Show Vending - Customer Perspective

[DennisM]

People not putting a price are not shady some may be but there is actually a very good reason to do this for some, over the years small local shows have become nothing more than petting zoo, by not putting a price it really tells you if someone is only interested in holding a snake just to hold a snake or if they have a genuine interest in purchasing the animal.

Shows are not petting zoo there is risk every time someone hold the animal especially in small shows that allow guest to bring their own reptiles with them, breeders simply want to minimize exposure so discerning who is a potential buyer and who wants to hold a certain snake (usually the most expensive one) just to say they did is not a bad thing.

So, now you’ve got me thinking (which isn’t always a good thing). The reasons you give for this practice never occurred to me. I really just couldn’t understand offering something (anything, not just snakes) for sale without a sale price. Your point about a petting zoo is certainly understandable. I don’t attend small shows anymore, but I do attend Daytona every year. An overwhelming number of vendors there list a price (negotiable in most cases). And an overwhelming number of attendees have no intention of buying anything. I never leave empty handed, you can’t show me that many snakes and not have me buy something!

So, my question is this; how does the vendor decide who can handle the animal? Do they require a reasonable agreement on the price of the animal prior to handling? Not hard to weed out the folks who want the $500 snake for $100. But what about those who are aware of the market value of a particular animal, but still have no intention of buying?

The good news is that I have 6 months to mull this over before Daytona. Perhaps I’ll have a change of heart by then.