CONSIDERING selling my sulcata yearling

[SULCATANEWBIE]

Sorry if this isn't under the right thread but it's a rather vague topic. I've been considering selling my yearling sulcata tortoise for quite some time due to the amount of time and care I cannot give to the poor little guy. He gets all the basic care he needs but I think he deserves a little more. Which brings me to the point. If I put my sulcata on sale HOW MUCH SHOULD I PRICE HIM and HOW WOULD THE SALES TRANSACTION OCCUR? What is the process basically and would anyone be willing to accept my offer?? Thank you!

 

[Alaskamike]

It depends.
Location matters, are they readily available where you are? What did you pay for him originally?
Is his shell smooth, was he raised with good nutrition and proper humidity / water? If he is pyramiding his value goes down, as this is a sign of poor health.
In my area they go from $65 for a baby- to around $300 for even a very large one, unless it is a female, then it could be more,
Do you just want your money back for him, or do you want to find a very good home or both? This matters because Sulcata are one of the most common of the large tortoises, they breed easily in captivity and there are many people breeding them. The best homes are often people who already know the breed and might have several already. They are unlikely to pay for another, but might take him to re-home for just shipping costs.

If he is less than about a year-two old, I would not expect to get much more than I paid for him, and only that if he was in top shell shape and health.
hope this helps

 

[Alaskamike]

Sorry.... you asked about how the transaction would occur, I forgot that part.
Local would be by far the best for you. Put an ad on Craig's list and screen the buyers to make sure they at least know the basics of care. Send them to this website and have them read the care sheets to see if they really want and can care for a Sulcata.

But.... if you sell / re-home and have to ship there are many on this forum who can give you very good advice on how to do that safely for the tort.
If I was re-homing (asking no $ for the tort, just to cover shipping costs ) I would consider advertising it on this forum. There is a thread for that under "marketplace" I don't think you will find anyone willing to buy your sully here - just my opinion, since as I said, they are so available, so many known members raise them right, and you are new.

How it would occur? IMO the very safest and best is a paypal account transaction. It the only way I would do it myself.

 

[DawnH]

Everything Mike said is spot on. If it were me I would not worry about the money but just make sure he goes to a good home. I think many will see how adorable he is and not fully realize the huge responsibility. We are getting ready to move and buy another house and my first requirement (before a nice kitchen, etc.) is SPACE. I would ask to see the space they have and see how much they know right off the bat. If they don't know anything and want to learn as they go, I would pass. *I* would sell to someone on the forum. Read their posts, see what their torts look like, how they personally "feel" to you (do you get a good vibe?) and go from there. That's me though!