First time vendor

[erich_7719]

On the weekend of 11/14 I went to a reptile show in southeast Michigan, this was my first time vending.
The day was bitter sweet for me. I did not sell anything, very disappointing, did a lot of talking answering questions, letting people hold my snakes.
I only had 21 snakes with me. 5 Lessers, 6 Cinny's, 4 Butter/Lessers and the rest were Normals. I feel I did one of two things wrong, either my prices were to high or they were not clearly marked. I used a black grease pen to mark the display, as an after thought this was difficult to read from most angles. I now have "liquid chalk" for some easier reading.
With the next show being 12/12 I am questioning myself if I should lower my prices so that the babies could sell? It is not about the money for me, it's more the experience, but I also don't want to "give" the snakes away.
Does anyone have any experience with this our any suggestions?

[Jabberwocky Dragons]

On the weekend of 11/14 I went to a reptile show in southeast Michigan, this was my first time vending.
The day was bitter sweet for me. I did not sell anything, very disappointing, did a lot of talking answering questions, letting people hold my snakes.
I only had 21 snakes with me. 5 Lessers, 6 Cinny's, 4 Butter/Lessers and the rest were Normals. I feel I did one of two things wrong, either my prices were to high or they were not clearly marked. I used a black grease pen to mark the display, as an after thought this was difficult to read from most angles. I now have "liquid chalk" for some easier reading.
With the next show being 12/12 I am questioning myself if I should lower my prices so that the babies could sell? It is not about the money for me, it's more the experience, but I also don't want to "give" the snakes away.
Does anyone have any experience with this our any suggestions?

A lot of people, especially those who produce few if any clutches, will tell you to price them as to what you think they are worth. This is poor advice. You should price them as to what the market thinks they are worth. Any higher and you'll never sell them. The market will pay a premium for higher quality examples and good reputations. The problem is it seems like almost everyone feels their snakes fall into this category.

A successful seller is able to objectively assess the market value of their animals without factoring their personal feelings into it. As you gain experience selling, what you think they are worth will be based on your ability to read the market so the two will become indiscernable. Look at comparables for your local area and see how it matches up to your prices and quality. It may be that your prices are too high or it may be your prices were spot on but it was just an off day at the show.

[Mr. Misha]

No experience in vending but as a consumer it helps when vendors use blue/pink pens when writing morph and price.

Have you tried selling your babies online? I feel it's a good way to get started without experiencing additional costs of shows.

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[erich_7719]

it helps when vendors use blue/pink pens when writing morph and price.

I had not considered which color I was going to use, I am currently using colored may beans to display the sex of the babies.
As for online, no I haven't, I hadn't made the plunge for the initial shipping supply costs.

[Prognathodon]

When I started out as a vendor at reenactment events it took several events before we did much business - I think people wanted to know we were interested/active in that hobby, not just out to make a buck from a group we didn't really belong in.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that regular local herp shows are the same way, although to be clear, I don't breed herps and have never been a vendor at a herp show.

Also, we are in a down time of the year for business - people are spending money on food and gifts, not so much on themselves.

In your place I'd probably stick it out and keep going at least through tax-return season.

If your prices are in line with others at the show, don't lower them - that tells people you don't value your merchandise. Which also means raise your prices if you're noticeably low. If your prices are high, it's probably reasonable to lower them to the general average, unless/until you demonstrate *and* the market agrees that your animals are exceptional.

Look at blogs and websites for craft show vendors on how to make your table attractive/attention-getting (but avoid gimmicks) - tablecloths (buy a couple yards of fabric, not cheap plastic), do something to get vertical spacing (couple boards on blocks under the tablecloth, stepped displays) instead of everything flat on the table, etc. Say hi to everybody, don't wait for them to talk to you. Stand up if you can. Don't bury your nose in your phone all day. Play nice with the neighbors and show organizers.


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[LittleTreeGuy]

Being that I am a first time owner/buyer ( I just bought my first snake at an expo a week ago), I can tell you a few things that helped me decide where to buy... again, as a first-timer.

1. I had a few colors/morphs that I liked. That is all I wanted. Here, you can't really persuad the sale. It's a matter of luck, more or less.
2. Approachable. The guy I bought from saw me looking and openly talked to me, asking if I had questions, and engaged in conversation when I did have questions. That went a long way, for me.
3. Price. I wanted something i could afford. I saw several Mojave's at the expo. All within the same size range, and were priced from $60-$125. Maybe some of these had more traits than others, but that didn't mean a lot to me as a first time owner just looking for a pet snake. I ended up going with the one I liked the markings of that was closer to the lowerd end of that price bracket.


I will say that I saw several vendors that used blue/pink markers and labled each snake box with male/female, and some even put the weight on there. I found this all to be very helpful. The more info the better. I'd say stick with it... If it's not about the money, maybe consider listing stuff a little lower than your competition by $5-$10 for one show... once you make some sales, if people are happy, that will help get the word out. Once you get a little established, maybe then you can bring prices up a little more. Just a thought.

[se7en]

I don't have any of my own animals to sell yet, but the last 3 shows in my area I have assisted one of the breeders I know run his tables.

I'm gaining experience without any financial risk, and he's getting free labor (although I do not consider hanging out and talking about snakes all day to be work).

a lot of it appears to be trial and error. hope you do better at your next show.

[distaff]

Let the customer know that these are animals you bred (not just some misc. merch. picked up wholesale). Give info on feeding, last shed, etc. You can offer to send a copy of the snake's records (date of hatch, feeding schedule, weights, etc.) home with the snake. Show pics of the parents and discuss how you expect the baby will develop.

Are you in any way, attempting to gently "close" the sale? Don't let your customer just stand around indecisively holding the snake you know they want. Even a slightly awkward close that you might feel uncomfortable making at this time (ex: "Would you like me to ring this one up for you?"), is better than nothing. The customer may need to look around some more. You might offer to hold the animal back for them for an hour or two. You can also use this predicament to assist them in finding what they want. Be helpful - maybe you know Joe across the aisle has some nice examples of that morph. Tell the customer you will be around until such-and-such a time if they should decide to go with one of yours.

Just some random thoughts.
Never vended at a reptile show.