Quote Originally Posted by CharlesMTF View Post
I'm going to revisit this thread... been thinking about it and have some questions...

Being a first-time buyer, and new to the hobby, I have indeed been doing a lot of reading and researching all different aspects to owning a bp.

So... some tips on what I'm looking for if I go to a show and am looking for a new bp. What's normal?

I know I can ask the age and weight, I guess, but what else? Is a breeder supposed to have paperwork on the ball? When it hatched? Its feedings since hatch? If it feeds good or assisted feed? strike feed? Anything else?
Feel free to ask the sellers anything and everything you'd like to know! There's nothing worse than getting home with an animal you fell in love with but know little to nothing about and suddenly not being able to reach the seller (or not remembering who they were!). By asking questions, you'll learn very quickly who you want to work with are and who you don't. The same applies when looking online.

Here's a great discussion on Reptile Show Etiquette and what to potentially expect: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...show+etiquette.

As far as records and paperwork, there is no standard. To be 100% transparent, anything a seller does give you is only as good as their word anyway. For some, their word will be gold - for some, it's not worth the paper it's printed on. If I had to guess, most vendors aren't likely to have much in terms of paperwork on them. Once again, this is why good conversation between the buyer and seller is so important.

Most importantly, have fun! There tend to be two types of people at shows: those that come home with something almost every time and those that almost never do. Personally, I fall into the second category because - let's be honest - I'm reeeaaaalllly picky.