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What Kind Of Shop Do You Run?

I tried to stay out of but i buy live mice from my dads friend at $.25 and buy about 50 or so i bought rats same guy 1.00 i bought chickens same guy 2.50 and rabbits 4.00.

For sschind listen swing by if your in Illinois, esp chicago.

Now LadyChaos i am saving my profits for college which is why i can't do high end snakes tho i want too but my mom says the only way i get in that acc. is if i am going to college or she dies (for u sickos no i am not going to kill my mom for some womas or others some one would of said it first)

I also have applied for jobs but they can't hire until i am 14 1/2 with a workers permit besides i have been busy my coastals tried eating each other- I fed them on saturday and feed every 10 days the guy i bought them from (Hale Reptiles) said would did u do? iu said i moved them to clean the cage he said ahh the way i fed them was by moving them to a feeding container so they thought they were getting food bring her to the swap and i will check her out.

My Mom is starting to make me buy more and more of my stuff, which was my idea.

I pay for this  tanks, tops, light fixtures, bulbs, and their food.

"He starves his snakes to keep them small and his parents must be helping him out with all the money they are not spending on his education."

Starve them? i have about 50 dollars coming in and i spend as much as possibly to keep them happy and fed now with burm s and others insted of 4 8 lb rabbits i would give him 3 normals he was fed that way all his life and was used to it. Just an ex.

U call green burms high end and rocks high end? Diffcult yes but high end no.
 
Cartman,

Are your sales per month in the $3,000 range? For an adult to be breaking even as a reptile business you need to be in this range (at the least, as I know I'm low). Figure food to feed yourself, rent on a small apartment, food for your animals, equipment for your animals, marketing supplies, business taxes, etc. (ok, 3,000 is way too low, but good enough to make this point)

You said you did $400 at one show. Do you do 7 - 8 shows per month? (that's what you need to do).

Your 100% correct in that you need only find the right spot to sell and sell only high end animals....except that doesn't match the real world. Most animals sold in the pet industry are "average" as this is what the general public is  willing to pay for (there are more buyers that fit the "general public" demographic than fit the "serious collector" demographic). If you can sell snake A for $100.00 profit (and only sell 1) or you can sell snake B for $10.00 profit (and sell 200) which do you sell? Welcome to economics 101.

It sounds like you have a good business head for a 14 year old, but a little experience in the "cut throat" real world will do some good and maybe change your views a little.

On another note: I want to take back my comment on your parent's carrying your weight. You said they helped at your table. Kudos. I think that is great that they helped. One day (if not already) you will realize what a great assistance they have been.
 
I only do about 2-3 shows and what i make varys on what i have.
"If you can sell snake A for $100.00 profit (and only sell 1) or you can sell snake B for $10.00 profit (and sell 200) which do you sell? Welcome to economics 101."
If i had it my why i would do both! I do realize what a help my parents have been and they know that i can't wait until i can do something like this to help them out.

Does anyone know anyshows in ILL other then the Lee watsons and the one in Tinley park and the other in peoria?
Thanks i need to be more exposed. Thanks.
 
What are you going to be selling at these shows?  I thought you sold all your stuff off and you were just getting into these others.  ....Hard to get exposure if you have nothing to sell.
-Lucas
 
As Lucas said, you need to figure out your supply channels. Being exposed does no good unless you have something to show  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>
 
I know this thread is pretty much dead but i will be at lee Watsons reptileswap with my coastals and my New high balck and yellow jungles swing by if there. Just walikng around with them really (No table)

www.reptileswap.com
 
hmm no offense .... are these for sale <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>"Just walikng around with them really (No table)
" so that would lesson the overhead if you dont get a table so of course that increases you profit margin by uhmmm 300% or so ....
 
I bring them there so i can handle my female more (Shes a B*tch) If i get a good offer they may be up for sale. Talk to people who go there as sellers and buyers, such as Evan Stahl, Someone from Bob Clark was there don't think it was him tho, The female will be up for grabs for any offer at or above what i payed.
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I bring them there so i can handle my female more (Shes a B*tch) If i get a good offer they may be up for sale.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

ok heres a potential problem ... if you say shes a B2tch then is carrying her around in a open area with others around going to stress her out to make her unmanageable? and is it fair for you to stray in and possibly sale 1-2 snakes that someone just happened to ask if "is it for sale" then there you have gone in and possibly sold 300-500 worth of snakes  inturn  thats cutting out th paying vendors that have to put up with people just walking around selling snakes off there backs . as they pay to have there stuff for sale so inturn its a form of cutthroating you fellow herpers or in esscense "stealing from under there noses"  if you have intentions of saleing if the price is right put your dues up and pay for the space , if not post it for sale here where its free !  just my .02  dont be offended  look at it from the other side !
 
If you have never been to Lee's swap let me tell you that carry ins are a pretty common thing.  At every show you can expect to see probably 20 to 30 people just walking around with animals to sell who paid nothing more than the $3.00 admission fee, unless he charges more for people bringing in animals.  Many of them are people with gators or burms or other big herps they don't want any more. Sometimes  they are just people wanting to get rid of some babies that their animals had. Ive seen some pretty stressed out chameleons being carted around because at most shows the crowd is shoulder to shoulder and anything you are carrying is at risk of being crushed or knocked out of your hands.    Sometimes you can get good deals other times the people want more than the vendors.  I don't know how the paying vendors feel about it but on some occasions there are more carryins than paying vendors.  Of course where else can you go and get a capybara, or maybe even a wallaby (note, these were for sale by two different paying vendors.  One of them a regular)
 
depending on the show, I have been known to pay the table fee just to be able to get in early and get in on the best animals.  Besides, many vendors will give other vendors a better deal.  I can't count the number of times I have seen animals for sale at a show that were purchased from another vendor just before the show opened to the public.

Steve Schindler
 
I don't usually set up at Lee's show.  I own a retail shop and so I do some of my buying from there when the price is right.  I probably won't be there this Sunday as I only have on girl that I trust to run the shop when I am not around and she isn't available much through the summer.

Steve Schindler
 
I am just getting in on the "trying to pay for my hobby" side.  I sell most of my leos to a friend of mine who supplies pet stores - and will start "trying" to sell my higher end leos, velvets, crested and gargoyles on line.  Right now - my set up is small - I'm breeding less than 30 geckos - and the wholesale stuff is paying for crickets, mealies and a few other things.  I don't expect to make too much.  In fact, I probably do more for myself by breeding/raising mealies than from the sales.  

I don't ever plan to quit my day job.  Selling a few geckos helps calm my wife down when she sees the cricket bill!!!!
 
why don't u raise the crickets or is just not worth it?
i used to do the same ting accept with mice until my dad's friend found out i had snakes and gave me discounts.
 
Well, I have increased my collection in the past year-year and a half to over 400 snakes now. I have burms, retics, balls, boas, colubrids and even some big tegus. I find that as a full time breeder I have as much work as I can do 18-20 hours a day seven days a week. On top of this I still set up at shows and am hosting my own annual show. To be a full time breeder and make enough money to pay your bills and maybe some day get ahead in this world is not an easy task. I have friends who are full time large scale breeding business'. They have thousands of animals. As a hobbiest that has a small collection can any of you imagine the work load maintaining thousands? It is staggering. One of my friends produces in the neighborhood of 70,000 snakes a year while another produced over 50,000 leopard geckos on top of his snake collection. They make money, but work very hard and make many sacrifices. I would just like to say to all of you that you have to find that balance between having a nice collection that you enjoy and having more than you can handle. Never let the animals go without the care they need in pursuit of a profit.

As for Steve and Patrick, I'll be at the Sunday show in Streamwood with all kinds of goodies. Hope to see you there.
Evan Stahl
 
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