Empty Spaces..

[Xotik]

So I've started moving towards getting two or three BEL complex snakes to fill the 3 empty drawers (soon to be 4) in my juvie rack.

I'm hoping to get a Lesser and one or two Mojaves. I've done a ton of fauna/kingsnake-ing, and found some pretties.

But I'm wondering if it would be worth waiting and going to a show. I'm planning on going to the White Plains show in April, and if I don't go to that, I'm definitely going to the one in Hamburg in August.

Are prices cheaper - or about the same? Would it be worth it to hold off? I have to wait till around April to get them shipped anyways. The weather here has been 60 one day. and 10 the next.

Thoughts?

[Slim]

Nothing wrong with purchasing animals from breeders you trust via mail order, especially if you're getting fair prices. Reptile shows are always a crap shoot as far as avaliblity. Somtimes you get lucky, and sometimes you just missed a great snake at a great price.

Things I like about purchasing at shows:
-I meet the breeder and can ask questions
-I meet the snake and hold it in my own hands
-I don't pay shipping, of course, with the price of gas...
-I transport my BP instead of FedEx

Can you hold off any mail order pick ups until after the shows? That way you can filling anything you weren't able to get in person.

[Xotik]

I see snakes I'd love to have now, but I don't want to inconvenience someone with having to hold a snake until the weather is acceptable. I've bought snakes over the internet before, and it was fine - but I do like holding/playing with the snakes before I purchase them.

I guess my main question is about price. Is it a big difference between internet sales and show sales? Just in general - not even on the 2 morphs I'm looking for.

[Slim]

In my experience, the show prices tend to mirror what you see on KS and breeder sites. For little local shows, you might run into a low volume dealer with good animals and great prices.

When I go to a show, I pretty much expect to pay the same price I would on line, minus the shipping.