Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone remember the good old pre-internet herping?

I was just remembering the great times when I looked forward every month to see what was the latest and greatest in magazines like, Reptiles, Fauna, Vivarium, and the old school reptile & amphibian magazine, & some european stuff if your lucky. I also remembering the great expectation of the latest price listing from my favorite breeders as well. Always organizing and stuffing price lists in 3 ring binders and such. Pics were very hard to come by those days, you practically had to beg breeders to mail you actual photos of the animals (Remember these letters in most every classified .....SASE). Waiting for those pics and info sometimes was just as exciting as waiting for eggs to hatch.

Just a little flash back for you old schoolers....

Sometimes, I feel this super fast info-internet pace is just to fast.

Computer wizzes...please, don't jump all over me. I'm just throwing this out there for the few who remember those years.

Anyone have any pre-internet experiences to share?

Rich Macias

Welcome to the Information Age!!

I have a degree in Information Systems Management, but I often yearn for the days when things seemed so much simpler.

The Information Revolution is relatively young and will continue to change our lives - dramatically in many instances.

Sit back and enjoy!
-----
Jay A. Martin

Man, that wasn't even that long ago either! Like 10 years ago. Just crazy. Always waiting for the Glades updated price list.

But you have to admit, the Internet has certainly made the hobby GROW!!
-----

i have been keeping reptiles for like 16 yrs and i can remember getting my first albino burmese from glades herp. i got their phone number out of an ad in reptiles magazine. it seems so long ago. i used to go to local herp meeting every month were people would bring a few things to share. some lecturers would show up and that was how i learned what i know. now all you have to do is hit a few keys on the keyboard and your done. just my thoughts

driving miles to get an albino cal king......wow....$75..how cheap.........can you pease hod the female for me.....I'l be back in a week or two...?....kewl.......got her too........

........now....please..pease....could you take my cal kings if I dump them for $10?......no......ok........

LOL

......can't wait till albino pied balls are $100.........

hahahahaa

(never).........

......Glades Herp price lists........the "guide"to our pricings......

........(still have them)LOL

........herp? shows?...wow....never heard of them......yes..ok......I'll take a table.....how kewl....how nice...........$25......wow..........alot........

........2 sows a year.......sold 100 babies..........

now......retail....shows......funny.....I wholesale..........or I get stuck........

computers......pics......yes......I bought photos from alot of people............

first hatches...how cute........

first sales....aaaaaaaaaaahhhh

....first actual breedings of new morphs........well.noone remembers that from me........(I did)...

funny.......

........guess I should go clean some snakes..........100 waiting for me (always).........

Thanx........have fun.........

Jeffrey Yohe

When the first vivarium magazine came out (1988) I had already been in business for nine years. I remember sitting at my trusty electric typewriter with a bottle of white out typing up my bi-monthly price list. I paid $750.00 for my first pair of hatchling albino cal kings. I sold my first pair of albino burmese that I produced for $3,500.00 a pair (1991). Veiled chameleons were $400.00 a pair for hatchlings (92-93). Captive breding was in it's infancy. There were good guy's & bad guy's back then too. But a least things seemed to be a lot more personable and a little slower. Just my two cents. Bruce Delles c/o Twin Cities Reptiles:::CELEBRATING OUR 25th YEAR IN THE RETAIL REPTILE INDUSTRY

Do you remember the good-natured spoof on your price list someone did once? I can’t for the life of me remember who, when or where (a Midwest symposium, maybe?). But every animal listed (and described in detail) was a bull snake. It was really funny.

-Joan

Hi Joan
It was in a booklet that was handed out at one of the International Herp Symposiums in the mid 80's. It was a spoof about a lot of people the herp community. It was done by Ron Tremper and called "the journal of perverted herpetology" as a pun to the "journal of herpetology. Bruce

...I remember my first BP...got her in '69 and she lived over 25 years...
...my first boa, a 4' Peruvian Red-tail...got her in '68, Dad paid all of $16 for her and she lived over 18 years...
...my first male Indian python, a 4' import...got him in '72 and HE lived over 25 years...

...Hermosa Reptile in Hermosa Beach, calif...
...The Herpetarium in San Francisco, calif...

...The International Turtle & Tortoise Society Journal, a high quality glossy bi-monthly with b/w photos published in the late 60's through at least the mid 70's...used to read it in one day and then agonizingly wait 59 days for the next issue...

...I remember selling baby Colombian boas for $7.50 and making $2.50 each in '73...

...I remember writing to Karl Kauffeld (The Keeper and the Kept), getting a reply, then writing him again, addressing him by his first name (...Dear Karl,...), and him writing me back admonishing me for addressing him by his first name(..."Do you address your teachers by their first names?!"!!! Dude had me in tears!! Ripped up his letter!! Man do I wish I had that letter today!

The list goes on and on! Thanks for the memories!!

Scott J. Michaels DVM

Well, I didn't do much reptile keeping in the pre-internet or pre-computer days. When I was a kid back in the 60's and 70's, a snake was out of the question, as both my parents tend to be a bit phobic of them. Fortunately, my phobia tends to run more to the 8 legged variety.

I do remember writing on an old Underwood typewriter that was made almost 100 years ago now. Frankly, I can't imagine how I ever got along without my word processor.

Sometimes this is a bit too fast paced, but I tell you, it's also incredible that in forums like these, beginners like myself have nearly 24/7 instant access to a huge pool of experienced snake owners to ask questions of, and the nearly instant answers have, I am sure, benefitted more snakes than most of us would care to count.

Hey Rich, I'm an old schooler! (Iwon't admit to how old though). I remember when Tom Crutchfield, Glades, Gulf Coast were the major reptile suppliers. I remember the excitement of getting the new price list mailed too. The descriptions by the dealer painted a picture in your mind of what you expected the animal to look like and most always, it was total disappointment when you opened the box! At least now when people advertise it's red, pink, orange and purple, you can click on the pic and see for yourself that they are either colorblind or FOS. I also remember when ball pythons were one of the cheapest animals you could buy! They were always huge imports that were covered in ticks and never ate on their own. When I had a store (back in the 70's) if a ball came in that was "different" we would charge $5.00 more for it! Who would of ever thought the market would get to where it is now? I guess I was just ahead of my time. Bill Lubak

Rich, wow... I was just thinking about this subject. The other night I pulled out old price lists to show my girlfriend.( she is a newbie and has no knowledge of the good old days) For me it was kinda like a trip down memory lane. I remember waiting anxiously every month for price lists from Glades,Gulf Coast,and Crutchfields, pouring over each one carefully. Also, my subscriptions to Vivarium,R&A,Reptiles. I also bought Captive Breeding. The classifieds in those magazines were the only links to big breeders or potential offspring. And yes, I do remember the SASE at the end! ha ha I remember a few phone calls to some of the big breeders. ( My personal first call was to Bob Applegate) Waiting for those price lists was also part of the excitement. Sometimes I thank the technology wizards for opening up our hobby online.......... still, its nice to sit back and remember the good old days. Its nice to know I`m not the only one out there who misses it.Thanks Rich Ken