Wildside
07-06-12, 03:11 PM
Alright so I promised yesterday to share my "buyer" knowledge for expo purchasing.
First off, if you purchase animals for re-sell take a copy of your business license with you. Most of the vendors understand the ins and outs of business, and will offer you a deal you can profit from.
Second, if you don't purchase animals for re-sell and are looking to buy a new pet or something special for a future breeding project, you can still land a great deal. I'll get into that in a minute. Do beware of vendors whose prices seem like an amazing deal, chances are the stuff is wild caught and probably stressed and unhealthy. There are a few things you can do to ensure you get a quality animal and are not going to waste money.
1. Look for a vendor with a nice setup. This vendor obviously cares about making a good sale and is willing to show off the animals rather than hiding them in little plastic containers on a table in the corner.
2. Inquire with the vendor about how they obtain their livestock.
"Do you breed these?" Will most often be met with a proud answer of "yes" or "No, but my brother/sister/friend/dad/grandma does". A reputable vendor is always willing and happy to disclose where their animals come from. Of course some of them are liars. If they seem annoyed by your questions and reluctant to assist you, move on. While this doesn't necessarily mean they are being dishonest, it's bad business etiquette and they should know better anyway. A vendor (breeder or otherwise) should always be willing to answer any questions of potential customers.
3. There is a way to bargain with vendors without being disrespectful. Okay, here's a little secret some of you may be glad to know. Any knowledgeable retailer will set their prices a little bit higher so they can come down a little and make the customer feel like they're getting a good bargain. Many times if a vendor sees the customer is seriously contemplating a purchase they'll knock a few bucks off just to make the deal more enticing. Most of the time this is the final move that will seal the deal.
Also that top line price is the bar for negotiating. Those guys at the shows don't want to pack those reptiles up and take them back home. They brought them to sell! So feel free to make an offer of your own, on any potential purchase. For example: If you see a snake you'd absolutely love to have listed at $500 ask the vendor if he/she will take $350 instead. That's less than what they're asking, but still $100 over half of the set price. They should not get insulted by the offer. If they do, move on. Being insulted by a decent offer can be an indicator of someone who might not be willing to do good business.
Should they refuse to come down on price or you feel their prices are just a bit high, you should be more than welcome to find out why. "Do they have pedigrees?" "What are they het for?" Just try to avoid directly asking the vendor why their prices are what they are. It makes a vendor feel as if they're being interrogated. It also shuts them down because most potential customers who start "interrogating" aren't gonna buy anything anyway.
One thing I do want to clarify... Don't completely disregard a vendor with unwillingness to provide a guarantee. Vendors have to protect themselves from losing money as much as you need to protect yourself from wasting it. People do extraordinarily stupid things with their animals, then expect a refund. Vendors have no way of knowing how good people actually care for their animals and therefore no way to determine who is responsible for the loss. Practicing the aforementioned tips will help ensure your chances of making a good purchase, as well as using common sense. It's generally pretty easy to tell if an animal is healthy, and if you're not sure what to look for there's probably an article on it around here somewhere. Happy Shopping!
First off, if you purchase animals for re-sell take a copy of your business license with you. Most of the vendors understand the ins and outs of business, and will offer you a deal you can profit from.
Second, if you don't purchase animals for re-sell and are looking to buy a new pet or something special for a future breeding project, you can still land a great deal. I'll get into that in a minute. Do beware of vendors whose prices seem like an amazing deal, chances are the stuff is wild caught and probably stressed and unhealthy. There are a few things you can do to ensure you get a quality animal and are not going to waste money.
1. Look for a vendor with a nice setup. This vendor obviously cares about making a good sale and is willing to show off the animals rather than hiding them in little plastic containers on a table in the corner.
2. Inquire with the vendor about how they obtain their livestock.
"Do you breed these?" Will most often be met with a proud answer of "yes" or "No, but my brother/sister/friend/dad/grandma does". A reputable vendor is always willing and happy to disclose where their animals come from. Of course some of them are liars. If they seem annoyed by your questions and reluctant to assist you, move on. While this doesn't necessarily mean they are being dishonest, it's bad business etiquette and they should know better anyway. A vendor (breeder or otherwise) should always be willing to answer any questions of potential customers.
3. There is a way to bargain with vendors without being disrespectful. Okay, here's a little secret some of you may be glad to know. Any knowledgeable retailer will set their prices a little bit higher so they can come down a little and make the customer feel like they're getting a good bargain. Many times if a vendor sees the customer is seriously contemplating a purchase they'll knock a few bucks off just to make the deal more enticing. Most of the time this is the final move that will seal the deal.
Also that top line price is the bar for negotiating. Those guys at the shows don't want to pack those reptiles up and take them back home. They brought them to sell! So feel free to make an offer of your own, on any potential purchase. For example: If you see a snake you'd absolutely love to have listed at $500 ask the vendor if he/she will take $350 instead. That's less than what they're asking, but still $100 over half of the set price. They should not get insulted by the offer. If they do, move on. Being insulted by a decent offer can be an indicator of someone who might not be willing to do good business.
Should they refuse to come down on price or you feel their prices are just a bit high, you should be more than welcome to find out why. "Do they have pedigrees?" "What are they het for?" Just try to avoid directly asking the vendor why their prices are what they are. It makes a vendor feel as if they're being interrogated. It also shuts them down because most potential customers who start "interrogating" aren't gonna buy anything anyway.
One thing I do want to clarify... Don't completely disregard a vendor with unwillingness to provide a guarantee. Vendors have to protect themselves from losing money as much as you need to protect yourself from wasting it. People do extraordinarily stupid things with their animals, then expect a refund. Vendors have no way of knowing how good people actually care for their animals and therefore no way to determine who is responsible for the loss. Practicing the aforementioned tips will help ensure your chances of making a good purchase, as well as using common sense. It's generally pretty easy to tell if an animal is healthy, and if you're not sure what to look for there's probably an article on it around here somewhere. Happy Shopping!