Looks to me like it's the business side of things more than anything. When I was looking into buying garters a little under a year ago, Scott was a little high (to me) on just about everything. But as you touched on, you're not just buying the snake itself, but you know that the person you're buying from is quite possibly one of, if not the best garter breeders out there, with a great reputation. Like you alluded to, he has all kinds of variety to offer as well. I bet if he were selling your blue con's, he'd get a hell of a lot more for them than you did.

One more small point about your specific criticism. The one garter is a rare breed, while yours is a rare morph. Just something to think about.