Reptile show woes...

[Humble308]

Hey yall

Just got back from the Cleveland Reptile Show and my goodness is packed to the rafters in there. It's usually pretty crowded when I've gone there, but it seemed especially bad today. Took about 15 mins to move 20 feet, and we were cut about 4 times before we finally got in a spot to look at Zerkle' Reptiles which is my favorite table there. I'm not sure how they weasel their way in, but it's annoying as hell to folks like me who are trying to be polite and move through the show with the line. It's nut to butt in there and you've got these idiots sticking their arm in your face to take a picture of some animal you're standing next to. You've got to basically be touching the person in front of you to make sure you won't get cut again.

I'd planned to grab some dubia today from my toads but couldn't stomach the crowd and we end up leaving after being bumped and shoved into countless times. I'm not a fan of large crowds as it is, but it seems the reptile crowds are especially rude and just unaware of what's going on around them. I've been to this show about 4-5 times, but it's the only show I've been to. Now that I've got all that off my chest I'm curious if any of yall have had the same experience with reptile shows in general? I'm really enjoying keeping snakes, but I'm a bit put off by alot of the folks at these shows

It looked to be alot of cool stuff there but we didn't get to see a damn thing due to the crowd. Zerkle did have some albino house snakes I was tempted to pick up, but decided against it as we may be moving to Texas soon. A side note, are there any decent venues in the Dallas/Ft Worth area that you guys know of? I hate to pay the costly shipping fees of buying snakes online but it seems worth it to avoid the headache of these shows....I hope they're not all like that?

Well my whine fest is over, thanks for the ear.

[Minkness]

Well, unfortunately that sounds about right for just about any sales venue or expo. It comes down to what time of day you go. I am nurrotic and want to be one of the first ones in, so I usally areive an hour early with a coffee and chill outside the doors. I will personally do a quick walk through of the WHOLE place then double back and take my time. I may repeat this process 3-5 times and it will take about 2-3 hours. When I first get there it's usually breedera trying to get the 'good' stuff fast so they don't really mill around much and it leaves alot of walking space. But about 2 hours in you get people just there to look and maybe buy a new pet or just there for supplies who like to look around as well, so it gets very crouded at that point. Because I feel they are less'serious' about the potential of what the exibit is for, they seem to treat it more like an amusement park. So, what I do, is if I find an animal I want, I pay for it, collect a receipt, and write my name on the container and leave that animal with the seller until I am ready to go. That way the animal isn't too banged up or potentially dropped, forgotten somewhere, or stollen. This process makes even crowded venues a bit less stressful.

I have been told that the very end of a ahow is also a good time to slip in as most of the crowds are gone, but they are gone because alot of the animals and supplies are gone. One show I went to and wanted to pickup feeders at a stand, and in just the 1t 3 hours, they were sold out of the size I needed.

So, yes, crowds suck, it's how you choose to deal with them that may change your experience though. I was personallya bit miffed because someone had 2 female red eyed crock skinks and before I even knew they existed at the expo (which I would have bought them had I known since they are an extream want) someone else got to them first! I only found out about them by seeing the guy who bought them walk by and I happened to see them in the deli cups. He was super nice though and did let me get a closer look and hold one.

I love the social aspect of it too. See someobe with a beautiful animal? Chat them up! Takes a bit of the stress of the crowd away since I then am not trying to move around and forget about just how many sardines are packed into the tincan around me lol.

Oh, amd if you think reptile people are bad....don't go to a horse expo...talk about rude.....

[sam]

Hah, Minkness, I can support you on the horse people claim.

[Kokorobosoi]

its bad for me too. I look very young so I have a hard time with that slightly past physically fit middle aged male demographic. I've actually been shoved several times by their stomachs. Think those bouys on the side of a ship.

So I use defensive purse maneuvers. I bring the biggest stiffest bottomed purse I have and I tuck it under my arm. Swing my elbow up to put the purse between us and brace up. The corners of that purse hurt like hell. So they stop pushing. And it keeps other body parts from touching me. Which has happened.

Hubby can usually find me after about the first hour when I've lost my patience and I've got a bubble around me. At the pet And outdoors expo I bring my dog. She usually makes a bubble for me too. She is my 80 pound people plow.

[Humble308]

Hahaha thanks for the laugh yall. Glad to know I'm not the only one. The proprietors of the show told me the best time was after 1pm or so which I've never been that late since the show closes at 3. I'm not too worried about things being picked over since I like the underdog colubrids like Pits and rat snakes, I've become very fond of house snakes as well.

I hear you on the horses. I've been to a few equine auctions for cutting horses when I still used to rodeo. It's probably a bit more laid back than the ones you're referring to, but even then...those folks have deep pockets and know it.

All the best.

[macandchz]

how do you find out if an expo is coming to your town? i live very close to pittsburgh and would have gone to the cleveland one if i knew about it. thanks,mac

[Humble308]

The show near me is every month. There's also a monthly one down in Columbus, OH. I just found it by googling reptile show in Ohio. Here's their website

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwik1pCN0IvLAhWJaz4KHbvnB-gQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freewebs.com%2Fshrz%2F&usg=AFQjCNHhBB5Hulv5bWBH_xNyzUHVJ_AwMg&bvm=bv.114733917,d.cWw

[Minkness]

For horse expos I have dealt with western and english, shows, competition, sales, and then just an educational expo where people show off different breeds and training techniques as well as new products on the market. Man...the dirty looks I'd get for....well....no real reason! I'll take the elbows and bodily collisions at a reptile expo over the soul peircing glares and that 'better than thou' look I'd get from other 'horse people'. Granted, I have a horse. I have had several in the past as well, but I just don't call myself a 'horse person' because I just DON'T fit in with them. However, I am 100% a crazy reptile person! Lol.

Mac, sometimes they will be advertised on local craigslist. Also, if you know any local clubs on FB they can help out. You can also visit the repticon website to see what date they will be near you. (Repticon is one of the most well known cons, but there's lots of others out there)

[prairiepanda]

I live several hours away from any reptile expo location, so when I do get a rare opportunity to attend one I check what's being offered online and pre-purchase any animals/supplies/feeders I want beforehand so that I don't have to worry about competition when I get there. I do one walk around to get a look at all the stuff I'm not buying, and then when I'm done I go straight to the sellers I pre-purchased from and pick up my stuff. That way I can just kind of follow the flow of bodies through the venue while I look around and don't have to stress about getting my turn at talking to a seller to buy something. As long as I'm following the general flow, I don' get shoved around. And since I wait until later to pick up what I've purchased, there are usually less people so it's easier to get at the sellers and to get animals out safely.

[IW17]

I go to the cleveland expo almost every month. It's hit or miss. Some are tolerable, others are madness. They give away lots of free stuff in the December expo, and I never ever go. The December show is beyond crowded. It's true though if you go in the last hour or so it's easy to get around d. But not only are some animals already sold, many of the vendors are already packed up and leaving. So it's a trade off.

[Humble308]

I go to the cleveland expo almost every month. It's hit or miss. Some are tolerable, others are madness. They give away lots of free stuff in the December expo, and I never ever go. The December show is beyond crowded. It's true though if you go in the last hour or so it's easy to get around d. But not only are some animals already sold, many of the vendors are already packed up and leaving. So it's a trade off.

That's been my experience so far. I went to the December one and grabbed my house and gopher snake some mealworms and got the hell out of there. Even that month wasn't as bad as yesterday.

Have you ever been down to the show in Columbus?
, I wouldn't .mind trying it but it's about 2 hours for me.

[RAD House]

It is a double edged sword. Here is Denver the expos I have been to are by no means crowded but the selection is not the best. You are not likely to see something new and exciting. I am jealous of all the great shows I hear about in other places.

[IW17]

Our shows are just now starting to have a wide variety. Up until this year it was 90% ball pythons.

[IW17]

That's been my experience so far. I went to the December one and grabbed my house and gopher snake some mealworms and got the hell out of there. Even that month wasn't as bad as yesterday.

Have you ever been down to the show in Columbus?
, I wouldn't .mind trying it but it's about 2 hours for me.

Yeah I've thought about going. Two hours isn't bad but I don't wanna drive that far for the same vendors. I'm thinking about going to Tinley this year. Make a weekend out of it. I might try a Pennsylvania show, since they allow hots. I'm not looking to get into hots, but it'd be worth checking out for a change in scenery.

[Humble308]

Same, I see ball pythons so much that it simply puts me off even trying them. Pennsylvania would be pretty cool, reckon they'd have some cool stuff. I haven't heard of Tinley, is it a bigger venue?

[Kokorobosoi]

Just so those interested in a pa show, the one in Hamburg pa is on the 27th of this month.

[hphgamer09]

There is a decent sized show in Cheswick, right outside of pittsburgh every month. Next one is march 6th.

[DollysMom]

Same, I see ball pythons so much that it simply puts me off even trying them. Pennsylvania would be pretty cool, reckon they'd have some cool stuff. I haven't heard of Tinley, is it a bigger venue?

Not having been to any expo other than Tinley, I can't compare. I've only gotten back into snakes this past year after a long hiatus.

I went to Tinley last October and am going again in March. I pre-bought my ticket online and was there at door opening. I did the same thing -- quick run around to get the big picture. I also bought my corn snake within the first hour, signed the deli cup and left her with the vendor while I went around and did other things. I only spent a few hours though because I had a snake to get home :D

This time I'm just shopping for decor and supplies, so I plan to spend a lot more time without concern for the welfare of a baby shake. I can say that while BPs seem to predominate, there were plenty of other herps and a great selection of colubrids. I also saw some breathtaking Leo's among other things.

It did get crowded, but I agree, you need to get in early if you want to get first pick of the animals. Not that they were all sold out when I left, by any means.

It's a pretty big venue. There were crowded places but I never felt totally boxed in. If you want to learn more about Tinley, just google "Tinley NARBC" and they have a web site. The vendor line up is posted, but there is more than that when you actually get to the show. Others tell me that even if you have to travel, it's worth it. I only have a 25 minute drive so it's a given for me. SYR is on site, if you need to ship for any reason.

[IW17]

Same, I see ball pythons so much that it simply puts me off even trying them. Pennsylvania would be pretty cool, reckon they'd have some cool stuff. I haven't heard of Tinley, is it a bigger venue?

Tinley is the biggest show within a reasonable distance from us, and as far as I know of, one of the bigger shows in the country. But it's a hike still, and you'd wanna make a weekend out if it. It's near Chicago.