I'm planning on attending a Reptile Show here in Houston next month, and since it'll be my first, I'm curious...

I've heard that prices at these shows are usually cheaper than what you see on a website or in a shop. Are they really? Would I expect to find a semi-common morph that's not in the $100s? Will the supplies actually be cheaper that what I could wrestle up in a local store?

I'm used to going to anime conventions, where nothing is a 'deal', and usually higher priced than a store. So the concept of a reptile show being cheaper is kinda weird to me.

Also, if I end up purchasing a ball python there.... how do I get it home? Do they give me some type of snake-proof box to put him in? It feels like a stupid question, but I hafta ask.