Why Do You Go To Reptile Shows?

What is your main reason for going to a reptile show? Just to hang out and see some interesting new animals? Or do you only go for a specific reason, such as always buying your feeders at a show?

If you ask my wife, I want to go to just "look", but I always want to buy something when I go.....;)

I go to see the snakes in person and get my new supply of f/t rats.

Well it depends on the show and the time of year, but I always go to browse and sometimes to buy animals and sometimes to buy supplies. But I always leave with something even if I don't intend to. So now I leave my money home if I don't plan on buying.

Mainly just to chit chat and look at the snakes people have


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Originally Posted by ChrisS

Well it depends on the show and the time of year, but I always go to browse and sometimes to buy animals and sometimes to buy supplies. But I always leave with something even if I don't intend to. So now I leave my money home if I don't plan on buying.

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Would probably be a good idea for me too :p

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I go mostly to meet new people to talk reptiles with.

It's a good opportunity to meet other people who are into reptiles. Over the years I've gotten to know a lot of the local vendors, so it's nice getting to catch up and talk animals with other people who share the same interests.

I browse with the intent to purchase. We also have 2 shows a month where I live. Sometimes we go just because we can.

I always go just to see all the pretty animals.
If I plan on buying a specific animal I usually wait for a show but unfortunately this season I'm broke so I'm stuck just window shopping.

I also buy my cricket crystals and crestie food at shows.

So I'm 3 out of 5, i guess. :)

I go mainly to browse the morphs and prices out there.

I also catch up on the current news in the reptile world, listen in on who's doing what projects, keep a finger on the pulse of what is new in the ball python game and what is becoming more popular.

At certain shows I go specifically to purchase or hopefully purchase a snake. I rarely do feeders at shows because I breed a lot of my own.

Gale

We go to look at new animals with the possibility of buying, buying supplies sometimes and then of course to meet new people that enjoy reptiles and the hobby as much as us!:banana:

I'll pick up frozen feeders if I need them, but my main reason for attending shows is to hang out with the friends who love being there. I can't buy new animals, and since I have so few animals, I don't need much in the way of supplies. Once I've browsed the aisles and seen all the critters at the show, there's not much appeal to stay. Unless....I have some great friends there. And then I love it.

I've traveled across the country, more than once, just to attend shows with friends. :D

I don't make it to many shows at all due to my work, maybe 2 a year...I just go to browse, talk to people, look at all the animals.

Mainly to meet others with the same interests and network myself :D

I go to browse what's out there, and talk to other herp enthusiast. But if I'm going to buy something, I almost always go to shows to buy. You can see what your getting in person, and ask questions face to face. I also pick up feeders from time to time.
I'm going to a show today, mostly to look.

The only show i usually go to is the White Plains expo in NY. Thats only 4 times a year but usually im just there for all of the same reasons you guys listed above^
I usually walk through everything twice and if there are any animals that were nice enough to make me wanna walk over just to look at them a 3rd time then ill consider buying them if theyre a good price and i have the money.

I like going to shows so I can see the animals I'm purchasing up close and personal. Depending on how large of a show you go to, you could have several versions of the same morph to choose from.

Only been to one so far, and I had a list of animals I would have liked to purchase so I was mainly there to find some new additions. Also got some crestie food.

Planning to go to at least one expo this year, and it will be to possibly buy a new animal(s) as well.

There aren't that many shows in this area, but it still gives me the opportunity to look around at animals I've only seen in picture form on the net. I bought my cresteds at a show, and I'll pick up miscellaneous items as I need them (generally MUCH more reasonably priced at shows vs pet stores). It's also handy to pick up business cards of feeder distributors and local businesses in general so I can keep tabs on what's happening in the area.

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.

Other: All of the above!

Shows are great source of frozen feeders for me. I can eyeball the sizes I need and don't have to pay shipping. I even have a special cooler with a separate dry ice compartment for bringing them home.

Once the feeders are purchased, I like to browse the supplies and usually pick any new stainless items I might need.

Finally, I like to window shop the ball pythons and admire the other herps that I don't keep.

So far, I'm about 50/50 on my BP purchases with half being purchased at shows, and the other half being purchased online. Of course, now that I think about it, each of my online purchases have been picked up from the breeder at the next show. On the east coast, that's usually an easy arrangement. Saves shipping and might be less stressful for the animal since FedEx doesn't get involved.

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Originally Posted by JulieInNJ

Other: All of the above!

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x2!

I love to browse and see what's out there and what's available. I pick up a few supplies I might need plus some supplimental f/t rodents for "in-between-sizes" especially for my growing boas. I've only gone a few times with the intent to buy, but I have made a couple of impulse purchases - which I've not regretted one bit.

Personally, I think shows/expos are fun! You have to be careful of who you deal with and/or buy from, but it's a great place to check out species that you might not see anywhere else and meet lots of people with common interests!

I clicked on every answer except "I don't go to shows," LOL. I've only been to a handful of shows thus far, but each one had a different purpose... there were a couple where I bought snakes, one where I only bought feeders, and another where I was simply browsing (and hoping to find a cheap incubator). So it depends on the show, what I need at the time, and/or whether or not I have any money! ;)