taken to rear the Axolotls.

I sell my juveniles at £10-£15, sometimes I think they are worth more, but I don't sell to make any kind of needed profit.

As said, advice is priceless :wink:

It depends who your customers are, I have three prices for private, retail and wholesale customers and these prices can vary according to availability. In the UK we are flooded with eastern European axolotls which depresses the wholesale price. Private customers pay £8-£15 for 3"-6".

Yes I've always found shops pay less due to 'overhead', no experience in wholesale though!

AxolotlChris said:

Yes I've always found shops pay less due to 'overhead', no experience in wholesale though!

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The industry standard is that a shop must double or triple the cost of an animal to make a profit. This is due to mortality rates , the high level of maintenance required to keep them alive, feeding costs, heating etc. Animals are not tins of beans and it costs lots run a pet shop compared to a corner shop. Wholesalers sell axolotls at 3" for £6.99-£12.99 depending on morph /availability, a shop has to price them accordingly. If you see axolotls in a shop for a tenner they are homegrown or off a hobbiest breeder.

I sell mine for to private individuals for that listed below. I never sell to shops or trade.
You cannot make a profit from axolots as it costs a lot to rear them and its a hobby rather than a business. The prices I sell for is reasonable and the buyer gets advice/help for as long as the axolotl lives for. I also never sell an axolotl younger then 3 months old, i believe that should be the youngest they are sold as you know they are healthy and weaned onto earthworms and easier for the new owner to keep.

Leucistic - 3 Month old = £6
Leucistic - 6 Month old = £8
Leucistic - 8 Month old = £10
Leucistic - 10 Month old = £12
Leucistic - 12 Month old = £15
Leucistic - Over 2 year old = £25

Wildtype - 3 Month old = £15
Wildtype - 6 Month old = £18
Wildtype - 8 Month old = £20
Wildtype - 10 Month old = £22
Wildtype - 12 Month old = Not sold any that age
Wildtype - Over 2 year old = Not sold any that age

Bit of a ropey advice on your website tbh. There is little profit in selling to wholesale but it is an economy of scale, wholesalers will buy large volumes of axolotls and also supply bloodworm at trade which reduces the cost of raising them. The downside is that there are gluts at wholesale and you can end up hanging onto hundreds of axolotls for weeks, which takes up a lot of time, space and cash. I would always recomend buying off hobbiest breeders, shops generally don't provide great advice and some of the axolotls can look pretty poor.