my first and last reptile show

I have taken the journey to try and educate myself the best I possibly could before bringing home my first BP. I have been reading any book I could get my hands on, searching the forums for hours, joined facebook groups etc. This was all in prep for my to go to my local reptile show and hopefully purchase my first snake. This past weekend was the Cleveland Reptile Show and I've decided that reptile shows are not the venue for me. I ask questions, and I like to be able to do things at my pace, the show was so overwhelmingly packed I couldn't even stop to get a clear look at any of the animals. In short, I have realized that I think I am going to be happier purchasing from one of the many reputable breeders I have learned about from all you guys, allowing me the opportunity to ask questions and feel more confident about my purchase. Just wanted to share my experience and decision. I'll definitely be going to other shows as a spectator and enjoyed seeing many of the different animals I have been researching, but in the end of the day just not the venue for me.

Yeah, I'm not so good with crowded places myself (and yet I want to try to vend at one of these places because I'm a masochist apparently). The folks here are quality though, you can't go wrong!

Yeah epos are not really the greatest place for newbs....
Huge crowds and overwhelming selection really doesn't help when you are still full of questions.
They are great for pricing if you know what you are looking for.

You guys think I am cranky here, you should see me in a crowd. :taz::taz:

I find late in the afternoon on the last day of a show the best time to go. It's usually less crowded and the vendors are more motivated. Only downside is that the selection won't be as good.

Can't deal with crowds, or people in general, actually. Nothing like the age of the internet for a curmudgeonly recluse.

I would like to attend a big one someday just to get a chance to briefly meet some of the folks whose channels I follow, and whose books I own. Doubt I would buy anything there, however.

I on the other hand actually enjoy the shows i enjoy the selection that you can find at a show. While I can understand why some people dont like them as most are over crowded true it is hard trying to get the perfect snake witg out seeing it in person. A lot harder to do that online

I also am not a big fan of crowds and being rushed into purchases. Not saying people are literally rushing me but the feeling of holding someone else up is what makes me feel rushed lol. I would say to the OP to try a smaller expo. I have had great experiences with small local expos where i live. The selection i am sure is not the same as a large expo but you still get a good variety with fewer crowds. I am going to go to my first big expo next month which is NARBC in Tinley. I plan on only looking at all the animals and buying some supplies so I don't think it will be too bad. :D

the only thing i don't like about expos is when i see an animal i'm genuinely interested in, but can't get a chance to talk to the vendor because someone is there with their 5 kids going through the petting zoo routine with each and every animal.

I've only been to one show, and I walked away with my first snake, HOWEVER I had contacted the breeder and been emailing him back and forth for nearly a month. I had my eye on two of his snakes (a lesser butter and a pewter) and he offered to bring both to the show so I could see them in person. I still walked around first, looking at everyone's animals and asking questions, it was very hectic. I didn't get a chance to have a long talk with the breeder while at the show, but his daughter was really helpful. I ended up buying a completely different snake (cinnamon mojave). Later that night I got an email back, he apologized for not having the time to talk and asked if I had in fact gotten a snake. I replied that I had and that his daughter was super helpful, and he promptly sent me all the records for my snake; everything from parents description/genetics to feeding/weight notes dated from the day he hatched.

I doubt I would have gotten anything from the show if I hadn't had such a great experience with the breeder first though. I would not have had enough questions answered and some of the venders were obviously annoyed by people asking tons of questions.

I can understand how some reptile shows can get overwhelming. I feel lucky in that I started going to some smaller shows when I had no idea what I wanted, so could spend more time talking to people. I held off on the bigger shows for when I knew what I was looking for so I could quickly scan the tables and if I didn't see what I wanted, I would move on. I found reptile shows more enjoyable as a vendor than a participant. I love that I could talk with a bunch of people about my passions, and see some babies go to new homes. It was neat to see some people get giddy over taking home their first reptile or seeing the reactions I got when I brought my big male blood python to sit at our table.