Michigan events

I added some west michigan events this week to the callender. One of which is this Saturday. MI herp society is putting on a show/expo in Ionia, MI at the fairgrounds. Supposed to be one of the big buildings, I hope its full of vendors when I get there! There is another show coming up in October in Grand Rapids that I'll be at.

Anyone going?

Show report:

Lots of corn snakes and a decent ammount of normal balls although not that great looking. Recognized a few people like Casey Hulse and the Collison's. Talked to Casey for a minute and had myself convinced I would by one of the juv. children's pythons he had there (2) I told him I would wonder and think about it...one walk around the room again (not a very long one) and when I got back both where gone. I was suprised at that, apparently someone else had the same idea but didn't hesitate. Oh well. I met a guy from GR who does a little bit everything...Cory something. He had some amazon tree boas he just produced that I was looking at and we talked about them for a good while. I've been wanting to try an arboreal species and a few times had to talk myself out buying $300+ green tree pythons. Well he knew his stuff and made me feel confident enough to buy one from him. He had a garden phase and two yellow ones. The one I bought is a nice bright yellow with some black patterns coming in. It was cheaper than the children's python would have been, now I gotta get my father in law to build me a display case LOL. I also bought a load of mice LOL. The rodent guy (Ed?) was there and I bought a pile of pinkies from him to freeze for my children's and the new ATB. I bought a bunch of mice from another women who had them 50 cents each. and all kinds of crazy colors, I've never seen long haired mice before but I have a couple now. After I got home and sorted I ended up with enough for two breeding tubs and ton of extra males for feeding off that will last several weeks while the others start producing.

I'll have to get some pics of the new ATB, really sharp looking.

hey i was there... i saw those nice ATB's. other than that, all i saw were corn snakes pretty much.
still a good time, i got to talk to mr. hulse about setting up heat tape and to the collisons about breeding as well. i also bought a cresty because it seems i buy one at every show i go to now... got him from matt from pangea reptiles, nice guy.i'm also going to be at the GR show in october and NARBC Chicago.

sweet, I was at the Ionia show when they opened and was there maybe 2hrs...I had to stretch my time there since I was meeting someone back in GR at a certain time. I'll be at the GR show first thing also.

The Grand Rapids show was pretty good today. Lots of people moving through, and although not a "big" show there was a nice diversity of animals. Alot I wanted to take home with me but had to refrain from...I got what I went for though! A member from another forum and his wife came up from Indiana. He put up with I don't know how many email's flying back and forth (started out as PM's) the last few days and we worked out a trade. Part of what I got from him in turn was part of yet another trade I did. I ended up coming home with some african rats from Jeff, and a nice big female ball python from another guy in trades. The BP unless my scale is off is quite a bit bigger than what I was told (over 1500 grams) so that is a score. She and another female I have will be bred soon by a 100% het ghost male I have.

All around I was glad I went and I hope it continues, I found it better than the Taylor shows that I've gone to a few times and only having to drive 1 hour was great.

glad to hear it! i wasnt able to make it due to OT requirements at work... yeah.
btw, are you a member of MSH?

No I am not a member yet, I have considered it off and on as I'd love to be involved in it for the lectures and events but in reality I'm not sure how many of those things I could make if it requires alot of travel. Basically if I join I want to be able to participate and not just do it to say I'm a member. I look into it every so often and periodically visit the site to see what they are doing and have attended a couple events they sponsored. If you are a member maybe you can give your thoughts on my hesitations.

I'm already looking forward to the next GR show, and hopefully in late winter or spring I'll have a table myself. I'm also trying wiggle my way into helping Zack who coordinates the show. I've offered a sponsorship in the way of free web hosting for the site but as of now he is content so I won't push. Anyway you'll have to let me know if you come over for it, would love to meet more MI herpers!

well as a newer member i dont have a whole lot to say either way about it. but you did say you'd love to meet more MI herpers, and that's definitely the one thing you can count on. there's also a newsletter every month or so which is fun to read... i dunno i like to read. i basically joined to make some contacts and to hopefully be able to attend a few meetings. some are at john ball zoo in GR so thats only 45 min away. i'll definitely hit you up if i'm able to go to the next show.

I went to the John Ball Zoo event last year and it was ok, about a month ago went to the Ionia show which was not anywhere near as large as they where saying it would be. Still came home with something that weekend though :)

the ionia show could have been better, perhaps they needed some organizational help from someone like yourself :) it ended up being a good setting for people to get to know each other though, which is why i wanted to go in the first place.

ohh, how I wish I was back home... Dumb California!

Show coming up this Sunday again in Grand Rapids, MI. Wife and I are going again...not sure I'll be bringing home much with the aquisition last weekend, but I never know ;) I added it to the calendar here but as with last time I only remembered to do it a few days ahead of time. If my african rats keep producing like they do I might venture into setting up a table with some...snakes coming hopefully in the spring.


Kzoo your going to be there?

I'm going to be there. The one last month was my first expo and i thought it was great. Ended up with a columbian boa, a red-earred slider, and some new cages (not to mention all the critters my girlfriend picked up). However i don't think i'll be bringing as much money with me this time, as it will probably all be gone within ten minutes of me getting there.

LOL I hear ya there, my wife has to "help" me not spend to much. She usually "lets" me bring a set ammount of cash and if I don't spend it all I'm doing good. I'll probably pick up some rats so I can save the african rats I have for more breeders. I'm also trying to get another female ready to breed.


Don't forget to print off a coupon for $1 off (its on the website). If anyone wants to meet up if for nothing more than to say hi let me know here.

Well suprisingly going in just 10 minutes early, my wife and I where the first ones in. Last month there was a good group of folks waiting to get in around 15 minutes early. This time the waiting area didn't start to fill up until right about the time Zack let people in. I was getting nervous the show was going to bomb!

Some vendors didn't come this come this time since the tables where not free. Casey Hulse was one of those that didn't return...sucked to as he has the crickets but another guy was there making a killing of them I'm sure being the only one who had them. I saw lots of familiar faces and talked with some people I'm getting to know. The selection was alot less than last month and not really anything "new" that wasn't there last time. Still had fun just didn't spend as much time there this time. I bought a few rats so I can hold out on my own rodents a bit longer. My wife and I talked to the "Frog Guy" he's great we see him at alot of the shows and his animals are awesome. My wife suprisingly brought home the "addition" this time rather than me. She picked up a juv. red eyed tree frog. Pretty darn cool little guy. I almost bought a pacman frog as he had some gorgeous ones there to but decided not to. We also bought one of those aquarium "converters" that is sheet of plexi that attaches to the tank and opens like a lid. Great concept and while a little over priced we thought we would give the guy some business and re-use one of our many old 10g tanks...WRONG the thing doesn't fit right in the tanks we have. Not sure if my wife is going to call the guy or just have her dad cut it down.

Anyone else make it down? never heard back but sometime we should meet up or do lunch afterwords or something.

Haven't had a chance to be on my computer since the expo. I've been way too busy building a cage for the two plated lizards i picked up. It was a bit disappointing that there were so few venders. Hopefully the next one will have some more. Either way i'll be there, if only to win that shiny X-Box 360.

Hah good luck with that! ;P

I didn't realize the first show vendors got free tables until I got to talking to some of the guys I know. He was telling me that with the charge for the table and it being a small show people wouldn't be back when Zack started charging. Funny thing was that person was back with a table but some other more prominent names where not. Oh well I hope it at least stays steady.

hey, just getting back in the swing of things here tek... my wife and i had a baby on 11/16 so obviously i missed all those november and december shows.

i've still managed to drop a ton of money on herps and herp related equipment though in the last two months!

disconnectie@gmail.com is my email... probably the most reliable way to reach me if you want to meet up at a show! i definitely would like to go to one soon.:snake: :snake: :snake:

Great to hear from you! Congrats on the family edition! You know I had half a mind to post last week and see if you where still around. I went to the Kzoo show last saturday to pick up a female. I hadn't been to the Kzoo show months. I have been going to the GR shows despite how small and dissapointing it can be but I feel like I need to support it....maybe it will be around long enough for me have stuff to sell.

I'll save your email address and shoot you a note if you don't have mine.

hey thanks, its exciting...
so we were all set to go that last show then go to a super bowl party in GR... too bad it was -5* and 131 was closed in three places!
i'll be going to the Kzoo show later this month if nothing goes haywire.