Reptile Show Etiquette and Questions from a Newbie

Hello folks!

I will be attending my first show in about a week (the repticon in Atlanta on the 27th / 28th).

I'm very excited about going, but am a total newbie when it comes to what to expect at the show and what procedures / etiquette is expected by the vendors in attendance. With that in mind, I have a few questions to pose for you show-savy snake keepers.

1. Do most vendors expect you to pay in cash?

2. Is haggling expected, tolerated, encouraged, or frowned upon? (or is this dependent on if you buy multiple animals, etc.)?

3. When you go to a show, do you go to all the tables or do you have a "short list" of vendors that you visit first?

4. How do you transport / handle your new acquisitions while you're still at the show and on the trip home (we will have about 2.5 hours to go between when we leave the show and arrive at home..not sure if heating is necessary for the trip)?

5. When purchasing frozen rodents, I assume it is better to wait until you are about to leave the show? (I will have an ice-packed cooler in the car waiting for them)

Thank you so much for your time and help! If you think there's anything else I need to know about attending a show I would greatly appreciate your input!

Artgecko

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Originally Posted by artgecko

Hello folks!

I will be attending my first show in about a week (the repticon in Atlanta on the 27th / 28th).

I'm very excited about going, but am a total newbie when it comes to what to expect at the show and what procedures / etiquette is expected by the vendors in attendance. With that in mind, I have a few questions to pose for you show-savy snake keepers.

1. Do most vendors expect you to pay in cash?

2. Is haggling expected, tolerated, encouraged, or frowned upon? (or is this dependent on if you buy multiple animals, etc.)?

3. When you go to a show, do you go to all the tables or do you have a "short list" of vendors that you visit first?

4. How do you transport / handle your new acquisitions while you're still at the show and on the trip home (we will have about 2.5 hours to go between when we leave the show and arrive at home..not sure if heating is necessary for the trip)?

5. When purchasing frozen rodents, I assume it is better to wait until you are about to leave the show? (I will have an ice-packed cooler in the car waiting for them)

Thank you so much for your time and help! If you think there's anything else I need to know about attending a show I would greatly appreciate your input!

Artgecko

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1) nope, but cash may get you a better deal. ;)

2) i would say it's expected. it's definitely not frowned upon unless you're just lowballing on everything and being an ass about it.

3) I go to all the tables. you never know what you'll find. a lot if times breeders you've never heard of will have the prettiest animals. plus its just fun to check everything out. its called a "show" for a reason. i go more to look at everything than strictly a shopping spree.. although those are fun as well. lol

4) not too hard. just leave them in their deli cup and keep the AC or heat on (depending on what time of the year). just make sure they dont get exposed to extreme temperatures and they'll be fine.

5) every time i've purchased frozen rodents i just pay for whatever i want and they'll hold them for me in their freezer and i just pick them up right before i leave.

have fun! shows are one of my favorite parts of the hobby

Never been to a reptile show, but I know from both attending and vending at other types of shows that if you haggle you'd better be paying cash AND you'd better have it on you at the time. Yes, I've had some people haggle on price, then say they have to go find an ATM. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by artgecko

Hello folks!

I will be attending my first show in about a week (the repticon in Atlanta on the 27th / 28th).

I'm very excited about going, but am a total newbie when it comes to what to expect at the show and what procedures / etiquette is expected by the vendors in attendance. With that in mind, I have a few questions to pose for you show-savy snake keepers.

1. Do most vendors expect you to pay in cash?

2. Is haggling expected, tolerated, encouraged, or frowned upon? (or is this dependent on if you buy multiple animals, etc.)?

3. When you go to a show, do you go to all the tables or do you have a "short list" of vendors that you visit first?

4. How do you transport / handle your new acquisitions while you're still at the show and on the trip home (we will have about 2.5 hours to go between when we leave the show and arrive at home..not sure if heating is necessary for the trip)?

5. When purchasing frozen rodents, I assume it is better to wait until you are about to leave the show? (I will have an ice-packed cooler in the car waiting for them)

Thank you so much for your time and help! If you think there's anything else I need to know about attending a show I would greatly appreciate your input!

Artgecko

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1. Some vendors take cc's but most do just cash. Cash is king and will sometimes get you a better deal too.

2. Very tolerated and even encouraged if you know what you're doing.

3. I have a short list of what i'm looking for then i walk around and see who has what then go back and visit the tables that had what i wanted. I also get there really early, like before the show opens and just wait in line for a few minutes.

4. Just keep them in the container you bought them in and keep their temps between (preferably) 70-85ish.

5. No. When i buy them i usually go there first before anything and they write your name on it and keep it in their freezer for you.

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Originally Posted by artgecko

Hello folks!

I will be attending my first show in about a week (the repticon in Atlanta on the 27th / 28th).

I'm very excited about going, but am a total newbie when it comes to what to expect at the show and what procedures / etiquette is expected by the vendors in attendance. With that in mind, I have a few questions to pose for you show-savy snake keepers.

1. Do most vendors expect you to pay in cash?

2. Is haggling expected, tolerated, encouraged, or frowned upon? (or is this dependent on if you buy multiple animals, etc.)?

3. When you go to a show, do you go to all the tables or do you have a "short list" of vendors that you visit first?

4. How do you transport / handle your new acquisitions while you're still at the show and on the trip home (we will have about 2.5 hours to go between when we leave the show and arrive at home..not sure if heating is necessary for the trip)?

5. When purchasing frozen rodents, I assume it is better to wait until you are about to leave the show? (I will have an ice-packed cooler in the car waiting for them)

Thank you so much for your time and help! If you think there's anything else I need to know about attending a show I would greatly appreciate your input!

Artgecko

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First off, awesome questions. Some people at shows are rude and care nothing about what types of behavior are expected/tolerated. I've only been to a handful of shows but here's what I've experienced:

1. As others have stated, cash is king! That being said, many vendors have the little square CC processors on a tablet/phone. But they may charge an additional fee for that.

2. Many vendors set their prices a tad higher than what they expect to receive because haggling is usually a given. But even these prices are cheaper than what you'll find online, in a pet shop or wherever.

3. I usually go clockwise :) But sometimes I get distracted and then there's no telling where I'll end up. And at the last show, a little boy grabbed my hand and dragged me all over the place to show me everything that could fit in a 20 gal lol. It was adorable.

4. I just carry it around the show with me. But we purchased our frilled dragon in his setup, so the vendor slapped a 'sold' sign on it and let us keep it at the table til we were finished.

5. Buy them first thing and put your name on it. Otherwise there's a chance they'll sell out of the size you need by the end of the show (never happened to me, but better safe than sorry).

Also, talk to people!!! You might even make some new friends :) And don't be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they sound dumb. Most of the people at shows are freaking awesome! And they are more than happy to educate you on a species or product they're passionate about.

As far as haggling, it helps to know the going price for an animal/morph. I picked up a Black Pastel ball at a show a few months ago for $75. I've never seen them that cheap, even at the shows so I didn't haggle. I used to vend at shows and it used to irritate me to no end when I already put a low ball price on an animal and some cheap idiot would still offer me well below what I was asking. Don't assume all the vendors put higher prices on stuff expecting to be low balled.

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Originally Posted by treeboa

As far as haggling, it helps to know the going price for an animal/morph. I picked up a Black Pastel ball at a show a few months ago for $75. I've never seen them that cheap, even at the shows so I didn't haggle. I used to vend at shows and it used to irritate me to no end when I already put a low ball price on an animal and some cheap idiot would still offer me well below what I was asking. Don't assume all the vendors put higher prices on stuff expecting to be low balled.

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Yep, exactly what i meant when i said "know what you're doing".

^^^Agreed! Definitely haggle within reason, and try not to insult the vendor. If you're unsure of what might be too low of an offer, whip out your smartphone and do a quick price check :) I happily paid the $150 asking price on my het pied ringer because I felt she was worth every penny. Even if she's currently the bane of my existence lol.

Just to add to #4 - It will most likely be VERY hot for that show. On your way home, make sure none if your animals are ever in direct sunlight or left unattended in the car, even for a "quick stop" at a gas station.

And have fun! I know I'll be there, as usual.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Just to add to #4 - It will VERY hot for that show.

I'll be there.

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Coincidence? I think not! :p