daytona beach expo

No RDR or Nerd this year?

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Originally Posted by TessadasExotics

No RDR or Nerd this year?

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No - neither have vended Daytona for the past 3 or 4 years.

Dan = Zen Orchids. Sorry. I was at DAYTONA !!!!

Sorry. I look forward to this all year. It was much smaller, but the lanes were wider and roomy, so it wasn't crushed up. I saw a lot of neat critters and Beachie and I took lots of pics. Saw some folks from BP.net too!! Whoo! I wore my BP.net shirt in hopes that maybe people would recognize it, and there were a few!

When the pics get uploaded, I'll post some in a thread.

I was very disappointed. I flew in to Orlando to take the kid to Disney and then rented a car to go to Daytona in hopes that I would be driving back with something. I ended up with a two day drive home to Houston with nothing but a bottle of cleaner I bought thinking I could have been home already on a plane. I won't make the mistake of booking this trip again unless more of the big breeders return. With this show shrinking and the NARBC now putting on two shows in Texas, it just isn't worth it to me.

I've talked to several people who use to attend as recently as three and four years ago - and they've all talked about what a disappointment this show was and how they don't think they'll go back any more. That makes me sad. :(

I think I'll pass on Daytona next year and do Tinley instead.

I vended at Daytona this year, third year in a row. I've attended this expo for over 5 years. It is different now. Like was said earlier, NERD and Ralph haven't been here for a few years. This year Pete Kahl wasn't there. I think some of the NARB shows are replacing Daytona as the show for the big breeders to go to.

However, from this vendors point of view, it was a great show! Crowds and some with money who bought ball pythons. Sometimes when some of the big guys are not at a show, some of the small breeders, like myself, get a chance to show off our stuff. :D

It's also a great time to meet and have fun with fellow herpers. Lots of great people I've only talked to on-line came by the table and introduced themselves. It's always so nice to put a name to a face. It's also fun to talk shop with fellow breeders who know so much more than I do about this great addiction. Brock, Sean, Marc, Michael, Amir, Tim, Ben Siegel, BHB, Mark and Kim Bell, and so many others. I learn so much just talking to them and picking their brains.

I also have so much fun seeing some of the newest combos, especially the bananas and champagnes.

The auction was a blast! In addition to all the cool stuff at the silent auction, the person running the live auction actually auctioned off a roll of paper towels, 4 cold pizzas, two cold Popeyes chicken dinners and plain old air (or nothing at all as he described it). Over $40,000 raised last I heard and that was being matched, dollar for dollar, so over $80,000 going to a very good cause.

So, IMHO, it is different, but still a great show!