Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok I am planning on doing my first expo next month. I have redtails, corns and balls for sale. I have been looking at deli cups online, I cant find any near me that will work. The ones online seem a little expensive to order. I was wondering if anyone has ever used anything else at shows to show animals in and sell them in? I could use any advice to help save a little money.
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1.1 Motley het butter corns
0.1 Snow corn
0.1 Okeetee corn
1.0 Anery mutt corn
0.1 Stripe Ghost corn
0.1 Amelanistic corn het carmel
2.2 Colombian Redtails
0.1 Striped Colombian Redtail
1.0 Hypo Colombian Redtail
0.1 Hogg Island Redtail
1.3.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Anery Kenyan sand boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan sand boa
1.1 Mexican Rosy Boas
2.0 Ball Pythons
0.0.1 Banded kingsnake
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
3.0 Bearded Dragons
3.0 Leopard Geckos
0.2 Snow Leopard Geckos
0.0.5 Sulcatas
and lots of fish

I've personally never sold anything at an expo, but deli cups seem to be most common.
A problem with those are they are easily stolen.
I was there when a man stole a $1200 Red Tail Boa straight from the Deli Cup.
Ive talked to people that have had many things Stolen, Mainly Small Corns and Hatching Ball Pythons.
Make sure your table is always supervised, or have some kind of secruity on your animals for sale.
Ive seen people make Box like Containers out of Plexi Glass, that locks. Then they just put all the Deli Cups on Display inside the secrued box.
I know this is kind of aside your question, but I just wanted to let you know.
Goodluck with the Expo, and tell us how it goes!
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Got Balls?
Josh Molone

You can use just about anything that allows visibility and contains the animal. keep in mind though that if you have a bunch of different types of containers, it may not look very professional. I like the deli containers becuase not only can I display the animals easily in uniform looking containers, but when a purchase is made, I just hand them the container when they hand me cash. I also tend to have several people working a table with me to help watch for theft. I've seen people attatch netting to the table over the containers so that they can only be reached from the dealers side.

what sites did you check? SYR and reptiles express both sell them for fairly reasonable prices.
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www.jasonrbartolettreptiles.webs.com

you either look good or save money....or both sometimes ,not often
Superior Shipping Supply has all sized deli-cups...3 and three quarter 6 and three quarter and 9 and three quarter inch diameter in various heights....I buy some of all sizes by the boxloads....costs hundreds of dollars a year usually....bags by the hundreds and you just give it all away with each sale....

it adds up.....it also makes life so much easier...the cups are pre-punched , make sure you buy pre-punched and the correct lids for them......

saves you alot of time....and punching holes is a pain...also hurts your hand.......

time is worth alot....

........good luck.......for other ideas....yellow pages...like plastic corp near you...restaurant stores....even going to Kmart or dollar stores for plastic cups,boxes ,etc....I just got back from Kmart...I ran out of room in the aby racks...so I needed a few for a few weeks....!....(stack on an unplugged incubator for now?)...

...good luck....

Reptile shipping supplies .com.....
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........JY

We got to the deli at our grocery store and buy the cups and lids there. Its very cheap, around a nickle for a cup with a lid. We bring them home and use a wood burner to "melt" air holes in them. It takes about 10 seconds per cup and lid. So really no time at all. For display we made a nice black sectioned box out of melamine, and covered it with a plexi top for viewing.