Large vs Small Breeder

This is a general feedback post that welcomes any sort of info you have to contribute. There are obvious benefits that come from dealing with a larger established breeder that we are all aware of. This is not to say that small hobbyist breeders are not out there producing quality animals.

Unfortunately there are a lot of scammers out there which make it difficult for the small time good guys to find business and earn trust. What kind of things do you look for when viewing a website or ad from a small time breeder that makes you feel more at ease with the transaction? What are your thoughts on dealing with a small breeder vs. a larger breeder? Would you rather purchase from someone you actively see posting on forums? Is a lower price a major contributer to choosing a small breeder over a larger breeder?

I used to think that supporting the smaller hobbyist was the route that I wanted to go when purchasing my breeding stock. Now I start to get a bigger picture of the industry and I feel that supporting a small breeder could hinder my ability to sell my animals for the reason that they cannot be traced to a reputable source. How do you feel about this as a buyer? Is traceability important or do you judge the quality of an animal on a case by case basis.

I'm pretty much looking for any feedback on what small time breeders can or should do to get your business over the big boys. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks,

C'mon folks don't be shy!

I don't think looking at a breeders post count on a forum, because look at MKR, they posted all the time on a forum I used to frequent.


I read the BOI first. Or talk to other customers, or both. Look at there livestock. Talk to them through emails or phone about the animals or about the species, and whether they ask me questions back. Hope its what your looking for.

To me it doesn't matter - because you got this snake (or the parent) from so and so big breeder doesn't necessarily make you more legitimate, more trustworthy nor does it mean your stock is any higher in quality than this other breeder. I judge each animal on it's own merits and how it will fit into my collection and my projects.

I generally deal with small to mid size breeders because they tend to give me better customer service than some of the big breeders this includes having updated web pages and I can browse and compare their available stock - instead of having to email to inquire on availability.

All that being said - yeah there are people that think just because you got your animal from so and so big breeder that you have better stock or your extra $100 attached to the price tag might be worth it. I'm just not one of them.

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Originally Posted by stangs13

I don't think looking at a breeders post count on a forum, because look at MKR, they posted all the time on a forum I used to frequent.


I read the BOI first. Or talk to other customers, or both. Look at there livestock. Talk to them through emails or phone about the animals or about the species, and whether they ask me questions back. Hope its what your looking for.

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What are you thoughts when you look up a breeder on the BOI and find nothing?

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Originally Posted by Tosha_Mc

To me it doesn't matter - because you got this snake (or the parent) from so and so big breeder doesn't necessarily make you more legitimate, more trustworthy nor does it mean your stock is any higher in quality than this other breeder. I judge each animal on it's own merits and how it will fit into my collection and my projects.

I generally deal with small to mid size breeders because they tend to give me better customer service than some of the big breeders this includes having updated web pages and I can browse and compare their available stock - instead of having to email to inquire on availability.

All that being said - yeah there are people that think just because you got your animal from so and so big breeder that you have better stock or your extra $100 attached to the price tag might be worth it. I'm just not one of them.

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Thank you for your feedfack, this was the kind of input I was looking for. So you would definitely consider an up to date website as a plus for the small guys? Does the appearance of the website matter... for example self made amateur looking website that is up to date vs. a better flashy website that is also up to date?

The uses of buying from a well known established breeder is readily seen in the animals they produce. Would I buy a Nerd lemon pastel, or a pastel from this guy that has them for under $100 bucks a pop? Quality speaks for itself, and a lot of the time, those big guys have the time and sheer force in numbers to selectivly breed for better looking animals.

But do I have a preference when I'm just looking to buy an animal? Most often not, I shop and look for the nicest one I find. Then I do the usual BOI checks on the breeder, and feedback from other people like those on this site, and then I will decide whether or not I want this animal.

If through the grape vine I hear about this guy Chris who produces some KNOCK OUT axanthics, comparable to VPI's original daddy, then yes, this little breeder Chris will get a looky loo from me. Just because this Chris guy isnt huge in terms of numbers, doesnt mean he doesnt have some awesome animals and success with the few animals he produces.

But having those name's stuck on the lines of the snake does make a difference, because many times when it comes to certain lines, they do retain a certain amount of predictability when it comes to color, how they age and retain color, and the resale value of the next gen lines.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

What are you thoughts when you look up a breeder on the BOI and find nothing?

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If I find nothing, I usually don't deal with them then. The snake market is so interconnected, its kind of weird to not be on the BOI.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Does the appearance of the website matter... for example self made amateur looking website that is up to date vs. a better flashy website that is also up to date?

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It's a bonus if you do a majority of breeding through online sales. It can be a great edge to have a professional looking sight to represent your professional business. ;) A poor looking sight will get passed over, especially if it does not work properly. Breeders may not like it, but it's the truth for people that don't frequent shows.
(There are always those exceptions)

As for most breeders that do the reptile shows and such, I don't think a website will matter when they do most of their deals in person. It's a huge bonus to meet the keeper and ask any questions and see the animal in person.

Generally, a clean, simple listing site with contact info and pictures is enough to make it work for potential buyers.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

What are you thoughts when you look up a breeder on the BOI and find nothing?

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If I don't see them on the BOI I create a thread bout them! Or I will just ask around.

This is a great topic. One thing that you have to remember is that all "big" breeders were once "small" breeders. The guys that transition from a smaller hobby to a bigger business are the ones that have not only become effecient at taking care of animals but also have learned how to care for their clients. I always say that to me it doesn't matter what size collection, or name a person has, I look for what kind of person they are. I look at their track record with other people that I know. Even snaller breeders have a track record. I know that it's hard for the guy that's just starting out, they need to develope a history of business and you have to start somewhere. Maybe that's when you just have to have a feel for that person. It's funny being in the business for over twenty years now, I've seen a lot of small breeders that came and went because of their disregard of their clients and animals, I've also seen a lot of "big" breeders make a huge splash in the business and then within a few years just dissapear leaving a wake of people that have been screwed.
I guess my view is support the person not the size of that person in the business. And if you're a smalll breeder aspiring to be a larger name in the bisiness, just make it very attractive for people to deal with you. Make your service and qualiity at a level that people just can't help theirselves but to deal with you over the "big" dogs! Or just deal with me (just kidding)Sorry for the long ramble:) Brian(BHB)

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Originally Posted by BHB

This is a great topic. One thing that you have to remember is that all "big" breeders were once "small" breeders. The guys that transition from a smaller hobby to a bigger business are the ones that have not only become effecient at taking care of animals but also have learned how to care for their clients. I always say that to me it doesn't matter what size collection, or name a person has, I look for what kind of person they are. I look at their track record with other people that I know. Even snaller breeders have a track record. I know that it's hard for the guy that's just starting out, they need to develope a history of business and you have to start somewhere. Maybe that's when you just have to have a feel for that person. It's funny being in the business for over twenty years now, I've seen a lot of small breeders that came and went because of their disregard of their clients and animals, I've also seen a lot of "big" breeders make a huge splash in the business and then within a few years just dissapear leaving a wake of people that have been screwed.
I guess my view is support the person not the size of that person in the business. And if you're a smalll breeder aspiring to be a larger name in the bisiness, just make it very attractive for people to deal with you. Make your service and qualiity at a level that people just can't help theirselves but to deal with you over the "big" dogs! Or just deal with me (just kidding)Sorry for the long ramble:) Brian(BHB)

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Brian,

I definitely agree with your thoughts and representing your business in a manner that appeals to customers. I just got my BA in business and understand how important customer service can be in this or any industry. I've also been victim to some horrible customer service in this industry and I promised myself never do this if I were ever in business.

I posted this thread as more a general testing the waters on peoples thought process before buying a snake. I don't think I will ever be able to catch up to the "big" boys nor am I out there to do so. I'm just someone who is fascinated by the possibilities of creating a combo morph.

At the same time I would like to have the ability to sell some of my snakes off that don't fit into my plans anymore.

So how do you build a track record; do you buy from a bigger breeder in hopes that they will put in a good word for you? Do you become active in forums to try and put across what kind of a person you are and why you're in the business?

Edit: Sorry for my long rant, I've been thinking about this for a while and have some free time at work today :) Seems like the small time guys that get into this now will be forever playing catch up.

I agree with Brian in that character counts far more to me than the size of their collection or volume of sales. That said, I tend to support small and mid size breeders (like me) that tend to have more invested in every individual animal they produce. Also, for me, I tend to feel that you sometimes can get better service and a better overall experience from those that do it as a side hobby and aren't so dependent on making x amount of sales a month. That is not to say there aren't big breeders out there with sterling reps and high quality, Of course there are. I, personally, just like the connection that is formed when you deal exclusively with a smaller group of people who are more likely to remember you and get in touch occasionally to inquire how things are going. In the end, it comes down to whether I find you to be honest and trustworthy (it also helps if you have smoking hot animals ha ha)

My .02

Cheers,
Kat

Most of the time you can do some kind of research on the person on the internet in some way, shape, or form. I just today bought a animal from a medium, I would call, breeder, and I was able to find the information that I needed to feel comfortable giving my money to them. Another thing to is if you are buying Hets. I would not feel comfortable buying high dollar Hets from a small breeder, say anything over $1000 but thats just me. Like I said you have to feel comfortable with the person you are dealing with and 99% of the time when you talk to them you will get that little gut feeling that tells you yes or no and go with that. Everyone gets burned now and then but if you do things like, not paying with cash or money orders, you should be fine with whom ever you deal with.

I agree with littleindiangirl.

Regularly updated professional looking website is the most important thing for smaller breeders, it doesn't have to be flashy as long as it got updated info on each animals for sale. You won't believe that there're people in different countries who don't mind to buy from smaller breeder if the animals are of good quality.

I'm talking from an oversea buyer's perspective. It doesn't matter that smaller breeder can't export, they can sell animals to people in different country. Importer like me do have broker who keep animals for us, do the paperwork and then ship the shipment to us. I don't mind sending money up front to smaller breeder as long as I check their references, people that they've sold and/or bought animals from, first.

Lastly, this is what I want to tell smaller breeders. Please don't be afraid to deal with oversea potential customer. Just make sure you have their money in your account first though. I know there're some kind of scam too, so you must ask reference from your potential oversea customer as well. You never know that you might have a potential long term customer. Your first deal might be small because oversea customer don't want to take a risk and spend too much money. But if they're back for the second time, it usually will be a much bigger deal than the first one...this is from my own experience.

Sorry for the long post + bad english :bow:

Over the years here, I have gotten the chance to get to know a lot of breeders, from the hobbiest level to the professional level. There are members here who are just starting out (Joanna, Ed (Freakie_Frog), Rapture, Larry Suttles, GA_Ball_Pythons, Rich (Spainard),etc) who I feel I have gotten to know over the years that I would definitely buy from if they had a nice animal that I was lookig for.

I purchased from Justin Kobylka last year (I actually first approached him about a het clown almost two years ago, and brought Oliver home in the fall of '06) when not many people knew who he was. Mainly because I had contacted him when I was just starting out, as he was a breeder in my state, and asked him for some help (sexing some animals, before I had learned how to do so).

He was professional in his communications to me, his website was clean and easy to navigate, and I got to see his breeding stock first hand. Additionally, I asked people who I trusted (Adam, I remember specifically asking about Justin) to see if they'd heard of him. Adam said he had seen him posting on forums and he had nothing but positive impressions of him.

I purchased many of my normal CH females from Will Bird (for those of you who know my collection, Mackenzie, Echo, J-Lo, Pretzel are just a few of the animals I acquired from him). He's a smaller breeder. I asked Kara about him, and while she had never done business with him, she knew people who had and gave me her endorsement. Through my research on him, I found out that he was also the President of the KY Herp Society.

At the same time, I've purchased several animals from Adam, I look forward to purchasing from Kara, and from Tim Bailey in the future.

I will never support anyone, no matter how nice the animals they have, if they are known for being less than moral, if they have proven not to be there when something goes wrong.

I hope that my participation on the forums helps others to get to know me, get to know my animals, and hopefully, people will want to buy from me. I have great mentors here to emulate. And I've worked in service industries before, and I've always followed "treat your customer the way you'd expect to be treated as a customer".

i have alloways recived better service from small breeders than large breeders. i have made purchases from Ralph davis, mike wilbanks, pete kahl, Rich isle, jeff ronn. and they all seem to have the same problems they all charged more than a hobbyest for the same quality snakes. and one of the people aboves snakes came with mites. ( do not ask who )small breeders have alloways answered my e-mails quickly usually with in the hour. as everyone above took a few days. i will aloways give my money to a small hobbyest before a pro mainly because you can get the same quality animals from them for a fair price you are not just buying a brand name for the same thing. before i have bought from many people i just go on the boi and do a background on them if they check out by more than 10 people with in the last year i will buy from them. i have only ever been burned by a PRO breeder.

Bravo!! Well said, you have to become part of the community to become known in that community. In the past that meant going to shows, putting a pricelist out, spending countless hours on the phone networking. While those things still matter it's more about being invovled in the cool forums, having a cool website (please no insults.lol) and making yourself known to that communtity. You really can't expect anyone to buy from someone that hey never have heard of when there are a bunch of people with the same animal that they have heard of. I think in a lot of ways the playing feild has now leveled and the "big" breeders don't have the advantage that they once did. In my opinion this is a good thing, it makes the "big" guys realize that they aren't as special as they may have thought they were.
Bottom line is that as a proffesional breeder I would love anyones business, but what really matters is that the business is being done by whoever with whoever. We are all our own best clients, I make money if the smaller breeder makes money. If the smaller breeder can't sell their animals then why would they want to buy more???? As long as the money is in the industry we all benifit no matter who you decide to spend it with. Brian(BHB)

www.myspace.com/bhbreptiles
www.snakebytes.tv

I have owned BP's for about 10 years. I bought only one as a pet, my first, quickly fell in love and rescued quite a few. Some I have adopted out, some I have kept as pets.

I did a HUGE amount of research, watched how different people (breeders) interacted on various boards....now it's time for me to buy...so far there are only two breeders I would feel completely confident buying from..

one is one of the biggest guys around (Bob Clark) and although we have never purchased anything from him yet...his emails are VERY prompt (usually within the hour) and he even offered suggestions on breeding our burmese...we plan on purchasing a burm from him within the next couple of weeks...a surprise for my boyfriend so shhhhhhh! lol

the other...Adam, from 8ball....I'll be purchasing a few hets from him next week... (can't WAIT for those taxes to come back!!)....The way he is here, offering help whenever he can, his website has become hugely interactive and he offers great animals without ripping my wallet out of my pocket...even over the computer, I feel like I am speaking to someone REAL...someone who not only cares about what I can afford, but cares for his animals...not just making a dollar....that goes a LONG way with me

My thanks to everyone who participated in the thread all your responses were very helpful in figuring out the thoughts I was having.

If I'm lucky enough to sell some snakes to buy some more snakes I'll be a happy camper:)

Keeping bps will always be something I love doing no matter what the scale...

I think above all thats the secret to success in this biz, love what you do or don't bother doing it :)

Thanks Again to Everyone

First and foremost I look for animals I like. If I find one I then start researching the breeder/seller. I check out the BOI. Do a general google search on them and usually ask for references that I DO follow up on.
In some cases I don't do these things because they already have a lot of good feedback. I do now however ask everyone what methods they use for shipping. The one time I didn't think to ask because it was a relatively well known breeder I got DHL shipping, *shudder* and though the snake arrived safe and sound I don't want that fright again.

I am not one for phone calls. In fact, I've talked on the phone with only three people that I've purchased from. I prefer all the communication to be in the form of emails so that both our hind ends are covered in the event of catastrophe.
If a breeder has a website I prefer to see photos of the exact animals they have for sale instead of a 'price list' or 'example' animals. And I like it to be up to date. Nothing more frustrating than inquiring on a snake only to find out it sold months before and in fact they have nothing available at this time. Grrrr
Also, if they refuse to send additional photos when you're inquiring or just say 'they are just normals or some such nonsense' I will not do business with them, why should I bother when they obviously don't care enough to put in some effort?
The size of the breeder doesn't make a lot of difference to me. I'm quite willing to try out an 'unknown' just as long as I get good vibes and their animals appear to be in great health. I won't purchase from anyone who doesn't care about their animals.

I believe as small breeders we have to be creative in marketing our animals. That doesnt mean to be misleading just offering services that maybe a large breeder cant do . Advertise the fact that due to your smaller collection your able to actively monitor each and every animal daily. Advertise that you breed your own rats for quality controll. Due to the fact you have a smaller collection be very selective in your breeding stock in an attempt to breed for quality not quantity. Use your small collection as an advantage. Deliver the best quality animal with a fair guarantee with the best customer service possible. Return Emails daily , Answer your phone promptly , carry a cell when possible, Be there for your customers when problems arise. Go the extra mile when shipping . As for the big boys , These guys paved the way for us and have put down some big cash for unproven projects. These guys have created the market that we all enjoy! When it comes to hets I would be very selective who I buy from. My hats off to all those breeders that have made this such a awsome hobby. Good luck to all you breeders big and small! Bryan

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Originally Posted by janeothejungle

I agree with Brian in that character counts far more to me than the size of their collection or volume of sales. That said, I tend to support small and mid size breeders (like me) that tend to have more invested in every individual animal they produce. Also, for me, I tend to feel that you sometimes can get better service and a better overall experience from those that do it as a side hobby and aren't so dependent on making x amount of sales a month. That is not to say there aren't big breeders out there with sterling reps and high quality, Of course there are. I, personally, just like the connection that is formed when you deal exclusively with a smaller group of people who are more likely to remember you and get in touch occasionally to inquire how things are going. In the end, it comes down to whether I find you to be honest and trustworthy (it also helps if you have smoking hot animals ha ha)

My .02

Cheers,
Kat

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As said before, i think emails are very important. If i email one of the huge breeders out there asking about something, and get a email three days later( for me, ive had to wait as long as a week!) , i will have found someone else to deal with. As for Jane, it was same day responses with long caring emails, i could tell she cared for her snakes and never once second guessed her. With the other breeder i was talking to at first, i got a incomplete sentence reply that wasn't very helpful and took forever to get to me- Once you have 500+ reptiles, do you really have the time to take as much care as a small time breeder does?

Its also a great break to smaller breeders, they need the rep and are a lot better to deal with most of the time.

The only time i feel i have to deal with bigger breeders is if im buying hets, or adult normals to insure im not getting anything extra, or less.

Matt

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Seems like the small time guys that get into this now will be forever playing catch up.

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Many great things have already been touched on here, I'd like to address just briefly the quote above Rich as I actually believe this is a common misconception.

Do you have any idea the number of normals that I have, that adam has, that Brian has? When we all got into this, morph females were 10K +. While we all have nice collections (and must ultimately bow down to Brain) I know that I've got 5 to 10 times more normal females than hets or morphs. Because of the number of breeders, because of the number of offspring produced, someone new to the market today can put together quite the collection of the highest quality animals and in just a few years be breeding nothing but visual to visual or double visual to double visuals. With customer service, LOVE for the animals and dare I say it PASSION anyone can even today, start small raise quality animals and build a small business or successful hobby to the level that they desire.

The one item that I will caution people on is to buy from someone that you can trust but also from someone who can replace an animal in the event that something does go wrong. The fact that we are finally building a real industry, breeders, wholesalers, retailers is truly great, however I see way to many people today reselling animals that they are buying on credit cards or just over extending themselves on and they need to sell it. These individuals scare the hell out of me as they are one shipping error away from (not intentionally) screwing someone. Many of these guys on KS right now would have no way of replacing an animal in the event that Fedex screwed up, the heat pack failed or the animal just died, IT DOES HAPPEN. So check references, ask questions and buy wisely. If a breeder does not have time for you, find someone who does. You don't need your next breeder tomorrow spend the time to find the right animal from the right breeder for you....


PS, sorry this was so long:rolleye2:

Some bigger breeders also can't feed babies as freqent as a smaller breeder with fewer babies can. Like corns from a big breeder are so much smaller than a corn from a breeder of smaller scale. But that doesn't go for every breeder.

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Originally Posted by neilgolli

Many great things have already been touched on here, I'd like to address just briefly the quote above Rich as I actually believe this is a common misconception.

Do you have any idea the number of normals that I have, that adam has, that Brian has? When we all got into this, morph females were 10K +. While we all have nice collections (and must ultimately bow down to Brain) I know that I've got 5 to 10 times more normal females than hets or morphs. Because of the number of breeders, because of the number of offspring produced, someone new to the market today can put together quite the collection of the highest quality animals and in just a few years be breeding nothing but visual to visual or double visual to double visuals. With customer service, LOVE for the animals and dare I say it PASSION anyone can even today, start small raise quality animals and build a small business or successful hobby to the level that they desire.

The one item that I will caution people on is to buy from someone that you can trust but also from someone who can replace an animal in the event that something does go wrong. The fact that we are finally building a real industry, breeders, wholesalers, retailers is truly great, however I see way to many people today reselling animals that they are buying on credit cards or just over extending themselves on and they need to sell it. These individuals scare the hell out of me as they are one shipping error away from (not intentionally) screwing someone. Many of these guys on KS right now would have no way of replacing an animal in the event that Fedex screwed up, the heat pack failed or the animal just died, IT DOES HAPPEN. So check references, ask questions and buy wisely. If a breeder does not have time for you, find someone who does. You don't need your next breeder tomorrow spend the time to find the right animal from the right breeder for you....


PS, sorry this was so long:rolleye2:

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Great point neil!
To have great customer service you need to have the capitol or animals available in this situation.

I'm bumping this up to see if we can get more responses. Some of the posts, Neils' especially give you serious food for thought.

Neil - perhaps I'm reading this wrong but are you saying that if a small breeder doesn't have a replacement animal in the event that something goes wrong during shipping that would be considered screwing someone? Why would replacement be the only option - why couldn't they just refund the money and you could buy from someone else?

I just want to clarify that I don't truly feel like the little guy will always be playing catch up, it was more of a thought I wanted to hear some feedback on so thanks to Neil as he is the only one that touched on it.

You're absolutely correct Neil with enough capitol to invest someone new could produce quality animals and start seeing a profit relatively quickly within a few years.

I really don't see my hobby growing in this manner and when I meant catch up I meant people who are starting from scratch with a handful of snakes like myself that plan to re-invest whatever money is made back into projects. Thats not to say that I don't think it is possible because I believe anything is possible given time, effort, and dedication.

After most of the posts I've read here though I've changed my point of view and agree with the statements made that the playing field has somewhat leveled off between the bigger guys and the smaller guys.

The only thing I don't agree on is the whole ability to replace the animal if something were to go wrong. I agree with you 100% that smaller breeders need to be prepared for this situation but like mentioned above how would refunding the person's money not be a fair means of compensation?

If a buyer comes to me when I have animals to sell from my first clutch I plan on telling them that in the event that something were to happen I would only be able to refund them their money as opposed to replacing the animal.

What does everyone think, would this be the right way to go about this situation? Would anyone be ticked off or think negatively of someone who could not replace an animal but could refund the money paid within a timely manner?

It would be your perogative to offer what you can in that situation.

If the person is ticked off, refund and try and help him/her find what they are looking for thru your own connections to replace the animal.

There are plenty of ways to make things right if things go wrong.

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Originally Posted by Tosha_Mc

Neil - perhaps I'm reading this wrong but are you saying that if a small breeder doesn't have a replacement animal in the event that something goes wrong during shipping that would be considered screwing someone? Why would replacement be the only option - why couldn't they just refund the money and you could buy from someone else?

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No Tosha, refunds should be quick and easy, my comment was replacement issues from the increased trend of "jobbers" people who are buying to resell. The number of jobbers out there has dramatically increased in the last year and a half. These are the individuals that scare me. I could name (I won't) at least a dozen people on KS right now that do not have the financial means to replace an animal in the event that it died. Meaning their credit card is maxed out and the payment is due.

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Originally Posted by neilgolli

No Tosha, refunds should be quick and easy, my comment was replacement issues from the increased trend of "jobbers" people who are buying to resell. The number of jobbers out there has dramatically increased in the last year and a half. These are the individuals that scare me. I could name (I won't) at least a dozen people on KS right now that do not have the financial means to replace an animal in the event that it died. Meaning their credit card is maxed out and the payment is due.

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This is a good point and I now see what you're saying. Definitely something to keep in mind in todays age of purchasing via credit card.

I think the issue of replacement is something even a hobbyist like me should be thinking about. When one writes their guarantee, you should plan ahead to fully honor it with a quick and professional response, or why bother to even write it. That may mean holding the customer's payment in reserve until that health/shipping guarantee is met fully and your customer is happy. Should something occur down the road, not covered under your guarantee but still leaving you feeling your snake has not met a customer's reasonable expectation, then for me, you take the hit and you make it right. If you aren't prepared to do that, then perhaps selling snakes isn't such a good idea in the first place.

I'll never be a "name" in this business but my name means a lot to me.

I do not mean to brag. I am not trying to.

But if anyone looks at my animals when I am at a show they usually say WOW great looking animals.

This is why I feel they do. i do not look at names when I buy animals. I buy quality. I buy the best looking animals. I let the animals do the talking. Now do I buy from larger breeders Yep and larger breeders also buy from me. It all comes down to the quality of animals. I have seen some down right AWESOME animals from a family that just has one pair of snakes.

On replacements.

If it is my fault that something happens the customer is taken care of ASAP. If it is their fault I still take care of them but it is case by case.

Like lets say the just plain killed it after a month. I will give them a deal after they show me they can care for it the right way.

If something happens 7 or so days later i lok at what happened and usually take care of it and add my opinion.

The most important thing is making sure the new animal is being cared for.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I'll never be a "name" in this business but my name means a lot to me.

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Jo,

You always have such good comments. This one in particular is something I try to keep in mind when living life in general.

I really appreciate everyone's feedback its been very informative and brought to light many things I hadn't considered before. Which is why I guess I started the thread :D So thanks to everyone for their input :)