• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Bad Guy The Serpentarium- Lodi, Ca

KORBIN5895 said:
I would like to point out that if Bill is going along with Robert and his wife then he is no better than they are. So far you guys have painted Bill as a liar, spineless and foolish. Yet you claim to admire him! What the heck do you guys say about those you don't like?

Oh! I remember you insinuate their children are bullies and thieves.
Click to expand...



If there is no coercion here, than your assessment of Mr. Gillingham would appear to be spot on.

Kevin, there are those of us who have been aware of this for awhile and are geographically closer to both parties. Mr. Gillingham was widely admired in the hobby for many years and I can probably say that you would never run across one person that he did wrong. He worked with a lot of species that nobody ever worked with before and he did it in a kind and humble way. You will see more and more people coming forth with a different take on Robert - some ex-employees and ex-customers. The rules of this site bar us from posting third party accounts, so I am hoping that some of the people who have contacted me and others over the last few weeks will do the right thing and post what they know.

I will not argue that most of us would like to believe that there is some sort of bullying here, as there is no cogent explanation as to why Bill would be so quick to hold Robert blameless for not telling him about his Chapter 7 until after the deal was done. This one omission, which I think we can all agree was not accidental, cost Bill A LOT of money and allowed Robert to in essence swipe the whole kit and kaboodle for pennies on the dollar.

If there is no manipulation here, which I am sadly starting to believe there is not, then I will be the first one to stop sticking up for Mr. Gillingham and gladly let him spend the rest of his days thinking that Robert somehow did him a favor.
 
I'm not sure who you are referring to about in regards to maing Bill the suspect? My question to Bill is more out of morbid curiousity. I believe that Bill is a victim to an extent. We really don't know the entire truth and never will. Imagine yourself and someone coming to some sort of agreement for a business, then all of a sudden without you knowing, the business/building is under your name. That is what has the little guys in typewriters in my head drinking more red bulls than usual..
 
wbgill said:
Definitely not!
Click to expand...

Bill, Robert is not a child.

Do you truly believe that he accidentally withheld this information? Do you really believe that?

It makes it even worse to hear that other people were interested in the Serpentarium and that you could have been spared this whole nightmare.
 
ronritzer said:
You can post whatever opinions you like, I do not however think you have the right to make insults.
Click to expand...

Where were you insulted? I'm confused on this statement.

ronritzer said:
He complimented them. A lawyer cant coerce you into complimenting anyone. A lawyer could have made him present only certain statements, but not compliments. I doubt it.
Click to expand...

**The statement(s) I am about to make are not a reflection all lawyers, just a select few.**

Ron, I beg to differ with you here. A lawyer CAN coerce a person into saying something. I have seen it. I'm not saying that is or is not the case here, but it can be done and has been done before. There is always going to be someone unscrupulous enough to do anything for money.

That being said, I think there is more going on between the deal between Robert & Bill ... whether it be some shady dealing or money shuffling, I can't be certain. There is something quite off about a guy who doesn't care that he has been ripped off. Maybe the business was floundering when Bill owned it & it wasn't worth much & this was a way for him to get some money & out from under it. I don't know. That is a theory ... that is all we have, theory & supposition, as none of us were there & we can't say for sure what transpired between the two men. I would wager that there is more to this story than meets the eye, though. Two and two are not equalling four.
 
laterob said:
Yup. Had Bill known, he'd probably be ahead $150,000. But we don't know what the Serpentarium would look like today...
Click to expand...


Do we know what it would have looked like if Robert had paid the full amount?

That's a lot of money that he would not have right now...........money to spend on big tables at shows, distribution centers and satellite stores........
 
I am a bit confused by the turn this thread has taken. Bill has respectfully asked for the issue regarding the transaction between himself and the the current owners of The Serpentarium to be dropped, yet even those who assert that they hold him in high regard continue to want more details. If you respect Bill so much why keep asking for information he plainly doesn't want to discuss?
I understand Mr. Coral moved forward with the purchase of the business in a highly irresponsible manner, but it perplexes me how people who are "defending" Bill virtually force him to keep posting in a thread he obviously does not want to be a part of. Why not respect the man, his advancement of the hobby, his achievements, and his wishes to let it be?
 
Luvthemtorts said:
I am a bit confused by the turn this thread has taken. Bill has respectfully asked for the issue regarding the transaction between himself and the the current owners of The Serpentarium to be dropped, yet even those who assert that they hold him in high regard continue to want more details. If you respect Bill so much why keep asking for information he plainly doesn't want to discuss?
I understand Mr. Coral moved forward with the purchase of the business in a highly irresponsible manner, but it perplexes me how people who are "defending" Bill virtually force him to keep posting in a thread he obviously does not want to be a part of. Why not respect the man, his advancement of the hobby, his achievements, and his wishes to let it be?
Click to expand...

I've pondered this myself and having looked inside, deep down where the peanut butter meets the aorta, and I can't get around the fact that something is really wrong here. This behavior is so atypical in many way that I am unable to abide by Bill's request.

It's just too not right to sit tight.
 
I must be getiting old...Wes is making sense.

Regardless of intentions, I don't think it can be argued that Robert wound up with a great deal on The Serpentarium. He has opened several locations since then and has the biggest floorspace of any vendor at next weekend's show. Bill has said that if he'd known of Robert's financial position, he wouldn't have signed the property over to him.


Robert's a Bad Guy for withholding information that was of great importance.

Who knows...maybe he IS paying Bill back (I certainly hope so). Still, a Bad Guy.
 
This is my last post in regards to Bill Gillingham.
Bill when we had lunch yesterday you said several times you were done with the BOI , that you were not going to post anymore and you were just going to ignore the subsequent drama you knew was going to continue.
Now that you have added a few more posts, it is fairly evident that you have someone else guiding your pen (keyboard).
Love you Bill and I will always be there as your friend.
 
Just wanted to correct a few mislead thoughts and explanations. These were my own writings. Thank goodness for spell check! Did any extra super worms come in?
 
For Mr. Gillingham to continue defending Robert, I would assume that he is benefiting in some way from doing so. Maybe a promise of repayment, or something else that he wants.

No matter how nice a person is, they don't continue to involve themselves in a thread like this unless they have something to gain. Even the kindest person wouldn't hang around to argue the point after having told their side of the story (multiple times).

If I were just a friend of Mr. Gillingham's then I would probably drop the subject as he requested, but that is not the purpose of the BOI.
 
I assume that the situation here is not of Mr. Gillingham being threatened. It would be very foolish of Robert to threaten him after all this, and I think Mr. Gillingham is aware of this as well. He has more than enough evidence to use against Robert in such a situation.

So the most likely circumstance would be that Robert has offered to repay him in exchange for defending his honor?
 
Excuse me Sarah? What evidence are you talking about?

Apparently everyone has misses the point that all of the "evidence" has been supplied by third parties( Wes, Naomi and skiploader). Everything said from the only two people that know ( Robert and Bill) has been contradictory to the supposed "evidence".

Now for everyone to keep saying that Bill is in essence lying for personal gain just makes me shake my head. Either Bill is a stand up guy or he isn't.

The locals had painted Bill as someone I would truly have admired and who was a great man. Now by doubting his word and make all of these assumptions and insinuations they are making home out to be a liar, a fool and spineless.

Again only two people in this thread knows what is going on. Their stories line up. Either both of them are lying or both of them are telling the truth.
 
KORBIN5895 said:
Excuse me Sarah? What evidence are you talking about?

Apparently everyone has misses the point that all of the "evidence" has been supplied by third parties( Wes, Naomi and skiploader). Everything said from the only two people that know ( Robert and Bill) has been contradictory to the supposed "evidence".

Now for everyone to keep saying that Bill is in essence lying for personal gain just makes me shake my head. Either Bill is a stand up guy or he isn't.

The locals had painted Bill as someone I would truly have admired and who was a great man. Now by doubting his word and make all of these assumptions and insinuations they are making home out to be a liar, a fool and spineless.

Again only two people in this thread knows what is going on. Their stories line up. Either both of them are lying or both of them are telling the truth.
Click to expand...

Kevin, you're wrong. You're ASSuming and guessing. There are a plethora of reasons why Bill would do as he has done. Some could back your guesses, some for some of the rest of us.

But, knowing human nature, knowing Bill in person, as well as Naomi and I also consider Craig a friend even though we have never met in person, I have met robert and was completely unimpressed by him, knowing all that, my spidey senses are tingling big time. I've played in this sand box a looooooong time and I've learned to listen when those tingles start tinging.

Something is afoot, and it ain't all shiny and bright.
 
Sorry Wes but after seeing how spot on your spidey senses seem to be in other boi threads I think you are being an arrogant and opinionated bully. Again both Robert and Bill are saying the SAME thing! How can one be lying and the other not? Get your head out of your butt and take an unbiased view. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. This has become an all or nothing situation.
 
KORBIN5895 said:
Excuse me Sarah? What evidence are you talking about?

Apparently everyone has misses the point that all of the "evidence" has been supplied by third parties( Wes, Naomi and skiploader). Everything said from the only two people that know ( Robert and Bill) has been contradictory to the supposed "evidence".

Now for everyone to keep saying that Bill is in essence lying for personal gain just makes me shake my head. Either Bill is a stand up guy or he isn't.

The locals had painted Bill as someone I would truly have admired and who was a great man. Now by doubting his word and make all of these assumptions and insinuations they are making home out to be a liar, a fool and spineless.

Again only two people in this thread knows what is going on. Their stories line up. Either both of them are lying or both of them are telling the truth.
Click to expand...

The evidence that Robert agreed to pay Bill a certain amount for his business, and then paid only a fraction of the agreed upon price. The evidence that Robert withheld information about being in bankruptcy when the agreement was made (Bill said he would NOT have made the deal if he had known). The evidence that Robert is no longer paying Bill based on advice from his lawyer?

How is any of that okay?
 
Back
Top