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**Serpentarium GTG Thread**Florida Residents and Visitors

Nanci

From a consumer standpoint in the short run, your statement makes sense. The more shows, the more opportunity for you to buy. However, in the long run, a plethora of shows means that

1.) The vendors make less due to the fact that most folks spend a budgeted amount on their hobbies. If this is spread around through more shows, the amount spent at each show is considerably less

2.) As vendors make less money, they eliminate shows from their schedule. That means that the selection will be poorer as time goes on due to a limited vendor list.

3.) Without a solid vendor list, a show cannot survive for long anyway. Gate is affected and they become unprofitable real quick

As Gino said, I too have absolutely no beef with the Repticon folks. I will be happy to consider doing their shows in other markets. However, like the majority of the breeders in the overall Tampa Bay area, I will NOT be supporting their attempt at resuscitating the Tampa Show. It dies an ugly death due to Tony's mismanagement and deserves to rest in peace. Alex at Gila Productions has been a solid promoter with an eye out for his vendors for several years and has earned our support with his actions.
 
Suncoast Herps said:
Nanci

From a consumer standpoint in the short run, your statement makes sense. The more shows, the more opportunity for you to buy. However, in the long run, a plethora of shows means that

1.) The vendors make less due to the fact that most folks spend a budgeted amount on their hobbies. If this is spread around through more shows, the amount spent at each show is considerably less

2.) As vendors make less money, they eliminate shows from their schedule. That means that the selection will be poorer as time goes on due to a limited vendor list.

3.) Without a solid vendor list, a show cannot survive for long anyway. Gate is affected and they become unprofitable real quick

As Gino said, I too have absolutely no beef with the Repticon folks. I will be happy to consider doing their shows in other markets. However, like the majority of the breeders in the overall Tampa Bay area, I will NOT be supporting their attempt at resuscitating the Tampa Show. It dies an ugly death due to Tony's mismanagement and deserves to rest in peace. Alex at Gila Productions has been a solid promoter with an eye out for his vendors for several years and has earned our support with his actions.
Click to expand...

Everything you and Gino said makes complete sense.

As long as there are two shows in Tampa, I will continue to go to both. I (from a consumer standpoint) enjoy going to any and all shows that I possibly can. I buy feeders, supplies and snakes (sometimes planned, somestimes impulse buys), but I have never left a show empty handed.

If I "had" to chose one over the other for some reason, I would choose the Gila show as they do put on a better show with more support. If the Repticon show ends up going away again due to lack of support, then so be it. But as long as there are shows to go to, I will continue to visit as many as I can.
 
If there's a show in the future, money to spend will come. See me working OT last Sunday and tomorrow???

Nanci

But maybe they should have spread them out more...
 
That's what you guys don't understand.
They did not spread them out because they are in DIRECT competition.
And it's not likely just the weaker will go away.
It costs over 10 grand to put on a show.
You need to remember most of the public is not as dedicated as we are.
99% of the reptile buying public doesn't spend like we do.
You can NOT run a show on only the hard core reptile people.
There simply isn't enough of us.
They will become unprofitable to BOTH companies and there will be 0 places to spend your money.
Anyway... that's my 2 cents. I'll leave it be now.
Just remember: "I told you so" in a year or two when we have nothing.
Take Care,
Gino
 
I tend to agree with Gino and Suncoast. Alex has been putting on a good show (as good as it gets these days - not like the "old days", lol!) and we intend to keep supporting it. But we always miss the fall show because we do shows out west at that time.

I like the Repticon people a lot - they are very nice and seem to really try hard to keep everyone happy. But their shows do tend to be smaller than some of the other shows we do.

We originally did not plan to do the Tampa Repticon show, but now we are going to do it. The reasons are: that it is more than a month later than the other one (I think it was only a couple of weeks before or after some of the others - WAY too close!), because we are getting tables in exchange for talks, and most important - we get to visit Gino and some of our other friends in Tampa while we are there.

I do go back and forth about deciding whether to support only one show in hopes that there will just be one big show instead of a bunch of little ones. But in the end, I guess my free market, libertarian view says that market forces will decide which is better. Just because one has been better in the past doesn't always mean it will be the best in the future. I think that if each vendor makes a decision based on "the best offer" from each (or both) shows, considering all aspects such as each show's offering of: total sales, total expenses, and to a lesser extent, ease, convenience, enjoyment of working the show, etc., then they will make the best decision for themselves. And depending on how many vendors each show attracts, based on those aspects, will eventually determine the success of the show. The customers will largely (but not entirely) base their attendance and spending on how many vendors of the type they like and need show up at the expo, and what they offer.

So that long train of thought leads me to this - I haven't been to this particular show, but it s a good offer, so I will be there. If it is any good, I will be back. If not, then I won't.

Hope to see some of you in a couple of weeks!

Kathy
 
Thanks Kathy,
Yes, we certainly look forward to seeing you guys.
And she's right. The Repticon people ARE good people and I hope none of this has been translated as I don't like them.
Take Care,
Gino
 
Let's not kid ourselves, the Repticon shows suck. Period.

A 'show' is not a show when you have 10 vendors.
 
Again, this is not a slap at Repticon. From a vendor viewpoint, they are simply trying to insert 2 more shows into a market that cannot support them. It is really that simple.

All of the "Hype" about this being the "original" show is just that...hype. The original show is the Fairgrounds Show. That venue now belongs to Alex. The only thing original about the upcoming show is the name and the cachet attached to that is not all that good
 
Suncoast Herps said:
Again, this is not a slap at Repticon. From a vendor viewpoint, they are simply trying to insert 2 more shows into a market that cannot support them. It is really that simple.

All of the "Hype" about this being the "original" show is just that...hype. The original show is the Fairgrounds Show. That venue now belongs to Alex. The only thing original about the upcoming show is the name and the cachet attached to that is not all that good
Click to expand...

They did that in Tallahassee and drove Gila out. Their last show when I was up there was quite literally, 10 vendors. It was the most pathetic display of a show I've ever seen.

But it should be obvious when they won't answer emails about vendor numbers or have that info posted on their website like most other shows do.
 
I have to agree with John.
While, I still don't have ill will against Repticon it is beginning to bother me that they try and make it sound like they've been here all along.
(I just got one of their mass e-mails)
They have the old name rights nothing more.
Repticon has nothing to do with the long running fairgrounds show.
Alex was far more involved over the years.
No one from Repticon appears to have been involved with running any of those shows.

I am just disappointed that the ads are not completely honest is all.
Just my 2 cents,
Gino
 
Joejr14 said:
They did that in Tallahassee and drove Gila out. Their last show when I was up there was quite literally, 10 vendors. It was the most pathetic display of a show I've ever seen.
Click to expand...
But didn't you get a snake that you were bragging about there? I remember posting a thread a few years back asking if it was worthwhile :shrugs:
I could care less about the Alex/Tony feud from a consumer standpoint, but can understand the vendors view. The Gila show in March of this year was enjoyable and seemed to me much like one of Tony's past shows there (except for the lack of beer). Again, I'm not in the "biz" so I'm not "behind the scenes". Give me a variety of colubrids to look at and I'll be there :cheers:
 
mbdorfer said:
But didn't you get a snake that you were bragging about there? I remember posting a thread a few years back asking if it was worthwhile :shrugs:
I could care less about the Alex/Tony feud from a consumer standpoint, but can understand the vendors view. The Gila show in March of this year was enjoyable and seemed to me much like one of Tony's past shows there (except for the lack of beer). Again, I'm not in the "biz" so I'm not "behind the scenes". Give me a variety of colubrids to look at and I'll be there :cheers:
Click to expand...

I picked up a female butter that ended up dying. That was really the only reason why I went---because I knew a vendor that had butters was going and they were cheap.

The show still sucked, and was nothing compared to any of the Gila shows.

Gino knows---he did the Gila show in December of 2005 that was a bomb---and that was twice the size of any of the shows Repticon put on.
 
The way I see it, there are two shows early in the year where the vendors are selling off the previous years hatchlings, adults that didn't fit into their breeding plans, and the slow selling expensive snakes you see at every show... That means whichever show is first, would have the most vendors with stock to sell. With animals priced to move to make room, they usually don't have much left to make another show worth while, so you end up with the ten local mass producers... But, the frozen mice guy will be there, so that, and a shorter or collapsible hook will be my reasons for going... of course we know how that went at the last show... :grin01:
 
I love that collapsible hook I got- I use it all the time. (Pineapple!)

Probably still won't have my cages by then- so no new snake, but I can window shop! And I still need some vines for the imaginary cages. Maybe a book. You never know.

Nanci
 
CMLReptiles said:
Is there going to be anybody at the show selling racks? If so, that might make it worth-while to show up
Click to expand...
I asked a few vendors at the last show where the rack people were, and they said those vendors don't come down until Daytona... Guess I'll save enough to get a couple, since I won't have to pay for shipping .... :shrugs:
 
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