Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are the prices of snakes (Boas) cheaper at the shows or are they pretty much the same as online? If they are cheaper, by how much? A lot or a little? The reason I ask is because I plan on attending 2-3 of the big shows this year and didn't know if it was better to wait and buy at the shows or go ahead and buy them now. For those with some show experience, will I save a lot of money buying at the shows. Thanks for your input.
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Jason Gonzalez
PreMeditated Morphs
www.PreMeditatedMorphs.com
Jason@PreMeditatedMorphs.com

Hey Jason,
That is great to hear that you will be attending the big shows this year, they are always a bunch of fun! Getting the best deals on your boas works a couple ways. If you have a specific animal or type of animal you are in the market for, the best way to get the nicest ones is to make your deal before the show starts and pick it up at the show. There are many people who do it that way. The other way to get the best deal on your boa is to wait until the closing hours of the show and hope that some nice boas are left over. Many sellers are a little more likely to give you a better deal during the closing hours of a show!

Kathy and I tend to be VERY particular about boas we add to the collection anymore so we usually make any deals before the show has begun in order to get exactly what we are looking for!

Either way you do it...you will have a blast. BTW, our hypo litter is about to shed again soon, so keep an eye on your mailbox for pix!

Cheers,
Denny

Generally, the pricing is the same. However, you can save money by not having to pay for shipping. I like to buy at shows because I can pick my animals out in person rather than being stuck with whatever comes in the box. You can determine which animals are healthier and worth the price by going to a show. Also, there are usually vendors at shows who don't sell online, so you may find better variety, especially at the bigger shows. I only buy online if it can't wait or is hard to find at a show (which is still hard to find online, just takes time).
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It's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long the grasshopper stored up acorns for winter, while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched tv. And then the winter came, and the grasshopper died, and the octopus stole all his acorns, and he got a race car. Is any of this sinking in?

All depends on what your looking to pick up at a show. by this I mean are you just looking to pick up a snake like a Boa or something as a first snake ? and then you have to look at captive born &bred vs imported, W/C treated & untreated snakes. Yes you can get good deals as dennt mentioned at shows but it also depends on what your idealistic view of a deal is lol.

To me a deal is someone who produces good snakes themselves and its something I have worked out pryor to the show but the show is a plus to pick it up in person . While on the other hand some people consider a cheap snake a good deal thats not always true and can be problematic in the long run if not dealt with and yes there people who will tell you there CBB and if your not informed you will beleive them . Always look to see what vendorsd are listed at the show , normally if its someone that is a msall person they may likely not have a huge website or one at all but may have NICE Quaility reptiles but is a hobby side thing for them , then you have importes which i think should have a show of thier own for them only. key to getting a deal online or at a show is be informed and remember cheap is not always a deal !!!!
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Builder of Professional Reptile Enclosures ,Plastic caging , Standard & Professional Breeder Rack Systems
junglehabitatsplastics.com/

if you live ANYWHERE NEAR orlando...go to the national show this fall there and get both...great prices and a HUGE selection.

price is relative. if you find something that knocks you out, you are likely to get that animal cheaper than if you scour the country anywhere else at any other time. it is an amazing event.
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www.theboahouse.com
www.myinfoservice.com

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signature file edited; contact an admin. phw 7/19/05

I like the idea of choosing before the show and then picking it up at the show. So that's probably what I'll do.

And Denny, I'll keep an eye out!

Thanks again.

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Jason Gonzalez
PreMeditated Morphs
www.PreMeditatedMorphs.com
Jason@PreMeditatedMorphs.com

keep ur options open, iv done the shows in california for many years now, iv always found great buys and quality reptiles, even this past weekend at the pomona show that was very small, i made some exlnt buys on boas, balls, and bearded dragons.
thats not counting all the other items u might need.
sellers at every single show have come down on there prices the last day, not every seller, but several do and will. u will do lots of talking and searching, so dont just order beofore u go, have some back up plans to make ur best deals on day of show. also there is many many new breeders this year that have
produced lots of new boas, im going to state rt here that the prices this year for boas will be a buyers market.