corn snake prices

[kornsnaker]

Are corn snake hatchlings cheaper at pet stores or reptile shows and at the the hatchlings at 29.99 how much would they be at the upcoming reptile show in Relaigh NC in Aug-Sep? Thanks!

[Bippy]

Pet stores are usually more expensive than at shows. Most petstores (not all) mark their prices up 2-3 times what you'd pay at a show. I've seen corns at shows for $15 (normals), but have never seem em for less that $30 at petshops.

[HomeBreeder]

I don't have a lot of experience with shows, but I think as a rule you can get stuff anywhere from 5-10% cheaper (as compared to online) up to 50% more expensive... you need to be an educated consumer at a show.

The pet stores in my area are all over the place, but as a rule they are at least 200% higher, on average (again, comparing "onliner" prices, i.e. SerpenCo down to the faunaclassifieds.)

So, if you know what you are shopping for a show is your best bet, followed by online, with the pet store way way way in the rear.... There are a few instances where a pet store mismarks for ingnorance -- I walked into Curious Creatures this week and they had a yearling high yellow leopard gecko marked at 19.99.... They explained it was an accident, and it should have been marked 39.99 (still a pretty good deal for a nice healthy yearling leo.) but those cases are rare.

^Curtis

[Simon]

From my experience with pet shops and shows, shows then to be MUCH cheaper than the ones in the pet shop. An amel would be sold for 100 CDN in a pet shop while only around 40 CDN (or less) in a show....
so I would say that shows are better...
also the health of a corn snake during shows tend to be better than the ones that are in the pet shop. I have a miami phase corn snake that was fed crickets when it was small.....and this happened in a pet shop...I don't think that other breeders that goes to the shows will feed their snakes crickets...

[Jr Nimeskern]

Just to mention that some pet stores do make mistakes... I just picked up this year a Male Amel Bloodred, worth around $100... I bought it from the petstore for only $20 they were selling it as a Sunglow!!! OH how I love pet stores!!!

[Darin Chappell]

You can get good deals in pet shops IF you know what you're looking at AND they don't! I got a sister to Joe's amel bloodred (best deal ever), but my next greatest conquest was for a beautifu bubblegum motley snow corn that was being sold as "an albino" for $30.00.

As a general rule, though, shows are the better places to bargain hunt. However, Curtis' caution about being educated BEFORE the show is well needed. I bought a bloodred female from a "reputable, big name dealer" at a show last year as a proven feeder. Well, the animal died two weeks later from starvation, having never eaten for me. Since corns will not die from just two weeks of not eating, it was clear to me that my hatchling had NEVER eaten, and was not what I had bought with promises. It took a great deal of carrying on be me (and a few well placed posts on the BOI), but I finally got my money back.

The very best way to get a "deal" is to find a reputable dealer you can trust, buy from him/her what you want, and then count the little extra expense as money well-spent. The time you'll save in worries, phone calls, and vet visits will more than make up the difference in price!