I bought my BP about a week before I went to my first reptile show. I expected to have buyers remorse of sorts because of the amount of money I spent on my pastel, but I ended up feeling extremely relieved! I would have been so overwhelmed if I was trying to actually buy a snake. The hardest part would have been trying to figure out who to buy from. Some of the booths looked pretty sketchy. I did get some business cards so if and when I'm ready to buy another snake (or lizard, as my daughter seemed to love the geckos she saw) I'll be in a less stressful environment! AND I can research the different breeders/pet shops ahead of time.