Hi Guys... would like to know all your thoughts as to, if u witnessed there all the breeders, selling herp's to any old tom/dick/harry with not a great deal of question to how they were to be housed or the supply of a care sheet??

There is a lot of comments on RFUK regarding shops and their prices, most of you will find that the ones that are in the higher price bracket will be there in the long run to support you!!
I wonder, how much consideration was given to the shops in the midlands sales, after the huge amount of herp's that were sold at the expo?? not to mention the near retail prices that were being charged, why do this without the overheads??

Regards

IAR/ARA

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9RED
PM me for help with non-feeders/rescues/'problem' reptiles in Gloucester and surrounding areas.

OP has valid questions, this is a public forum and he has every right to post .......


in reply to your question I actually had no chance to walk round, having looked at trade lists in a friends shop a few weeks ago though I think you will find many prices were even below trade............
some people have very high end morphs that have taken years to develop , perhaps these were the high prices ?

Oh by the way, did you visit the show ?

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all the prices where low well 99%, i recieved help and advice

and how many good rep shops are there in the midlands that stock what i wanted? i can answer NONE!

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Price's where great, much much lower than retail, and as julia said some lower than trade !!!!

Every Animal i enquired about, all the right answers where given, practically EVERY seller gave their contact details to buyers, for any support required, and also from what i saw was checking the buyers where valid members and exsisting hobyist's.

the animals we bought ourselves, we got extensive advice on their care and husbandry, right down to preffered brands of food and how they like it preppared, and again, where supplied with the sellers contact details should i require any further advice or had any problems....

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I'm not saying otherwise, just pointing out the possibility that it may be worth being a little cautious about what is said regarding shows at the moment, especially seeing as the IAR/ARA have such a talent for twisting what people say to support their claims.

Of course this could just be a new member asking innocent questions (if that's the case then I'm ever so sorry - this rant isn't aimed at you personally and please don't be put off using the forums ) Or it could be an anti posing as a newbie that's actually snooping and looking to cause trouble. If someone were to innocently come on here and say 'Actually yeah, come to think of it I did buy a corn/royal/beardie/gecko/whatever and the seller didn't give me a caresheet, can anyone tell me where I can get one...?' then that gives the anti's something else to rant about. You might as well load a rifle and point it at your foot...

Personally, I bought 2 baby tarantulas and 2 USA green tree frogs. When buying the frogs I was asked if I'd kept frogs before and was provided with a good caresheet and reciept. Both frogs were bright, alert and healthy and have settled in beautifully. The chap I bought the tarantulas off pointed out that he was happy with my knowledge of spiders as I asked for the species I wanted by their latin names and we had a talk about my previous experience of those species behaviours and temperaments. They also came with a reciept and a flyer for a very useful online invert forum with loads of caresheets, and have also settled in very well.

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9RED
PM me for help with non-feeders/rescues/'problem' reptiles in Gloucester and surrounding areas.

I bought a variety of Corn snakes, even though I was helping and had an Organiser badge was still asked, whether I had kept Corns, am I aware of the care and offered care sheets each time.

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Hey im just interested in your views, im glad most got good advise!!

Your opinions to the trade from shop comments??
How would it be in the industry if the stores slipped away, through people trading (illegally) from home in dry goods and herps, not paying taxes and overheads that the shops have growing each year, HELP THE SHOPS!!!

i was given very good advice on what i brought at the show and as for prices
yes it cheaper to buy from the shows as u are buying off the breeder not from a shop that as more overhead costs.

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lizards - frogs - salamanders -torts
newts - dogs - cats - rats

what shops?? as i have already said there was no local shops selling what i wanted and even if they did it would have cost double.

most shops stock a few basic herps and not always the kind we are after, no illegal sales took place and in my opinion there was a wealth of advice there,
dont get me wrong there are some great reptile shops out there but the really good well run shops will never suffer from hobbiest activity, and to be totally fair the people that run those shops would have started out as hobbiest gaining years of experiance before starting up a buisiness.

• i get the impression you are iver a protestor possing as a geniune keeper
• or a shop keeper thats not doing so well.

If you are the first one then please go away!
Or if you are the second one ask for advice and attend these meetings because it is people like us that will make the small shops survive!

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