Giving Reptile Records at Shows

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Does anyone provide records for the animals they sell at shows?

I was thinking of this because I do provide feeding records to buyers of the offspring I produce (I've now changed my format to include both feeding & weight records), but I've never received them when making purchases at a show (and rarely when making purchases online). I as a buyer would like to have any available information on what I'm purchasing. Would it being going to far if I were to provide records for the animals I produce for buyers at shows? Does anyone else do this?

I attached a sample record on what I'm talking about...

[DISCERN]

I actually did this exact thing when I was breeding and selling at shows in the mid nineties.
I love the idea, as myself being a buyer, I would love to have a record of a snake that I am purchasing. You will find though that some will love it and others simply won't care. I remember seeing the delight of some as I handed them the info card, and seeing the dumb stare of others, looking at me like, " what is this thing?"...even after I fully explained what the card was.

I say do it. It may be just one of those things that impress people to purchase from you over others.

[DAND]

I would send it afterwards via e-mail to those who wanted it or I would bring it to the next show if they weren't on the internet (yes, there a few out there). I have all the cups numbered which would be for a specific animal.

[TripleMoonsExotic]

I would send it afterwards via e-mail to those who wanted it or I would bring it to the next show if they weren't on the internet (yes, there a few out there). I have all the cups numbered which would be for a specific animal.

Wouldn't it just be easier to print it out prior to the show & hand it to the customer right then and there?

[DAND]

Wouldn't it just be easier to print it out prior to the show & hand it to the customer right then and there?

Nope. If it doesn't sell then I'd have to print out another with the additional information for the next show. Say I bring 100 animals and only sell 5 then there are 95 I'd have to re-print for the next show with the additional information.

[Mooing Tricycle]

Nope. If it doesn't sell then I'd have to print out another with the additional information for the next show. Say I bring 100 animals and only sell 5 then there are 95 I'd have to re-print for the next show with the additional information.


what about saving them all in a folder? :P sorry i honestly am curious! no poking here right now! :D

[DAND]

what about saving them all in a folder? :P sorry i honestly am curious! no poking here right now! :D

I guess I keep different records then some. I document eating, shedding and eliminating, which will cause additions to anything printed. Make sense now?

[FunkyRes]

I use those black mead composition notebooks to keep records.

I record feeding, shed, poop when I know it is fresh (occasionally when cleaning I find poop under aspen - I don't record that), cage cleaning, water bowl top off and change, invoice number of any medical treatment.

I don't keep these records digital.

I haven't sold any animals yet. For hatchlings I intend to sell, I do not think I would use a mead notebook. I probably would record it in a spreadsheet - indicating weight before feeding attempt, weight of food offered, whether it ate or not, shed dates.

Any hold backs I chose to sell would come with the mead notebook and a photocopy of any medical treatment invoices.

[FunkyRes]

Another idea is to simply put it online, stock number on deli cup - customer goes to website and can download the info if they want it.

Even those w/o net access usually know someone with a printer.

[shrap]

Every animal I sell comes with detailed cage cards/history. Just seems like a common courtesy to me.

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Every animal I sell comes with detailed cage cards/history. Just seems like a common courtesy to me.

So you do give out records during shows? :)

Say I bring 100 animals and only sell 5 then there are 95 I'd have to re-print for the next show with the additional information.

Well, I don't know that I'd ever bring a 100 hatchlings to any show I vend (I only do the smaller shows right now)...So I don't think that's a concern of mine. Besides, I could be REALLY slick and just take a laptop & printer to print it out at the show. :)

Another idea is to simply put it online, stock number on deli cup - customer goes to website and can download the info if they want it.

While I think that's a good idea, the database & codeing involved with something like that is not something I can do. On my hatchling snakes (ones I produce anyway), I do post on my website their first 3 feeds...I produce too many to manually input every single feeding just for the sake of online viewing.

[mmfrankford]

I got the records for the Okeetee corn I purchased from Cedar Creek Corns at the NARBC show. That's the first time for me, and appreciate having that info.

[shrap]

So you do give out records during shows? :)

I most certainly would.

[Mooing Tricycle]

that would make sense if its all digital. The stuff ive seen was all written down on little cards and such.

[garweft]

OK, so it's an older thread but I wanted to add something.

As a buyer I don't really care about care history records. My main reason is that they can be completely false. I mean how hard would it be to make a false feeding record of a hatchling? What I'm basically saying is that it is still a matter of trust and reputation. If I trust the person enough to buy from them, then their word is good enough for me. I know this will never get me a detailed record, but a simple "He's a good feeder" or "He was hard to start, but has taken the last three on his own" is good enough for me.

As a seller I have no problem keeping records of hatchlings on an index card that is simply handed to the buyer during the sale. It's simple, takes almost no time, and if it gives someone that warm fuzzy feeling, all the better

[NathanLedet]

This is a great idea. I keep my feeding/weight/shed record for each individual animal in one Excel document. Here's an idea, rather than printing off each record and possibly wasting a lot of paper...get yourself a lap top. carry it to all shows and if you have a potential buyer, just pull the record up on screen. If they want a physical copy, bring a printer too :)

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Here's an idea, rather than printing off each record and possibly wasting a lot of paper...get yourself a lap top. carry it to all shows and if you have a potential buyer, just pull the record up on screen. If they want a physical copy, bring a printer too :)

That is an idea, but you would need access to electric for the printer, not all shows offer that to vendors (or charge a high price for the use of it). Also, not everyone has the money to go buy a laptop just to take to shows, I certainly don't! :D

[Gary O]

Does anyone provide records for the animals they sell at shows?

I was thinking of this because I do provide feeding records to buyers of the offspring I produce (I've now changed my format to include both feeding & weight records), but I've never received them when making purchases at a show (and rarely when making purchases online). I as a buyer would like to have any available information on what I'm purchasing. Would it being going to far if I were to provide records for the animals I produce for buyers at shows? Does anyone else do this?

I attached a sample record on what I'm talking about...


Stef how you doing?

Well I use to always offer this. But I did my first show in a long time and not one customer even asked for it so I did not offer it.

But I have been thinking that people are use to not getting records so next show I will offer it with every animal. It is my job to take the steps IMO. It is not hard for me to do. you know.

But come to think of it. When I buy at a show I never get it but when animals are shipped to me I always do. So it is funny like that. I will take the steps though at the next show and offer full records.

[NathanLedet]

That is an idea, but you would need access to electric for the printer, not all shows offer that to vendors (or charge a high price for the use of it). Also, not everyone has the money to go buy a laptop just to take to shows, I certainly don't! :D

Well i do consider myself new to the reptile industry, so i may be speaking from inexperience, but every reptile show i've been to, i've seen every stand with electricity. I admit it's not something i really pay attention to, so i probably don't know any better.

I completely understand not everyone would have a lap top...but just an idea for those who do. Excel is not a CPU whore, so it would take a minimal amount of power to run it. So you could more than likely get a cheapo laptop to do the deed. yeah it seems a little far fetched just for making sure someone gets a copy of print records...but hey, i'm just spewing out ideas. :thumbsup:

i'm sure writing their weight and feedings on a card is 10 times easier than the way I do it...but I can barely read my own handwriting, so i prefer to do things the complicated way.... "thas how I dooz it" :rofl:

[TripleMoonsExotic]

i'm sure writing their weight and feedings on a card is 10 times easier than the way I do it...but I can barely read my own handwriting, so i prefer to do things the complicated way.... "thas how I dooz it" :rofl:

I know where you're coming from! I like how nice and neat my records are digitally over scribbling notes on an index card. I do have forms on a clipboard that I scribble on before transferring to my spreadsheet though (it's always nice to have a back up in case something happens to the files).

[Bill_Leverton]

Steph, I like your Idea, and yes people at shows would like to get paper work with the purchase,( it saves on all the after purchase questions) I believe that a person shouldn't have to ask for it, It should come as a common courtesy on the vender's part, as to the printing up of the paper work, Thats a no brainier there :) You transfer the program to a CD-RW and take the Cd with you pop it in and print it from there, at the end of the show you can erase it and reuse it :yesnod: As to not having a Laptop, to bring to a show Rent-Way, For a week-end it would cost you $ 29.99 and they come with Excel, Word, pre installed, well as for the printer your on your own there. :rofl:

[NathanLedet]

lol CD-RW's.....i havn't used those in YEARS. jump drives are "it" now...getting cheaper and cheaper every day

One more thing...i have my weight charts set up so that when i put a weight in, one of the fields automatically calculates how much it has gained or lost since the last weigh in. Excel has many nifty little features...i'm sure i can make a little "bar chart" that shows its progress over the years...that would possibly catch some eyes....lotta work? yes. worth it? dunno..havn't tried.

[Bill_Leverton]

lol CD-RW's.....i havn't used those in YEARS. jump drives are "it" now...getting cheaper and cheaper every day

One more thing...i have my weight charts set up so that when i put a weight in, one of the fields automatically calculates how much it has gained or lost since the last weigh in. Excel has many nifty little features...i'm sure i can make a little "bar chart" that shows its progress over the years...that would possibly catch some eyes....lotta work? yes. worth it? dunno..havn't tried.Nate, I'm old I still remember 45's and Eight tracks :rofl:

[NathanLedet]

i just barely remember 3 1/2" floppy discs....