Texas Reptile Expo March 27-28

Originally posted by jwbigtex
WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND GAS!!!!! IF YOU LIVE IN THE AREA,DON'T GO WHAT A WASTE!!!!THE ARNOLD'S AKA (CROOKS)!!!! I HAVE SEEN BETTER SELECTIONS AT GARAGE SALES!!!!!AND THEY DON'T COST 6 BUCKS TO GET IN

PLEASE IGNORE THIS STATEMENT!!!! I WAS SICK WITH THE FLU WHEN I WENT AND I FELT REALLY BAD THAT DAY SO I WAS CRANKY.I HAVE EMAIL FAUNA A FEW TIMES ASKING THEM TO TAKE OFF THE REPLY ON THE SHOW!!!!ITS NOT A BAD SHOW I WAS JUST SICK AND I DROVE 50 MILES TO GET THERE AND I WAS HOPING TO SEE LYNN THERE BUT SHE WASNT THERE AND THAT WAS MY WHOLE PURPOSE OF GOING!!!!SO PLEASE EVERYONE DISREGUARD THE STATEMENTS I SAID!!!

Anyone that wants to attend a quality, professionally promoted and well run show, with top notch vendors and healthy animals should make a point to check out the Dallas Metroplex Reptile Show on July 17-18. Click HERE for more information and a list of vendors. It's absolutely the best show that the DFW area has EVER had, and I'm not just saying that because I don't like the Arnold's, it's just a fact!

My question to ya'll is why are you guys so upset with the arnolds besides their shows are small??? I've never had a problem with them they even gave me a free snake hook one time because they saw i had tree boas and no hook lol. She even only charged me 6 dollars for 2 days. So my main question is do you not like them for their shows or for something else because i feel that some of you are being kind of rude towards them. And they've never hesitated to answer my stupid questions either. So just let me know. The arnolds are also going through a hard time their getting a divorce so they also cant spend as much money on their shows due to her and her husband are two different businesses now. So just let me know what makes you so angry at them.

My question to ya'll is why are you guys so upset with the arnolds besides their shows are small???

Wow. Not sure where to start but I will do my best to make a long, drawn out story shorter.

My husband and I used to do the Arnold's shows in the late 1990's, in fact, my husband helped them organize the first few shows they ever promoted, and gave them a several thousand name mailing list. In return, we never paid for a table at their shows. I will put that right out in the open.

I think it was the spring show of 2001 that started it all. That's when they started allowing wild caught animals to be sold at their shows. The condition of some of the animals that were on the tables for sale was questionable at best, and downright disgusting at worst. Obviously sick, skinny, mite infested animals, and I personally saw more than one DEAD animal on a table. My husband and I (as well as some of the other breeders) spoke to Bonnie about our concerns several times, and nothing was ever done about it, in fact, it got worse wih each new show.

The DFW Herp Society was a sponsor of the Texas Reptile Expos back then, and at that time my husband and myself were both on the Board of Directors of the herp society. US, along with every other board member unanimously voted to disassociate our herp society from the Texas Reptile Expos. That really pissed Bonnie and James off and at that time, and instead of maybe listening to some of the criticism regarding her shows, she decided to ban all DFW Herp Society board members from attending them.

Shortly after that happened, Carl Franklin decided to put on a new herp show in the DFW area which was to be captive bred only. Most (if not all) of the breeders signed on to participate in Carl's show. Breeders, not brokers. Anyway, Bonnie decided to ban any of her vendors that did Carl's show from ever coming back to her shows. Again, rather than trying to make a change for the better in her shows, she chose to shut the good, captive breeders out of her shows just because they wanted to try a different show.

All of those reasons above are reason why I dislike the Arnolds, but the biggest reason of all is what happened in November of 2002. I was in San Marcos (near San Antonio) visiting a friend, and we decided to go check out the Venomous Show there that is put on by TRE. I had spoken with Bonnie on the phone for almost an hour just a couple months before that, and I honestly thought bygones were bygones and it would be no big deal for me to go to the show. Well, I was wrong and as soon as she saw me she got up and screamed (no exageration) "What the **** are you doing here? You get the **** out!". So I turned around to leave and as I was walking out she followed me, all the while spouting obscenities and shouting that everyone there hated me. Then she actually shoved me. I turned around and told her she better not ever put her hands on me again, and then we left.

I guess that bout covers why I dislike them.

Ok well thats a good reason not to like the arnolds. I didnt know about all that. But i still am going to be a vendor at her shows because they really need some more vendors. I cant believe Bonnie would say that she seems so nice and innocent. I also like to go to her shows and see justin hiykel i think thats how you spell it he actually has healthy imports. Have any of you ever done business with him if you have let me know what you think of his reptiles. Thanks Eric

Ok well thats a good reason not to like the arnolds. I didnt know about all that. But i still am going to be a vendor at her shows because they really need some more vendors. I cant believe Bonnie would say that she seems so nice and innocent. I also like to go to her shows and see justin hiykel i think thats how you spell it he actually has healthy imports. Have any of you ever done business with him if you have let me know what you think of his reptiles. Thanks Eric

Eric, best of luck at the shows you do. I honestly hope her shows get better, I really do. I agree with what you said earlier about how the shows are never going to grow and improve if people don't support them. However, many of us have valid reason why we would rather not give them any support. Steve and I made alot of money at her shows, but no amount of money in the world is worth compromising your morals and ethics for.

i understand why you'd rather not support their shows but you never know she could be a changed person. Maybe you could talk to her about what happened. You never know she may be totally different then last time you saw her. Trust me i live with four sisters and i observe them closely one of her friends that she got in a bad fight with like two years ago gave her a call like two weeks ago and now their good friends again. And then the younger ones seem to be on and off with thier friends each week, one week they hate each other one week their best friends. Just my 2 cents i just hate it when people are mad at each other. Eric