Ever been laid off from purchasing a reptile?

I want to hear your stories of things happening to you such as almost getting a snake/reptile but someone else purchased it or they wouldn't let you purchase it and things like that.

A while back I was at a pet shop and they were selling this really beautiful Variable Kingsnake that I wanted but they said it would be available the next week on Tuesday, so I went on Tuesday the very next week and they said someone had already purchased it the day before. It was a total bummer because that snake was very beautiful; it was a very bright orange color which was just stunning.

I once tried calling a breeder about a ball python I wanted to buy, but he wouldn't answer or return my call. He lowered the price on it the very next day, while I was waiting for him to call me back, and by the time I got a hold of him it had sold at the cheaper price. If he had better customer service, he would have sold the snake for the higher price, but instead of having good customer service or spending a couple of dollars a month to advertise, he drops his prices every few days until he sells out.

He was immediately added to, and the reason for, my blacklist, for his poor customer service, and also for taking part in lowering the morph market, since he was offering a good number of morphs for cheaper than cheap. Plus when I finally talked to him I got that shady slime ball impression from him.

At daytona Sunday, my buddy went to purchase this awesome looking corn snake. When we got back to the table kathy love had it in her hand... =( along with like 15 other baby corns.. Sad day. But he ended up getting a nice Ultramel Hypo Bloodred.

Don't you sometimes hate getting laid off on a good snake? I've actually came across a ton of great deals but my mom said "no more snakes." lol. Though, this November at the reptile expo I'm buying myself a Spider, but if I find a Pinstripe for $250-$300 then I'm totally buying it unless someone else gets there before I do lol. I plan on going right when it opens, just because there are more animals available. I did hear they lower their prices at the end of shows so they can sell the reptiles faster, but I think going right when it starts you will find a better variety of snakes rather than ones at the end of the show since most of the snakes would be gone by then.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Don't you sometimes hate getting laid off on a good snake? I've actually came across a ton of great deals but my mom said "no more snakes." lol. Though, this November at the reptile expo I'm buying myself a Spider, but if I find a Pinstripe for $250-$300 then I'm totally buying it unless someone else gets there before I do lol. I plan on going right when it opens, just because there are more animals available. I did hear they lower their prices at the end of shows so they can sell the reptiles faster, but I think going right when it starts you will find a better variety of snakes rather than ones at the end of the show since most of the snakes would be gone by then.

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What show? and pins stripes have dropped in price I saw a male for 300 today at Daytona. and pin stripes arent going fast better to haggle at the end of shows.

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Originally Posted by cornball252

What show? and pins stripes have dropped in price I saw a male for 300 today at Daytona. and pin stripes arent going fast better to haggle at the end of shows.

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Well, all shows. I heard most of the time they will lower the prices so they can sell the animals faster. And $300 doesn't seem like too bad of a price :]. Though, down here I think that supplies, reptiles, amphibians, etc. are all a bit more pricey than most expos because I've seen morphs at the show I went last year for a lot of money but at other shows they weren't as much.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Well, all shows. I heard most of the time they will lower the prices so they can sell the animals faster. And $300 doesn't seem like too bad of a price :]. Though, down here I think that supplies, reptiles, amphibians, etc. are all a bit more pricey than most expos because I've seen morphs at the show I went last year for a lot of money but at other shows they weren't as much.

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Yea it all varies, Where is down there? Im about as down as you can get in the US lol.

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Originally Posted by cornball252

Yea it all varies, Where is down there? Im about as down as you can get in the US lol.

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Lol down here meaning in Scottsdale, AZ. Well, this year the expo is in Tempe but last year it was in Mesa or Phoenix I think. I bought a Dumeril's boa last year (unkown sex when purchased) for $90, but I'm not sure if that was a decent price for a baby Dumeril's or what. I think she was 7 months old when I got her too.

I had been talking to John (Arizona Reptile) about a Snow Kenyan Sand Boa for a week or two. He asked if I wanted him to hold it for me. I said no, as I wasn't committed to the sale, and didn't want to hinder business.

I walked in that Sunday as someone was buying it. I was pretty heartbroken.

I've had folks not want to do payment plans, which I get to a point- but we're talking 90 days or less, which isn't that long... As a seller, I've done 6 month plans.

I found a breeder that advertized payment plans on his website so I inquired about three of his snakes and the payment plan specifications. We emailed back and forth a few times and I let him know that it would be for two months and I would make bi-weekly payments, right before I made my first payment he emailed me and told me that he couldn't work with me on a long term payment plan and that he was going to take the snakes to a local show and try to sell them. Needless to say, if he had my ideal snake for an awesome price I wouldn’t buy from him.

Last year I found a guy selling off his collection about 4 hours away so we talked to a reasonable deal for a spider male and female pastel baby (didn't low ball him at all). I contacted asking when would be a good day for me and dad to drive over to pick them up and pay for them. He then said he had a guy coming that night to check out the entire collection (not terribly big). The guy bought all of the animals. I felt pretty cheated even though we hadn't payed yet since we were committed to the purchase and willing to drive 4 hours there and back to get them. :(

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Originally Posted by bad-one

Last year I found a guy selling off his collection about 4 hours away so we talked to a reasonable deal for a spider male and female pastel baby (didn't low ball him at all). I contacted asking when would be a good day for me and dad to drive over to pick them up and pay for them. He then said he had a guy coming that night to check out the entire collection (not terribly big). The guy bought all of the animals. I felt pretty cheated even though we hadn't payed yet since we were committed to the purchase and willing to drive 4 hours there and back to get them. :(

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Man, that really sucks!! But, look at it this way--at least you didn't drive all 4 hours and then get there to find out that he'd sold them!

When I went to the Expo at Cow Palace (in May), this one booth had a gorgeous hypo with a $350 price tag. I asked if I could buy him, and the guy paused for a moment and said "I was going to sell him, but my girlfriend is making me hold him back." I begged and pleaded, but he didn't want to get in trouble with the woman! I ended up getting a pastel from him instead, who is now my pride & joy (Toby)... so it all turned out okay. :)

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Lol down here meaning in Scottsdale, AZ. Well, this year the expo is in Tempe but last year it was in Mesa or Phoenix I think. I bought a Dumeril's boa last year (unkown sex when purchased) for $90, but I'm not sure if that was a decent price for a baby Dumeril's or what. I think she was 7 months old when I got her too.

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Oh haha yea im in Florida...

90 isn't bad, lowest I saw a baby dumerils for this year was 80 bucks each.
and they were ugly!
I have a adult female if any one is interested! lol will take a Helix and some heat tape or a BP morph ^_- haha

At daytona I was content on buying this BEAUTIFUL! Female Orange Ghost from Tom Harbin ( I HIGHLY recommend him, He was the Friendliest vendor there) For a Great price but My Fiance was content on getting a female patternless snow S. Pine instead... so we got the pine...

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Originally Posted by cornball252

Oh haha yea im in Florida...

90 isn't bad, lowest I saw a baby dumerils for this year was 80 bucks each.
and they were ugly!
I have a adult female if any one is interested! lol will take a Helix and some heat tape or a BP morph ^_- haha

At daytona I was content on buying this BEAUTIFUL! Female Orange Ghost from Tom Harbin ( I HIGHLY recommend him, He was the Friendliest vendor there) For a Great price but My Fiance was content on getting a female patternless snow S. Pine instead... so we got the pine...

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Well at least you got a snake :]. My female Dumeril's is so worth spending the $90; she has light coloration at the start of the head until the middle of the body then she starts to darken and when your past the vent the coloration is dark. The weird thing is, she's missing some scales by her throat on her underside. It's really odd, and I have no idea how that happened. At the show I was looking at her before I purchased her and noticed that but it's not too bad. The area where the scales are missing has a light faded purple coloration.