Expo spoils ?? - Page 2

jjnnbns · 06-14-04, 01:47 AM

The funny thing is that if people make an impulse buy w/o having caging set up at home, they will also get scolded for not being prepared. If a show were ever w/in distance of me I would love to show up and put up a HUGE sign or banner with my website and try and get to know everyone, maybe have a business card or brochure with PICTURES, and send them home with EVERYONE! I wouldn't expect all that many people to respond, but I also would be nervous if 20+ people bought from me with little or no knowledge of what they just purchased.

I guess that I would most likely also have care sheets available. If you give out 100 business cards and only 2% call back and buy, then you are still doing fine. I would hope for more (5%) but its hard to say, seeing as I've never been to a show!

jjnnbns · 06-14-04, 01:48 AM

True Tim! Even with a GREAT product (and more important with a not so great product, hehe) you need to sell YOURSELF first, as it will only help that much more!

Tim_Cranwill · 06-14-04, 01:55 AM

Brock, that's half the battle... buying/selling. A lot of breeders at that very show were kind of whining about how no one was buying.. Maybe it's because they weren't <u>selling</u>...

It's a two way street...

I'm not trying to sound like a sales expert but just sitting around with a few dozen deli cups in front of you (like 97% of the breeders there) is not going to cut it... or so it seems.

Good post, Brock!

Jeff_Favelle · 06-14-04, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Jeff is that the reason you never come out here for the shows?

I go to shows all the time. I don't go to Ontario shows where you live because I live in Victoria, BC and it would take me 5 days of straight driving just to get there! Ha ha sorry, but I'm not about to subject my baby snakes to 10 days in a car (minimum) and 2 days in deli cups at a show.

Jeff_Favelle · 06-14-04, 02:21 AM

Quote:

The funny thing is that if people make an impulse buy w/o having caging set up at home, they will also get scolded for not being prepared.

What a PERFECT point brother! If you are just buying what you see at the shows, without knwing in advance, how can you have the cage all set up and temperature-calibrated, etc etc. Then come here, and everyone roasts the person for buying the animal first etc etc. LOL! I never even thought about it that way. GREAT point.

jjnnbns · 06-14-04, 02:33 AM

I think that if you buy at a show, it should be an animal that you are ALREADY planning on getting, but would either rather not pay shipping, or else see in person and choose the best looking from a variety! Even though my first snake was definitely an impulse buy, I would now never even consider bringing a snake home w/o the proper caging already setup, much less no research or idea of its care requirements!!!

Jeff_Favelle · 06-14-04, 02:41 AM

Quote:

I think that if you buy at a show, it should be an animal that you are ALREADY planning on getting, but would either rather not pay shipping, or else see in person and choose the best looking from a variety! Even though my first snake was definitely an impulse buy, I would now never even consider bringing a snake home w/o the proper caging already setup, much less no research or idea of its care requirements!!!

Totally man. At last year's big show in Alberta, I had 19 animals pre-sold and I can GUARANTEE you those people had the set-ups all ready and good-to-go before the met me at the show. I made SURE of it. I was waaaaay happier and more content with those sales than with the others at the show. However, it must also be pointed out that when selling babies to other breeders, MOST will be able to simply insert them into THEIR OWN baby racks after proper quarantine methods. I mean, if I go to a show and buy 15 baby Ball Python morphs, do you think I have to set up all the cages and read and learn about Ball Pythons? Ha ha, not likely. More like they go in the quarantine rack when I get home, just like all the other show animals. Its not like EVERY sale is to a newbie. Maybe with Leos and Beardies and other $30 animals, but a lot of sales are also things like albino boas, pied Ball Pythons, etc etc to OTHER breeders who know what they are doing and are all set up and ready to go.

jjnnbns · 06-14-04, 02:53 AM

I used to think that that's mostly what shows were: a place for breeders and experienced herpers to meet and sell/trade

I know that it is, but it sounds like a lot of people go and make impulse buys. You wouldn't impulse buy a pied ball if you had no idea how to care for them, but definitely on a small lizard or corn that is a possibility.

The closest show to me is in Chicago, and I would love to go but probably not, maybe when I have some animals for sale I could afford to go!

I suppose that if there were a show in Winipeg I could go, you know of any Tim?

Brock · 06-14-04, 03:12 AM

I think, in reference to shows, selling to uneducated noobs is the seller's responsibility, not the uneducated noob buyer's responsibility. When you get an e-mail, you can spend a week or two telling the buyer how they should have their cage set up and give them links to care sheets, but at the show I think it is the seller's responsibility to have more than enough care sheets for every species being sold, as well as maybe a one page list of common problems such as MBD and mouthrot and belly burns etc. Pictures of ideal habitats would also be good, but I'm sure not many people would want to waste the ink on printing hundreds of pictures off, so I would suggest having a 'catalog' of habitats and environments, you could do more that way by including pictures of their natural wild environment with labels as to where that environment is in the world, as well as pictures of proper captive setups.

In my opinion, the seller should take all measures possible as simply as they can to ensure the survival of their animals. Make sure that you have given the seller a caresheet and time to review it BEFORE selling them your animals, not including one with the receipt.

Along with a caresheet should be a list of things the buyer will need to set up a proper habitat, like a 20g tank, heating pad, flourescent light etc, as well as a list of prices of these items and where you can buy them.

My first purchase, a veiled chameleon, was an impulse buy, the seller gave me no care information, I thought it would be as easy as looking after anoles. She got MBD. I think it could have been easily avoided if I just got a caresheet or even a list of websites to go check out, such as this wonderful one we call ssnakess.com.

Burium · 06-14-04, 03:38 AM

We had a show here, in the Netherlands, yesterday. We bought a pair of Mex black kings. Very nice. There was someone from England selling a pied ball for 16,000 Euros and a Spider ball for around 18,000 Euros! Crazy! Anyway it was a good show. Maybe whenever we go to the US for a visit, we can plan it around one of your shows. Then we can compare.

Kelly

SerpentLust · 06-14-04, 06:07 AM

"I think that if you buy at a show, it should be an animal that you are ALREADY planning on getting, but would either rather not pay shipping, or else see in person and choose the best looking from a variety! Even though my first snake was definitely an impulse buy, I would now never even consider bringing a snake home w/o the proper caging already setup, much less no research or idea of its care requirements!!!"

I couldn't agree more! Last show I went to I had it in my mind that I would be coming home with a young pair of ATB's or nothing. I had the enclosures all set up and ready to go. When I went to the Totally Pets Show in September, I knew I would be getting a snake, didn't know what type, but I was generally aiming at terrestrial, so I had a large enclosure AND a small enclosure ready depending on what I purchased.

If I honestly went and impulse purchased something, I'd call up my house and tell one of the members of the household to get an enclosure ready with (enter requirements here).

All of you are making such awesome arguments. Especially about how sellers need to know HOW to SELL! I would definately give props to The Reptile Store, I think that's their name, every expo I've been to they've been amazingly friendly, they were willing to talk about prices, they let me hold the animals, it was superb. Of course port credit are always friendly as most of us know the people working the table personally. But i've alsp seen the other type of vendor, that sit there with a sour look on their faces, the only reason they tlk to me is because I'm a big mouth and will just start talking to them.

Just my $0.02, which has already been said on here anyways hahaha

Jenn

Tim_Cranwill · 06-14-04, 08:40 AM

jjnnbns, we're in the process of trying to organize one for this year. It will probably be in mid-September if it happens.

spidergecko · 06-14-04, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jjnnbns
I think that if you buy at a show, it should be an animal that you are ALREADY planning on getting,

I sort of did this at the last show. I went there expecting to find one vendor (who hadn't been responding back to me through email/phone, I might add) but when I got their I found a totally different vendor and got my animals from him. It all worked out for the best since the vendor at the show is the top breeder of these lizards. He was so friendly and nice that I have bought about $1000 more on animals from him since.

jjnnbns · 06-14-04, 09:14 AM

Tim, keep me updated! Also, how hard do you suppose it would be to cross the border with some animals to sell myself? I'm not familiar with rules regarding that!

Cruciform · 06-14-04, 09:44 AM

I would have loved to make it to the Toronto show this time around but, due to moving this week, I had to pass

I was only at one show before this, and I have to say "Sellers, take heart!"

I would have liked to have had money to burn last time and bought some animals, but I just picked up bedding and rodent food. I talked to a few sellers and they were somewhat disappointed by sales. The thing is, I walked out of there with half a dozen business cards, from people I fully intend to purchase animals from in the next year.

The show is a great place to see samples of all kinds of animals, then ooh and ahh over them, and decide you have to have one.

If you're a seller, don't feel disappointed that you didn't move a lot of animals. Focus on making that connection with the people that come to look at your table, and encourage their interest. Find out something about the buyer too.

How did they find out about the show? Do they have any other reptiles? Or hang out on any community sites?

If they're new, or don't know about this site, put the address on the back of your card, along with your username. Bring them into the community. When the time is right for them to purchase, chances are they'll remember you. And they'll also be better educated in the care of their animals

Now if only I could win the lottery this week and make some of you very happy