Haven't read all of the replies, but I'm so aggravated about this that I had to post...
I live in TN, which is not a very 'reptile friendly' state. There are some great hobby breeders here that I have/plan to do business with, but the 'pickings are slim'. Not to mention, there are absolutely NO reptile shows here, mainly because of the ridiculous laws regarding breeding some species of reptiles. So, as you can imagine, it's difficult for me to find what I'm looking for.
So what do I do? I buy online. I've made some fantastic friends in the online community, most of which I have NEVER met face to face, and I trust them. I've got animals from all over the states, and all of them are gorgeous. No 'bottom of the barrel' junk here. I've had a 'bad guy experience' before, and yeah, it sucked, but it sure didn't turn me away from online buying, just makes me research a lot more (granted, this guy didn't have anything bad on him until me, and the first guy was just a bit of a mess when I was just a kid). I've learned not only to research names on here, and Google, but also to read what this person posts. Do they contribute to the forums, or are they just there to sell? Do they practice good care for their animals? Etc. etc.
Point is, it sure as heck feels like I'm being 'put down' because I don't just do face to face buying, and that's ridiculous. I'd LOVE to be able to meet all of these breeders face to face, to see their wonderful animals, etc. Alas, I only make a measly $9 an hour so just can't afford to go shopping in other states.