Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Guys, Someone stole an 04' 100% Het SK Axanthic Male off of my table at Hamburg, PA show yesterday. If anyone has any info or leads that would help recover this animal, please, please contact me at cagecrafters@comcast.net

Thank you for your cooperation

Sam Craver
Cage Crafters

p.s. Also a venomoid albino monacle cobra was stolen from my friends table, again any info would be greatly rewarded!

People stealing animals from shows is nothing new. Back in 1992 I had not one but three animals removed from my table at the Streamwood Illinois show. Back when swap meets first started up.
I learn a very valuable lesson. People steal!!
Today, I do not keep anything exposed. Every animal is displayed in a aryclic Tower or aryclic display rack. Someone would have to remove a slider door or open a back door on a tower. That can not be easily done. Since spending $800 in aryclic, I've not lost one animal.
The last show I did, was this past Sunday in Indianapolis, and I heard someone had an animal removed from his table, took across the room and sold to another vendor for less then the value of the animal. Just goes to show you how low folks will go to make money. The only time I left my table that day was to go talk to Ruppert from Suvivior, he was there buying food for his herps. My son was home sick, and I thought he would get a kick out of having a phone call from Ruppert. They talked for ten minutes. But while that was going on, I made sure my animals were being watched.
In closing, you have to think like a theif, is my animals exposed? can someone just walk up and lift something? I saw a guy once who had bought(?) some magazines and while he was at a table across from me, laid them on top of a deli cup. When he was done looking at the selection on the table, picked up his magazines and left. It was fast, but I saw.... he picked up the magazines and the deli cup that was under them (and this was no little deli cup, it was one of those large ones, that can house larger snakes).... and he just walked away. I went and told the vendor what I saw... he looked and sure enough, a deli cup with a pair of gray bands was missing. He took off after the guy, and recovered his stolen property. BE CAREFUL, and BE WATCHFUL.

they also used to use a bigger empty deli-cup or box with no bottom...lay it on top and lift delis that way as with the books...

lots of people holding coats yesterday too.......I watched a few people close.......

I kept all the better $ snakes closer to me........

I have had stuff removed before.....

at times I have had so many animals that I had no idea if I was ever ripped off or not.I try to count numbers of each animal species / morph to keep track...but it doesn't help till you get home and add up totals......

I saw Dave and 4 security personel walk over to the table....I thought they got the guy.......guess not....

...once a guy had snakes removed right out of deli cups...person was just opening cups and looking at snakes...wasn't closing cups.....just walked away with 2 getting out and a couple missing...we all ran out and rooted around their car....and searched them but couldn't find anything.........sux...

people suck......always will...........

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I am sorry to hear about your loss. I occassionally attend that show (and others in the area). It is very upsetting to hear about this since I have a decent collection of animals that I plan to bred someday and when I do, I will be hopefully vending at that show (in the next year or two) to sell some offspring.

One thing I always notice at these shows is the amount of people wearing backpacks. Usually younger people but regardless who has them, it can still be seen as somewhat suspicious. Bags, boxes and other items should be checked for that reason. Its simply too easy to walk out with stolen animals...and I only assume this b/c I have gone into shows with an animal on occassion to do a trade. Most shows don't allow people in with animals but almost anyone can get away with it. In fact, I recently joined Sams Club and everytime I leave, they check my receipt. Maybe the show coordinator should require that vendors provide a sales receipt to make it more legitimate. This way maybe someone could check people out as they leave the show.

Anyway, I have always read about theft at shows down south but never in the northeast...its really quite a shame. Good luck with recovering your animal....be sure to check the classified sections on the main herp websites...b/c yes..people can be that stupid. Also, do you have a pic of your animal? maybe this could be used to help others in id'ing your snake?
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Sincerely, Jason
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My Website: www.members.aol.com/northeastsnakes
My collection...
BOAS: 0.1 Solomon Island Ground Boa, 1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas, 1.1 Argentine Boas, 2.2 Nicaraguans, 1.1 Sonoran Desert Boas, 1.1 Cay Caulkers, 1.0 Columbian Boa 100% het Kahl Albino, 0.1 Anery Col boa, 1.1 Hog Island Boas, 0.1 Hog Island Boa poss het patternless.
PYTHONS: 1.2 Green Tree Pythons, 2.2 Bismarck Ringed Pythons, 2.8 Normal Ball Pythons, 1.0 Ball Python 100% het Piebald, 1.1 Spotted Pythons.
COLUBRIDS: 1.1 Black Pines, 1.1 Northern Pines, 2.2 Bairds Ratsnakes, 1.2 White-sided Black Ratsnakes.
CORNS: 1.0 Blizzard, 1.2 Bloodreds, 1.2 Butters, 1.0 Ghost, 0.1 Sunglow, 1.0 Hypo het Amber, 1.1 Lavenders, 1.1 Miami Phases, 1.2 Reverse Okeetee, 0.1 Snow, 0.1 Striped Amel, 3.2 Okeetees.
OTHER: 0.0.3 N. Diamondback Terrapins.

That sucks!!!

I can understand why many vendors have locking display cages. I would keep mine locked at all times, especially with the dollar amount of animals that I plan on selling in the near future.

Here's a plug for Cage Crafters by the way, hope this helps with some sales for you Sam

I recently bought seven racks and two Ranco thermostats from Sam at cage crafters. I picked them up yesterday at the show and they're currently housing a male mojave, 1.1 albinos, 2.2 pastels, a male orange ghost and many big females. The cages are top notch and I highly recommend them!

Thanks again Same for a well built product!

Ron

Thank you Ron. It was a real pleasure meeting you and your family, and I am very glad that your happy with your racks. Please let me know if you ever have any problems or questions in the future and I will take good care of you.

Tell your wife and father-in-law THANK YOU for helping me unload and load the racks. You better give your wife a big reward for helping you with all of those heavy things, hahaha.

Keep in touch Ron.

Sam Craver
Cage Crafters

I was at the KY show yesterday, and picked up a copy of the BP Manual. They were also passing out sales brochures at the door and I still had that. The lady at the booth offered to bag them for me while I was looking at something else. When I got home, I found an extra book--that I hadn't paid for--in my bag. Guess I wait until the next show up there and see if she's there again and pay her for the extra book. I've had quite a few things stolen from me over the years, including my artwork, so I just simply don't steal. Yeah I know folks will steal. Some do it because they ain't got the cash, while others have the money but do it for kicks. The problem is, it must be part of human nature as the problem has been around since the dawn of time...

That sucks, dude. I was talking with my buddy Mike last night on the phone, and he said his 100% Axanthic was stolen from his friend's table this weekend. (Maybe the same theft?) It's a shame. We invest so much money, and it just disappears.

Chris
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"I don't know about you...but I find comfort in that." -- Cowboy

Same snake Chris. I had the animal at my table for Mike, which makes it even a worse situation then it is. I purchased 2 male 100% het SK axanthics form John Skipper at the MARS show, so Mike wanted the extra male. So I gave him the male for a future trade of a female 100% het orange ghost when he produces them. But since we are doing so many projects together Mike decided to sell his male. I am just flamin mad and upset at this point. I know people steal, I know people are not honest or thoughtful, I just gave the crowd the benifit of the doubt.

Needless to say, I will not be doing the Hamburg show anymore. Biting into a lemon once teaches me a leason the first time, I dont want to be around that type of a crowd. I found out a little earlier today that another friend of mine had 2 animals stolen from his table also. Not good. Not good at all.

There are jerks that will steal at any show.
I had a 9-10 year old tried to lift something at my table at the VF show. I caught him and just stared him down....he put it back..... otherwise it would have been taken.
People might think I am crazy for locks....but all the animals that were not sold came back home with me!
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RicK @ BbI

Ball Boutique,Inc.
Proud sponsor of this forum

This is sad...a community that cannot even trust each other. We share the same love for herps and the biggest disrespect for other herpers. Are any of you surprised from the way people conduct themselves in here sometimes?

In a earlier post I talked about having lockable displays. I just wanted to show what saving your lunch money can do.
But, seriously, spending money on nice displays will save you all kinds of heart ache in the long run.

Hey thebigsquease Where did you buy those racks and about how much are they, and does the company or person have a web site! THANKS ERIk

really.....never see any of these displays at shows......

most people build their own then say it's a pain to build and never make any more to sell......

........any leads?.......
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The company that makes these displays is here in Indianapolis.
I don't know if they ship or not. Since I live here in Central Indiana, I just traveled to his workshop and picked them up.
This tread was started about somene being ripped off, and I dont' think I should be trying to sell stuff because of his misforunte. With that said, you have my email address, drop me a line.

since we started. Same guys, that setup at the Indy show built them for us a year ago. Peace of mind.

But I do wish there was a better way to keep the creeps from stealing.

Troy & Angi Dozier
Reptilian Projects

aww man... sorry to hear about that Sam...

its a shame that some people have to stoop so low...

-Lou

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I had a High End chondro stolen from my in Daytona 2002 and none of the "security" seemed to care one bit. The only thing they cared about, was if everyone there paid to get in.

One suggestion you might try next time is video taping your table. If something comes up missing, you'll have tape to look over, and hopefully you'll be able to get a discription of who the scumbag is. Things like this make me not want to go to shows. It happens everywhere.

Brandon Osborne