I took a short road trip to Hamburg, PA yesterday to attend the Hamburg Reptile Show. Normally the trip takes about 2.5 hours, it took me about 3.5 due to traffic in NYC. Once there, I spent a few hours inside the Hamburg Field-House debating whether or not I should buy any of the wide variety of herps that the many vendors had on display there. I badly wanted to pick up four or five Blue Tailed Newts and a couple or few of Iranian Newts, that a certain dealer was offering but declined; more on this later. There were a lot of other dealers offering anything from venomous species, like Puff Adders, Pygmy Rattlers and Gila Monsters to those offering the more mundane (and safer) herps like Sulcatta Tortoises, Pixie Frogs, Colorado River Toads, Corn Snakes and Ball Pythons. There were also folks selling non-herp species like several types of tarantulas, scorpions, and rodents.
I debated not only on those newts but also considered picking up some guinea pigs, ducklings and rats (the last two as snake food and the first as potential breeders for a colony of cavies for possible people food); I declined despite badly wanting those newts. In fact, I declined getting all but one herp - a normal appearing ball python, obviously a 2015 hatchling but of large enough size to know it has been eating well. I got that not for myself but as a donation to the Long Island Herpetological Society's annual auction set for June 7th.
All in all, I had a great time there with only one bump in the road so to speak. As a quick suggestion to dealers (of anything), let me say that you really ought to be careful about what you talk about in front of your potential customers. I was about to purchase at least 5 of the Blue Tailed Newts (from a dealer with whom I have done business before) and two or three of the Iranian Newts. That would have amounted to about a $200-$250 purchase depending on how many I bought and depending on if I would get the 5 to 10% discount for which I was going to ask for buying multiple animals. Suddenly, without even acknowledging I was standing there for a few minutes already, his apparent partner (the other guy working his table anyway and someone I have never met or dealt with before) started talking about people who ask for a discounted price when buying a few to several animals from them (and note I had not said a word). His partner called those folks several derogatory names for trying to get a better price when they were offering a good price already. The other dealer, the guy I have dealt with before, heartily agreed.
Then the first guy ranted on and on for at least five minutes about such customers, all in a very negative manner, as I stood at their table looking at their offerings and listening to every word that this loud mouthed slob (who had food falling from his mouth while talking because he was stuffing sandwich into his mouth at the same time) spewed from his blowhole. The guy with whom I have done business agreed with him every time he blasted those expletive / expletive / expletive customers and he threw in a couple of choice descriptions of his own. Throughout, they both totally ignored me, the customer waiting to be attended to by them.
In the past, I have asked for and received such discounts from that same particular dealer on some newts that I purchased from him. It is standard operating procedure among most reptile & amphibian dealers to discount the price somewhat when a good number of animals are purchased at the same time. Yesterday though, I did not even inquire about such a discount since they were so busy slamming customers who asked for a discount. I was about to say something nasty in reply to their tirade but I decided that instead of getting myself all worked up, I would keep my blood pressure at a decent level and not mess up my remaining time at the show. So, I just walked away and ignored them.
That means I also left without spending a dime on their stuff; maybe they can afford to lost a $200-$250 sale but I figure that is bad business. I would have to have been a true idiot to have spent one penny there so as it turns out the real idiots were the two guys behind the table bad mouthing and losing customers. Anyway, I had a good time at the show, probably at least in part because I maintained my cool (for once). Besides the one snake that I bought, I also picked up some supplies that I needed for my critters at home. Then I went to Cabela's.
Ah yes, that is what makes the trip to this particular reptile show more alluring than most to which I have traveled - Cabela's is only about a 5 minute drive from the field-house. While at Cabela's, I spent about 3/4 of the money I had originally intended to spend on buying newts.
All the best,
Glenn B
I debated not only on those newts but also considered picking up some guinea pigs, ducklings and rats (the last two as snake food and the first as potential breeders for a colony of cavies for possible people food); I declined despite badly wanting those newts. In fact, I declined getting all but one herp - a normal appearing ball python, obviously a 2015 hatchling but of large enough size to know it has been eating well. I got that not for myself but as a donation to the Long Island Herpetological Society's annual auction set for June 7th.
All in all, I had a great time there with only one bump in the road so to speak. As a quick suggestion to dealers (of anything), let me say that you really ought to be careful about what you talk about in front of your potential customers. I was about to purchase at least 5 of the Blue Tailed Newts (from a dealer with whom I have done business before) and two or three of the Iranian Newts. That would have amounted to about a $200-$250 purchase depending on how many I bought and depending on if I would get the 5 to 10% discount for which I was going to ask for buying multiple animals. Suddenly, without even acknowledging I was standing there for a few minutes already, his apparent partner (the other guy working his table anyway and someone I have never met or dealt with before) started talking about people who ask for a discounted price when buying a few to several animals from them (and note I had not said a word). His partner called those folks several derogatory names for trying to get a better price when they were offering a good price already. The other dealer, the guy I have dealt with before, heartily agreed.
Then the first guy ranted on and on for at least five minutes about such customers, all in a very negative manner, as I stood at their table looking at their offerings and listening to every word that this loud mouthed slob (who had food falling from his mouth while talking because he was stuffing sandwich into his mouth at the same time) spewed from his blowhole. The guy with whom I have done business agreed with him every time he blasted those expletive / expletive / expletive customers and he threw in a couple of choice descriptions of his own. Throughout, they both totally ignored me, the customer waiting to be attended to by them.
In the past, I have asked for and received such discounts from that same particular dealer on some newts that I purchased from him. It is standard operating procedure among most reptile & amphibian dealers to discount the price somewhat when a good number of animals are purchased at the same time. Yesterday though, I did not even inquire about such a discount since they were so busy slamming customers who asked for a discount. I was about to say something nasty in reply to their tirade but I decided that instead of getting myself all worked up, I would keep my blood pressure at a decent level and not mess up my remaining time at the show. So, I just walked away and ignored them.
That means I also left without spending a dime on their stuff; maybe they can afford to lost a $200-$250 sale but I figure that is bad business. I would have to have been a true idiot to have spent one penny there so as it turns out the real idiots were the two guys behind the table bad mouthing and losing customers. Anyway, I had a good time at the show, probably at least in part because I maintained my cool (for once). Besides the one snake that I bought, I also picked up some supplies that I needed for my critters at home. Then I went to Cabela's.
Ah yes, that is what makes the trip to this particular reptile show more alluring than most to which I have traveled - Cabela's is only about a 5 minute drive from the field-house. While at Cabela's, I spent about 3/4 of the money I had originally intended to spend on buying newts.
All the best,
Glenn B
