Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Quick question to all ---

I usually order all of my boxes, deli-cups, and other non-perishable supplies from Superior Enterprises. Can anyone suggest another vendor? I have no problem with Superior but I want to see what else is out there since I spend a few hundred dollars each time / several times per year.

Thanks in advance.
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Peter Jolles
East Coast Colubrids
www.eastcoastcolubrids.com

Hey Peter,

I know The Bean Farm sells supplies. Derek

i also use superior enterprise. earlier this year i could not find another suppolier that had the quality and quantity of SE.
There has to be millions of animals shipped each year, i would have to believe there is another supplier out there. maybe go to a tropical fish forum and inquire there, since they use some of the same/similar supplies.
daveb

I've always just used superior. The Bean Farm can be kinda spendy sometimes. I had an online invert business going for some time...although I used Superior Enterprises, I ordered plastic vials (for baby tarantula spiderlings. scorps, etc.) from Thornton Plastics ( http://thorntonplastics.com/ ). I doubt they'd be much of a use to herpers though. For styro lined boxes I usually make my own from the sheets of styro that you buy from Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. You can get alot thicker than normally used in boxes...plus you can line anysize of box. If you take your time, the boxes can still look very professional and not homemade/ghetto....

I tried my local restraunt supply house for deli cups, but they didn't carry them and didn't seem to want to do any special orders.... Places like Sams Club sells the tiny condiment cups (could be used as cheap/disposable water dishes for hatchlings)....

I doubt that helped... If your ever shipping inverts, Thornton Plastics is the place for those awesome clear plastic pill vials!

Hi Peter,

I also get my deli cups from Superior, but I've been constructing my own shipping boxes for a couple of years. I buy the appropriate sized box from Office Max and then I line it with 2 inch thick, pink foam insulation board from Home Depot. Doing so allows me to have much greater temperature conrol during the very hottest and coldest parts of the year and to destinations with temperature extremes. I shipped several times to Arizona, South Fla and Texas this summer and had no problems with the heat (over 100F) outside. The same set up also allows me to ship out of frigid Buffalo, NY in all months except late January and February.

Will

You could do some of the work (punching holes)yourself if you bought the cups direct from the manufacturer or a jobber.
I have found Dart brand to be good with CLEAR, tight-fitting lids. I actually ran out of those this year and used some older style that were not crystal clear, but they were fine.
A friend was less than happy with the cups and lids he got from Superior in that the lids could be flipped off by a strong (Hondurans) species. Left him second-guessing every lid. I don't need any of that.
I look for local restaurant jobbers and buy cups/lids in 500 lots most times or split the two with a friend. Cheaper in the long run for me.
Punching holes with 1/8" hole punch goes by fast..(maybe faster with some helpers and a few brews?)I/we can do a few hundred after dinner.
I thought I saw shipping boxes/liners at one of the bigger wholesalers like (maybe) Strictly??
Down here we have lots of tropical fish farms and I use their styro boxes/liners. I bet there's something closer to you.
You could easily make the boxes and line them with styro yourself too. In a pinch, that's what I do.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com