Greater Nashville Reptile Show?!?! Warning / Potential problems.

Kelli called me last night. Since I had some people at the house getting rodents, I asked her to call me back in 15 minutes. She asked that I call her. I did that when the company left. She told me she would get the money to me that was to go to the shelter. She said it was $40 total that was made off the raffles. Since the attendance was so low, I can easily believe that. I told her I would rather she use that money to help settle things with Roark and Premium Crickets. She told me that Troy had told her that he spoke with us when he spoke to Roark about his pay and told us that they only made $40 and we were cool with not taking anything. I told her that while I believe he told her that, he did not speak to us. I told her it wasn't the money that was the issue; it was the lies that were told to all of us. I advised her to contact the guys from KC and apologize to them. I don't know if she will but that was my advice.

I wished her luck in the future because she's going to need it, especially if she wants to stay in the herp community.

Now, Troy, do you have anything you want to say???? We'll all be waiting...but definitely not holding our breaths.

Kellie was on last night and apologized to my husband and asked if there was anything that she could do. Jason just asked her why she did what she did and if she really thought she pre-sold that many tickets. He told her that from one promoter to the next you just don't act and do the things that she did. He told her to make it right with everyone else, BUT she did apologize. She also said that her and Troy were getting a divorce and she could not speak for Troy. I don't know what should be believed and not be believed.

I have just got off the phone with Kellie. I am not condoning what was said and done by Troy or Kellie. But here is what I think about the situation:

Kellie was misled about what to expect from a first time show. She really did think that it would have a better turnout than it did.

As I understand it, it was not her or her idea to lie about the 6000 tickets. But she did believe that they would have a huge turnout.

I know from another close source that it was not Kellie that wrote Roak the bad check. This did not come from Kellie but from a friend of ours and Roak's.

I truly believe that Kellie is trying to make things right. I told her that it will take a very long time to earn people's trust again and she understood that. She is on the right path now, just give her time to get things straight in her personal life first.

On the other hand I think that Troy may be the greatest con that ever was! He even owes his own Dad 40,000 dollars! I do not think he will ever come on here and explain his actions to everyone.

To Kellie: I hope that you are sincere about what you said. I believe that most everyone deserves a second chance. I wish you well in life and hope that everything works out for you and the babies. Only time will tell!

To Chuck: Are you going to get to come to our show in Spartanburg SC? I had told Sidney to call and Invite you.

Sincerely,
Cathy Elrod

I still don't beleive them.

Originally Posted by Southerncat

As I understand it, it was not her or her idea to lie about the 6000 tickets. But she did believe that they would have a huge turnout.

Unless someone held a gun to her head (when she called me attempting to get me to come and vend at the show) and made her lie about the pre-sold 6,000 tickets, I say she is just as guilty as the "person" who fabricated the story.

Originally Posted by DAND

Unless someone held a gun to her head (when she called me attempting to get me to come and vend at the show) and made her lie about the pre-sold 6,000 tickets, I say she is just as guilty as the "person" who fabricated the story.

Exactly. I'm a compassionate guy and would love to forgive somebody for their wrongs. I've made plenty of mistakes in my day. But Kellie repeatedly lied to me/us. She looked me in the eye and told me that she had pre-sold 6000 tickets and even asked if I wanted to see her credit card receipts as proof. I have no doubt that Troy is a punk and wouldn't be surprised if he was the "brainchild" of the scam, but even if that is true, Kellie willingly went along with it. Troy told me to call him a liar to his face. I did... and then some. In the end, they are both equally guilty no matter what the circumstances were.

The sad thing is that Kellie obviously worked hard on the show and she handled everything while wannabe country singer Troy wandered around aimlessly. I actually found Kellie very likeable and wished the best for the show. As I have pointed out before, if many lies were not told we would have accepted the poor turnout. There might have been a possibility that vendors would have contributed to increasing the chances of success of a second show. I would have fallen back on the point of my original post that started this thread; that being that Tennessee does not have reptile shows for a reason - restrictive regulations/limited saleable animals. The Nashville area also has no active herp society to promote an event or create a herpetocultural community. A little bit of TV or print advertising won't work - a grassroots advertising campaign that uses word of mouth, canvassing with fliers, Internet banners and such would also be necessary and I didn't see that happening. The old expression "walk before you run" comes to mind. This "show" had a delusion of grandeur and rather than admit to the show being less than what was imagined, Kellie and Troy both perpetuated a series of lies that Kellie's regrets, whether real or not, will not erase.

Cheers, Michael

I agree. And that's what I told Kelli last night: the issue for me wasn't the money, it was the lies. I do think she wanted the show to succeed and I had the same concerns you did, Michael, on the show before it ever happened. Those concerns, as I told Kelli when she called me about the post I made prior to the show, was not about her or the show but about TN laws. TN just isn't conducive to having a good show anytime soon. It would probably take easing up of the laws but I don't foresee that happening in the near future.

Gee, I wonder why?

Dand, was that really called for? She have came on here and admitted her wrong doing and publicly apologized. She is trying to make amends.

Kellie was misled about what to expect from a first time show. She really did think that it would have a better turnout than it did.

HaHa, seems someone else here was saying that couple days ago.

To Chuck: Are you going to get to come to our show in Spartanburg SC? I had told Sidney to call and Invite you.

If I do not have to work that weekend, I would love to. I have not spoken to Sidney since the last Columbia show. Do you know of she will be there this Saturday? I need some feeders for my coral snakes.

Unless someone held a gun to her head (when she called me attempting to get me to come and vend at the show) and made her lie about the pre-sold 6,000 tickets, I say she is just as guilty as the "person" who fabricated the story.

Ok, so we all are in agreement that she embellished the amount of pre-sold tickets, but during the course of those events, she really expected 6k to show up. She was not trying to lure you to a dead show or cost you any money. Would you agree to that?

Troy is a punk and wouldn't be surprised if he was the "brainchild" of the scam,

I would be greatly surprised if he was ever the brainchild of anything. Ha ha. He is currently on a tirade of accusing Kellie and I of an affair. I have only met the girl once and have not seen her since.

It would probably take easing up of the laws but I don't foresee that happening in the near future.

The TN laws are reasonable, it Wally that is the issue. He is anti-reptile and everyone knows it. I think things will be fine once he is promoted out of the field and someone else heads up the enforcement.

Chuck I am not sure if she will be there or not. She is no longer with Blackwater. She is at Edisto Island Serpenterrium. I will try to call her tomorrow and find out for you. My husband and I are suppose to get our VIP tickets from Tony this week, so we will be there just as buyers. I know she will be at Spartanburg. Sorry I know this was off topic.

Kellie did tell me about what Troy was accusing you two of today on the phone. She said he had said something about you calling her Sweetie.

You know I was amazed at how the Wildlife guys came in Friday evening. They came in Full Uniform, guns and all. You would think if they had really wanted to check everything out that they would have came in dressed in plain clothes.

You know I was amazed at how the Wildlife guys came in Friday evening. They came in Full Uniform, guns and all. You would think if they had really wanted to check everything out that they would have came in dressed in plain clothes

Wally is straight by the book. He has to inspect my venomous snakes once a year. He has been expecting the same cage/setup for 7 years now and every year he makes us change something, even though they were just like that the year before. Ha ha