Advice on buying rats at a reptile show?

[artgecko]

I am going to the Atlanta show this weekend and although getting rats is not really a goal, I'm thinking that I would like to be prepared in case I see any nice ones at the show. I'd like to keep my options open if I see any promising rats and I'd love to bring home some color or coat mutations I don't have in my area (like siamese or rex).

I'm planning on bringing an xlarge kritter keeper with bedding, lab blocks, and some carrots or apple slices for moisture and leaving it in my car in case I decide to buy some rats. Do you think that this would be suitable for transport? There is also a chance that we would have to leave any rats we buy in the car for about 1 hour while we eat (temps should be in the mid 60's that weekend)... Would this be a problem?

I would love advice on genders/ ages to buy, what questions to ask, or how long to quarantine after I purchase them. I am thinking about only getting young females so that they can be housed with my current female group after quarantine, but welcome advice on that as well.

Thanks, for your advice and time!

[artgecko]

Well... That ended up being a bust lol. I had contacted a local feeder breeder on FB that had said he was going and he told me he'd bring a large selection to the show to look through. He did not have any dumbos, none of the varieties I was looking for either... There *could* have been some rexes in there (he had double rexes in a different tub) but the rats were not in the best condition and I am inexperienced with picking out rexes, so I didn't hazard it. Apparently no one brings live rats to the show except this guy (I guess fancy rats just aren't popular in my area) so I'll have to try other methods to get some quality rats.