looking to start an all captive show in chicago area !

I would be interested in a table or three. I am located in St. Louis and specialize in Leopard Geckos. I also have colubrids, chameleons and Uros. I hope you can pull a show together, let me know. Mark Miller Southside Geckos

likely will take some time ........hey nice avatar

Let me know how it comes together up there. I am pulling ideas together to get a high quality CB show going in PHX. The only problem seems the public gets set in their ways. I have some support but there is quite a backlash from the few that are dedicated to the people who put the shows on here... you know who you are! It is so sad that alligances can possibly come in the way of progression.

Well, Gene, it seems you should be happy for the phx market...from what I have heard, both K and B are looking at getting out of the whole show thing completely...so that leaves you wide open to fill that void!
"build it, and they will come"

greg

I once attended the "Dirty" show you speak of. I don't plan on attending again. Too cramped dingy and muddy. I did think there were some vendors with some nice stuff, but not enough for me to make a return visit. Maybe something in Kenosha to spilt the difference between Milwaukee and Chicago would draw people from Chicagoland and also some Cheeze Heads.

i did attend a smaller annual show (sewerfest) around kenosha somewhere this summer ........ and hear of another in Wi. that happens twice a year (i think) as well . we have a N.A.R.B.C. show in chicago but its only once a year . ide like to see something at least quarterly , possible even monthly or bi- monthly , that definately qualifies as CBB and "clean" , not sure YET how to make it happen though . Good luck to you

I went to the N.A.R.B.C. show. That was a nice show. There is a small Bi-annual Wi show with some good vendors. Here is a link.


http://www.crestedgecko.com/Informat...ILE%20SHOW.htm

yea thats the one .... thanx for the link , im looking for some local-shows to vend this year

Dan:

You have come with a good idea. I would support such a show. My show in Streamwood, IL, has over 50 vendors at each show (2 times a month), and there are 6 vendors selling wild-caught or imported reptiles. This is atrocious! We should hang them! (I was going to say castrate them, but two are female.)

Ophis mentioned the mud. At each show we do our best to have mud available to test the customers, thereby assuring that anyone buying an animal will feed it and not be afraid to touch it. (A person who won't step in mud probably won't touch crickets or mice.)

You're probably right about the crowding: we get over 1,000 visitors at each show. So when you start your show, you should limit the door. Only allow 2 people in for each vendor. That solves the crowding problem. Of course, that will cut your admission numbers, so just charge $50 admission to make up the loss. We only charge $4, so we need more people.

Something else that is probably a good idea: give all your vendors their tables free. I charge $20 per table, $15 outdoors. But with free tables, you would probably get all my vendors to attend (except for the 6 nasty ones you wouldn't want.)

Don't allow feeders to be sold--makes a show dirty. At our show, we sell 250,000 crickets, 4,000 mice, and 2,500 rats. And we turn a good profit catching the loose mice and rats after the show. (We have enough loose geckos to catch the loose crickets.)

Final advice: Don't advertise because it brings in a lot of people and then you multiply the crowding problem. Besides the downside of advertising (causing crowded conditions), it is expensive. So save money by word-of-mouth advertising. Tell each vendor they have to tell 10 people who have to tell 10 people who have to tell etc. I don't do it this way, but what do I know?

If you have a truck, I will be glad to donate the mud free of charge for your show.

Seriously, Dan, the next time you're at my show, introduce yourself.

General Lee
aka Lee Watson
www.reptileswap.com

Originally Posted by Lee Watson

Dan:

You have come with a good idea. I would support such a show. My show in Streamwood, IL, has over 50 vendors at each show (2 times a month), and there are 6 vendors selling wild-caught or imported reptiles. This is atrocious! We should hang them! (I was going to say castrate them, but two are female.)

Ophis mentioned the mud. At each show we do our best to have mud available to test the customers, thereby assuring that anyone buying an animal will feed it and not be afraid to touch it. (A person who won't step in mud probably won't touch crickets or mice.)

You're probably right about the crowding: we get over 1,000 visitors at each show. So when you start your show, you should limit the door. Only allow 2 people in for each vendor. That solves the crowding problem. Of course, that will cut your admission numbers, so just charge $50 admission to make up the loss. We only charge $4, so we need more people.

Something else that is probably a good idea: give all your vendors their tables free. I charge $20 per table, $15 outdoors. But with free tables, you would probably get all my vendors to attend (except for the 6 nasty ones you wouldn't want.)

Don't allow feeders to be sold--makes a show dirty. At our show, we sell 250,000 crickets, 4,000 mice, and 2,500 rats. And we turn a good profit catching the loose mice and rats after the show. (We have enough loose geckos to catch the loose crickets.)

Final advice: Don't advertise because it brings in a lot of people and then you multiply the crowding problem. Besides the downside of advertising (causing crowded conditions), it is expensive. So save money by word-of-mouth advertising. Tell each vendor they have to tell 10 people who have to tell 10 people who have to tell etc. I don't do it this way, but what do I know?

If you have a truck, I will be glad to donate the mud free of charge for your show.

Seriously, Dan, the next time you're at my show, introduce yourself.

General Lee
aka Lee Watson
www.reptileswap.com

Lee:

As for the WC Vendors. Thats a little harsh don't you think? How about a good ole tarring and feathering. Maybe you could just roll em around in the mud in your parking lot!

As for the sardine can conditions at your show, I would try something wild and crazy like holding it in a larger venue with at least a gravel parking lot and advertize like a Mo Fo!

Side note here. If someone asks a vendor where he got his GTPs. Give em a quick honest answer. The guy asking may not have just fallen off the turnip truck (into the mud in the parking lot.)