catch 22 topic

[jncoclub]

A lot of people here voice that you shouldn’t buy a herps from a “pet shop” that it should come from a “breeder.” Who technically supplies the pet shops? Not breeders?

Also, if the "pet shops" are lacking info themselves, not meeting concerns, and no one should buy herps from there, then what sort of deal are those herps getting being stuck in a horrible home?

Which is worse, an uneducated person buying a herp form a pet shop, or a pet shop keeping a herp that they don’t have knowledge on either?

I now that this is a catch 22, but I’m curious to hear you opinions on it.

*Note for the record-- I am not saying that all pet shops are bad, just like I'm not saying all breeders are good (there are exceptions to everything)- so please don't get all huffy puffy at me. I hope you understand my initial question.

[reticguy]

Not much of a catch 22 from a buyer's perspective...

Breeders keep the cream of the crop to sell privately at a cheaper price than pet stores will sell for and offload the less-than-attractive or runts or poor feeders to wholesalers and pet stores. From a buyer's perspective, there's definitely no catch 22 here. Buy from a breeder to get the best possible animal at the best possible price and with the best possible husbandry info.

Nathan

[Colonel SB]

All of the pet stores I've worked for got 90% oftheir reptiles from large importers so they take 100 os this 50 of that...so it's all bulk.

[jncoclub]

I guess it's not really a catch 22. I guess what I was aiming at was something on the lines (crudely put) that the demented leftover reps are at the pet shop and the fancy pretty ones are sold thru breeders. What happens to the runt reps being left at the shops where there are uneducated people buying them from uneducated people selling them?
I think I have an idea in my head that just isn't coming out correctly in words.

[RaVeNo888o]

I know what you mean. the pet shop worker may not likely know as much as he should about the husbandry. So you have a snake that is under developed. The ones that go to the store in the first place are the 'reject' ones from the breeder to start with..The, for the most part, people who buy the snake from the store dont know any better (or they would have bought from the breeder) >>That what you mean?

[Samba]

Well, breeders do supply pet shops with the animals... sometimes. Other times the animals may be wild caught. Assuming a breeder can produce and sell offspring shows that the animals are being given the proper environment, food, etc. Many of the 'leftovers' (what a horrible thing to call them), aren't taken care of as well by the pet shops, (employees aren't knowledgable). Therefore, the animals in a pet shop are more likely to come with associated problems. It just makes sense to buy from a breeder if you want a quality animal that is not going to have a whole lot of complications.

[Samba]

And another note: (Especially for those of us in N.M.), buying from a breeder is a heck of a lot less expensive than a pet shop. Here, normal leos run about $80.00!

[Lisa]

Originally posted by Samba
And another note: (Especially for those of us in N.M.), buying from a breeder is a heck of a lot less expensive than a pet shop. Here, normal leos run about $80.00!

Wow, the pet store here sells normal leos for $30 canadian.

[drewlowe]

Here in missouri normal babies 20-30 or adult normals for around 70-80.

[Samba]

You guys are lucky! I'm moving! jk =)

[lordkovacs]

when you get undeducated people selling to uneducated people ya know what happens? you get people with a 10 foot retic returning it because it's too big. or an iguana that "miraculously" grew to over 5 feet. pet shops "typically" do not have the info to give to the consumer. And the ones that do, are often more interested in the sale. of course this isn't always true...but that's what happens to these "runts". Just my opinion.
Mike

[peregrinefalcon]

Wow, leos around here are usually $110! You guys are lucky!
Adam

[alex_33]

Samba $80 american for a normal leo?!?!?! That's nuts, at my local pet store, I can get 2 for that price, even though the pet store has some really good prices, but still I've never seen a baby for more than $70 canadian!

[SerpentLust]

Well, I work at a pet shop and am now head of reptiles. HOWEVER, I do know that my store does NOT get their snakes from a breeder. I think we get it, literally, from a guy in a truck that comes to the back of the store.

However, in defense, these animals do get the best treatment we can possibly give them (thanks to me ). So, if you're not a hobbyist and a novice, I think pet stores are fine for haing a PET. If you want a high quality herp to support your herping hobby, go to the high quality breeders.

And I also take the time, hours if necessary, to educate every one of my customers on all the needed requirements.

So, to state my opinion. If you're looking for a family pet in a reptile, if you don't care about its origins or any of the bloodline things. Pet stores are fine as long as you're educated. If you're a hobbyist and want high quality reptiles with more information as to where they came from, you go to a breeder.

Jenn

[lilyskip]

Jenn...I only wish you could clone yourself and work at my local pet store, too...