First reptile expo - tips?

[TheFrogman]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Why?

Personally, I rarely do. If I see an animal I like and I am comfortable with the price then I pay it, no questions ask.

I end up with this kind of mentality... "Did I get what I want? Am I happy with it? Am I going to care that I paid X dollars more for it when I'm happy I got what I wanted?"

The truest question is, what is more important, the price or "deal" I got or that I'm happy with getting what I want?

Because if you can save money why not? I got my last snake at repticon for $25 less that was priced. If you can get what you want and discount......

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by TheFrogman

Because if you can save money why not? I got my last snake at repticon for $25 less that was priced. If you can get what you want and discount......

What if they say no? Are you going to walk away? Are you going to go around the show and hopefully find the same animal for $25 less than the other guy? What if you do find it and it isn't as healthy but it's $50 off? Still buying it?

What if you decide to go back and it's sold already. Who really lost here? Over a whole $25.

Is the $25 really worth the trouble?

I get what you're saying but I just have a different philosphy when it comes to buying what I want.

[TheFrogman]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

What if they say no? Are you going to walk away? Are you going to go around the show and hopefully find the same animal for $25 less than the other guy? What if you do find it and it isn't as healthy but it's $50 off? Still buying it?

What if you decide to go back and it's sold already. Who really lost here? Over a whole $25.

Is the $25 really worth the trouble?

I get what you're saying but I just have a different philosphy when it comes to buying what I want.

If I ask the vendor to come down on price and he does then great, If he says no and I want the animal I will still buy it. No harm no foul.

I don't buy unhealthy animals no matter what the price, but If I can get a quality animal and the vendor is willing to come down...then he's happy, and I'm happy, were both happy, whats the issue?

easy peasy

[EL Ziggy]

Originally Posted by TheFrogman

If I ask the vendor to come down on price and he does then great, If he says no and I want the animal I will still buy it. No harm no foul.

I don't buy unhealthy animals no matter wha the price, but If I can get a quality animal and the vendor is willing to come down...great

easy peasy

^^same here. One polite question could save you 15% or more

[TheFrogman]

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

^^same here. One polite question could save you 15% or more

Exactly, I don't badger, I'm not rude, I ask politely and they usually always come down a little.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by TheFrogman

If I ask the vendor to come down on price and he does then great, If he says no and I want the animal I will still buy it. No harm no foul.

I don't buy unhealthy animals no matter what the price, but If I can get a quality animal and the vendor is willing to come down...then he's happy, and I'm happy, were both happy, whats the issue?

easy peasy

There is no issue.

As I stated we just differ on how we do business. Am I not allowed to express a differing opinion any longer?

I believe if someone has a price for something and if I'm comfortable with it I will pay them their asking price. I believe they deserve it and I shouldn't try to short change them.

Again, we just differ on how we do business.

[Pareeeee]

Wow! Lots of responses!
Thanks everyone for your info, I've read it all and it's very helpful. Can't wait to go.

I usually buy my thermostats and supplies on eBay - are you saying it will be cheaper to wait and get that stuff at the expo? I know American expos have crazy cheap prices on things - is it the same with Canadian expos?

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Pareeeee

Wow! Lots of responses!
Thanks everyone for your info, I've read it all and it's very helpful. Can't wait to go.

I usually buy my thermostats and supplies on eBay - are you saying it will be cheaper to wait and get that stuff at the expo? I know American expos have crazy cheap prices on things - is it the same with Canadian expos?

Like anything it can be.

I personally have never seen any ridiculous cheap prices but I don't normally go to them for supplies so I'm not looking for them specifically. I also find just importing the items to be cheaper a lot of the time too.

However, you may not necessarily find them on a discount or steep discount but you may be able to find some hard to get supplies there at the show.

[Sharlynn93]

the 1 expo I attended so far, the heating, enclosures, etc, were about the same as online..small stuff like hides, plants, accessories, were super cheap...I would be safe and order the main stuff ahead of time, and concentrate on animals (if that's what you are looking for) at the expo...

[TheFrogman]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

There is no issue.

As I stated we just differ on how we do business. Am I not allowed to express a differing opinion any longer?

I believe if someone has a price for something and if I'm comfortable with it I will pay them their asking price. I believe they deserve it and I shouldn't try to short change them.

Again, we just differ on how we do business.

Of course you are allowed to express your opinion just as I am, I was merely responding to your post #17.

But let me ask, how is this short changing someone If that person is agreeing on the discount? IMO, short changing would be intentionally screwing the vendor out of his/her money which by asking for a discount is not.

And let me also ask this, Is this any different than me, being a Veteran asking a store If they offer a Military Discount as many do, and that store giving me that store discount?

Now I feel this thread has been hijacked enough, so ill simply say, the original topic was that "Pareeeee" asked for tips on shopping at the expo, I expressed my tips, he can choose to use them or not .

[Pareeeee]

I always ask for a discount if I'm at a place I can haggle. (just making sure out wasn't taboo at an expo) I don't bug them about it if they won't put the price down though. Like in the classifieds, some people (like me) put their prices a little high, expecting to be haggled down.

PS: Do 90% of the people here still think I'm a guy? lol

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Pareeeee

I always ask for a discount if I'm at a place I can haggle. (just making sure out wasn't taboo at an expo) I don't bug them about it if they won't put the price down though. Like in the classifieds, some people (like me) put their prices a little high, expecting to be haggled down.

PS: Do 90% of the people here still think I'm a guy? lol

Apparently they do Paris.




Also, I just see things differently. If we're talking snakes here then it's silly to post higher prices to be haggled down. Why? It's sending the wrong message on what an animal is worth. It sends a wrong image to new people who think if they buy this animal that it will be worth far more than they paid for it. This is mostly specific to breeding animals.

In regards to haggling at shows. There's no harm in asking for a price except you may be insulting the person behind the table. Why? Because they value their animals and time and effort. So why shouldn't they be compensated for it? Again, it's situational. Even if you pay the original price you may have just solidified never getting a discount from that vendor in the future.

As someone who sells animals I am giving the viewpoint of the other side of the table.

It's frustrating to see everyone want our community looked at in a better light so why not start with honest pricing?

[Tsubaki]

I have to look at a snake and go : That's the one!, i don't settle for 'thats the species i want, and it looks ok' So if i find exactly what i am looking for, but the price is a little over the top. Only then will i try to haggle, but if i can't get it down and i think the animal is worth it. I take it anyway.. So i walk through expo's pretty fast, and always make sure i am one of the first there. Because if i don't see that one i love, i go home empty handed. I don't do second bests. - Ps i have been on the other side as well, and i don't mind haggling. As long as it is not on a already decent priced animal.

But Honestly? i prefer never to go to one at all, idk what expo's are like there but here.. Ugh, its a stinky Very overcrowded building, and if you are not one of the first, you have to shovel people out of the way to get a glimpse of anything...

Originally Posted by Pareeeee

PS: Do 90% of the people here still think I'm a guy? lol

That happens to me as well but it doesn't really matter to me much.

[Charis]

Oops! Pareeeee, I'd assumed you were a woman but apparently I guessed wrong about Tsubaki! That is always the interesting part with forums and the English language to me, don't really have gender neutral words to address or talk about someone, so you must guess and hope you got it right! Not always easy to tell by user names.

On topic, I have nothing more to add about expo tips. Everyone else covered that well.

Personally, I'm always to afraid of insulting people to ask to haggle but on the other hand, I don't mind taking a tiny bit off my own prices for someone, I usually price stuff (animals but also everything else I'm trying to sell, generally) $5, $10, $15 more than I'm comfortable letting it go for, then you can give someone a little bit off, making them even happier with their purchase and still be happy with the deal yourself.
But I do often get hit up by very rude people that want to pay you next to nothing for what you are offering and they do piss me off and tend to make me less flexible about price for the next person who asks!

[Pareeeee]

$120 snake. "Will you take $15.00?"

lol...

I don't do that.