Why Do You Go To Reptile Shows?

SHOP TILL YA DROP! but seriously.... i have never gone to a show and not picked up at least 2 animals.

Besides the reasons listed, I really enjoy being able to put faces to names. It's one thing to talk over the phone or browse breeders classifieds and it's a whole other thing to build a relationship with new breeders. Reptile keeping and breeding is a relatively small community it's great to get to know as many as you can. I can't wait for the next show!

I go to meet girls! You know, normals, incomplete dominate morphs, recessives, etc. Hahahahahahaha! Mostly to browse but on occasion if something catches my eye I'll make a purchase. That and it's nice to meet people in the crowds and also the vendors; faces to names and networking plus just meeting fellow enthusiasts.

I don't go anymore after having a bad experience where I saw a poorly taken care of, and hard to take care of gecko all sad. I felt was going to be sold to someone who had no clue what they're doing because they had the poor thing priced so low. It was like walking into a chain store.

On the other hand, we are running low on CGD and shipping is horrendous for the amount we need, so I have to remind the 1.0 Human here to go look at snakes and get crestie food as, I believe, the next one is in April. (We only have 2 very small ones a year 'round here.)

I don't impulse buy and I don't collect animals. So I don't buy animals at shows, unless I can find a good deal on crickets or some other treats for my lizard kids. There has only been one show at which I have purchased a snake, and that was in 2009 and I had been planning on boa-shopping there for a number of months.

Pretty much all of the above.

Other was ONE of my votes and as requested - it's because it's a chance for me to get to see great friends who are vending and to network with other breeders. My boyfriend isn't even into reptiles, and even he asks when the next show will be, because he enjoys the friendships we've made because of this hobby.

It also allows me to meet new folks or folks I've talked to, but never met in person.

I used to buy animals, when I was first starting out (normal females), but because I am extremely picky, even with normals (I'm phasing them out though), it's rare that I buy animals at shows now. An animal has to really be an exceptional example of the morph for me to buy at a show (like my Fire female that I got at Jay Eaton's Myrtle Beach show last summer).

I go with an open mind that I'll pull the trigger if an animal speaks to me, but it's rare these days.

I used to go to shows just to look around and sometimes intent on buying something, but lately I've been volunteering to run the booth for my local herp society. I like it because I still get to network a little, I don't have to pay to get in and it's fun. :D

I go to shows because I volunteer for USARK. If I make it out with any supplies or animals, that's just a bonus...:gj:

I got because there are cheap animals and supplies and because there's no where else I can hang out with other reptile geeks like me.