Why are shows so lame now?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

One of the first people I struck up a friendly conversation with was none other than Bob Applegate. I really didn't know names much back then so I didn't recognize him. Such a nice down to earth guy, especially for being a big name breeder at that time. Hardly saw any ball pythons, various colubrids were all the rage (which has been replaced by BPs now).

---

I have similar stories. A bigtime breeder spent probably 2 hours with me talking shop after I purchased a single $125 snake. Met so many cool folks and saw animals that I'd never seen in person before. Those were the days!

The reason you see bps and cresties at shows these days is because that's what is popular these days and is what sells. Back in the 90s it was all about colubrids and wc dart frogs. Oh... and the wc crap they sell? Captive bred versions of that will probably be what fills the tables in a few decades.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alter-Echo

The reason you see bps and cresties at shows these days is because that's what is popular these days and is what sells. Back in the 90s it was all about colubrids and wc dart frogs. Oh... and the wc crap they sell? Captive bred versions of that will probably be what fills the tables in a few decades.

---

Exactly l. Its pretty simple

1) Crappy vendors / mites. Unfortunately promoters won't vet vendors and weed out the ones with bad reputations; anyone who pays for a table gets one.

2) Internet sales. A ton of good breeders don't vend expos because they don't want to risk picking up something in their collections; selling online is fairly safe and easy. See #1.

I'm newer to reptiles but I've gotten the chance to see large and small shows from both the consumer and vendor perspective. I've learned there are some vendors that are stand up and care about the well being of animals and will gladly talk to customers to explain proper care. Then there are vendors with shady practices such as wiping their snakes down before a show to remove mites. Ive made friends with many vendors and some vendors I will never talk to just because of their ethics.

Normally if I'm at a show as a customer I have an idea of what I'm looking for and a general price. I won't handle any animal I don't intend to buy. Heck half the time ones I do buy I don't handle because I try not to buy on a whim and can judge the condition of the animal in it's enclosure.

Most of our local shows are balls and geckos with a nice variety. The shows selection are somewhat seasonal in relation to breading seasons.

I started going to the Repticon reptile shows here in Colorado a few years ago and I can tell you the shows today compared to back then are night and day. A few years ago there wasn't much at the tables and not many people. Now there are vendors from out of state that bring in some really high end stuff, and it flies off of their tables and sells real fast. It's getting so crazy that I can't even hardly get to the tables to see the reptiles there are so many people! Not sure where you guys are talking about but here in Colorado the reptile industry and especially the shows are booming! One vendor surprised me with a whole table of reticulated pythons. And there was a guy in the middle of the show that looked like he bought 10 tables and had all kinds of stuff, even had some sugar gliders and lots of tortoises. It was a really amazing show and it just keeps getting better every year. This fall I'm hoping to set up a table at the local Repticon here in Colorado. I'd say they are becoming close to what NARBC is in Tinley Park, just in a smaller building.

Unless you go to a large show (NARC, Daytona) high end animals do not sell, only cheap lower end animals do anything under $500 but more realistically $250, so if you are a breeder no point in taking high end stuff that will not sell, high end usually sells online.

As for the animal's found well those are the animal that are popular, again why take animals for which people have little to no interest.

Vendors are there to vend not to display so people can see rare and unusual things.

It's basic business and people knowing what works for their market.

someone mentioned, it being just a cheap weekend show to take the kids to. Unfortunately, here in Lexington Ky, thats exactly what our shows turn into. half of them are a bunch of hicks coming to a cheap petting zoo type deal, while another quarter isn't willing to spend more than $50 for 3 animals and then the rest are looking for decent/high end breeding.... and unfortunately nothing is of much quality.

I feel like MorphMarket is completely changing the online game and therefore the sales overall. Kingsnake kind of had this going for them, but they completely dropped the ball by not updating their website. MorphMarket made it easy to find exactly what you wanted and search by price....something you couldn't exactly do on other sites. As soon as it took off, all of a sudden breeders really had to watch their pricepoints because customers can compare side by side. They brought the Amazon approach to the reptile industry....in good ways and bad alike.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Unless you go to a large show (NARC, Daytona) high end animals do not sell...

---

I think the big shows like NABRC do well because they're only held once or twice a year for a specific geographic region, plus they have informational lectures and other attractions for attendees besides buying and selling. OTOH I could drive to a Repticon or small expo practically every week or so, so there's less of an urgency to attend or vend, because there will be another one the following week.