Def stay away from pet store buys (although I did get my first 2 from a petstore) unless theyre reputable. Its kind of the same thing with fauna or kingsnake though. Alot of the time, if not most, the snake youre buying is coming from a private breeder out of state or just too far away to drive. So you won't know its ACTUAL condition until it gets to you. Ive had a good experience buying online from places like BHB and royal constrictor designs. Ben seigel reptiles is another one Ive bought from. He also does auctions on FB which is a good fun way to get an animal a lil bit cheaper. I actually went to a reptile show yesterday and picked up a cinny and 2 normals. you just have to know what things can be wrong with them and look for that. hope this helps