# petshop or private ??



## vamp woman (May 5, 2005)

i was just wondering where people on here buy their reptiles/inverts ?

whats your choice and why ? petshop,private or trade ?
sorry if this has been done and asked before


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## chocolatecolubrid (Apr 1, 2005)

I used to get mine through petshops but now I try to get them privately or rehomes. Petshops will tell you anything to get you to buy them and they charge a bomb compared to private prices and if I can get it cheaper elsewhere I'll try!!! Plus I dont agree with a lot of the petshops in my area as they tell first time reptile owners the biggest pile of crap to get a sale, so I refuse to give them my money!


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## nicky (Jul 13, 2005)

im the same started off using shops but know coming on here know enough breeders and would only buy that way now with the exception of bigp from this site who has a shop in aberdeen i dont live that close but i would use his shop if nearer (thats my sucking up for the night done hehe), he knows is stuff the probs with alot of shops when you go in them is that they know nothing or very little, im a relative newcomer compared to alot on here but i know far more then the staff usually, before i get any offhand replies im saying in my experiance and not saying all shops....


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## scarlettvegetable (Jan 4, 2006)

Yeah thats the problem with many a reptile shop now. I used to buy from shops but they are just so expensive compared to the prices you get when you go private. 

Sometimes you cant justify the prices they charge, i remember one shop that was at least £50 more expensive on everything than most other shops, but in saying that my old local shop was about £20 cheaper than everywhere else. 

I suppose it depends on where you are, if you have a good shop, use it...if not don't!simple!


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

well people care who they sell to, where as some shops dont.
you will always get more info on the reptile from the breeder than a shop can give you (unless they bred it of course).
i think shops are ok, but most people buy from private once they find them as they are often cheaper


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2006)

With me it is 50/50 as i still get trade prices from a few shops  

I do deal with private sales a lot and can understand that some shops charge astronomical prices to cover their overheads.When you consider the cost of premises,insurance,wages,VAT and then buying the animals in they are justified in charging higher prices.That said anyone with any sense at all would buy privately once they know how to find them.

IMO the day of the reptile shop for animal sales is virtually over.A lot if not most of the reptile keepers and would be keepers now have the internet so finding your future pets is now easier than ever before


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## nicky (Jul 13, 2005)

yeh your right ryan same with food supplies, why travel in to shop to get your cricks etc when at the click of a button there in the post...


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## reps4pets (Feb 23, 2005)

i to started from reptile shops but not anymore,its private breeders and traders for me,however i do a lot of traveling around the country and i always have to go in the reptile shops for a nose :lol: even if its to watch some poor sod buying their 1st reptile only to be told by the shop they need all this extra equipment thats not needed :lol: 
then again im sure we have all been stung by petshops at some time.
we live and learn !! :lol:


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## crazysnakedude (Jul 1, 2005)

private all the way, purley because they are cheaper


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

it makes sense. 
i havent got anything from a shop for years really.


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## lisa_b (Oct 12, 2005)

the reptile shop i get my stuff from are V.good. they know their stuff. and they come to me for advice on scorpions coz researching scorpions is sort of a hobby of mine.

also breed my own as i have a couple of contacts in the trade who would rather buy private bred animals and inverts to farm bred or wild caught ones.

there are three shops where i live, one is brilliant (where i go) one is so/so and the other just sells for profit.

unfortunately good shops are far and few between so it pays to research ya stuff on net or in books, then go into a shop and ask questions to see if they give you proper answers. if they just shove a book on ya and say buy these animals and read this... ya know they're CRAP!

but these days i tend to try rescuing animals where i can. just will need to convert the loft soon for more space ha ha ha!


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## Perfect Pythons (Jan 14, 2006)

Well I used to manage a well known reptile shop and advice was always good and all members of staff had to attend an advanced herpetology course so as to give correct and accurate advice……. There are also a hole lot of BAD reptile shops as stated on this thread that will sell you anything and to anyone just to get the sale I know of one shop which I obviously cant name was selling ALL CF royals not much wrong with that depends on how you feel about CF but then was selling them as CB and all feeding when in actual fact they were all non feeders and as you can imagine people were buying them then they would die on there respective owners and not offered a refund now that’s just 1 bad example but remember there are also a lot of extremely good shops. 
The reasons for there prices is as you can imagine is that there a business and have a lot of over heads and so forth and well they are also in it for the money that’s why there again nothing wrong with that .

Now im a private breeder and am able to offer lower prices due to the fact of not much in the way of overheads also I feel that when it comes to buying from private you can actually know the heritage of the snakes/lizards were as in shops you cant really get that as they buy from anywhere and everywhere again not a bad thing but if linage is important to you this is why a lot of reptile shops NOT all have a problem its also down to personal choice I never buy from shops I only go to private breeders or private sales were I actually know were there coming from again this is only my opinion so not everyone will agree so I apologise if I have offended anyone with my reply to this .


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## lisa_b (Oct 12, 2005)

Hey PP and welcome to the forum.

Well said and OMG at the ppl selling bad pythons! some ppl will do anything to make money!

lisa xx


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## Perfect Pythons (Jan 14, 2006)

Thank you


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## phil (Apr 3, 2005)

the


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## phil (Apr 3, 2005)

sorry,totally went of on one there,im sure the mainland have much better shops than us


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## lisa_b (Oct 12, 2005)

lol @ phil.

get it out ya system kidder.... take a deep breath.... let it out....!!!

feel better now ROFL!


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## phil (Apr 3, 2005)

:x    :roll: :? :lol: :lol: :wink:


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## Perfect Pythons (Jan 14, 2006)

phil said:


> sorry,totally went of on one there,im sure the mainland have much better shops than us


well it does not matter were you go as in everything in life there are good and bad


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

easy done mate (phil) lol.


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## phil (Apr 3, 2005)

if i where you vamp woman,i would find a good breeder and go direct to them,as breeders usually take a lot of pride in what they do,and they know the animals they are breeding,so you get first class advise,but still make sure you ask alot of people about the person you are going to buy from,as there is always the bad egg :wink:


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

I agree with what people are saying there are good and bad shops I have had experience with both. Where I get my snakes from I trust the owner 100% and dont mind paying a bit more then he does all the work finding me what I want and he knows a hell of alot more than me so I know he will find me good specimens.Plus I am a lazy tw*t! I think you can tell if a shop is good or bad just by looking around and listening to advice that they give people. The owner of my shop gets asked for advice on herp care from a local zoo and also lectures on herps at the local uni so i know he knows what he is on about.


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## phil (Apr 3, 2005)

andyj5447 said:


> I agree with what people are saying there are good and bad shops I have had experience with both. Where I get my snakes from I trust the owner 100% and dont mind paying a bit more then he does all the work finding me what I want and he knows a hell of alot more than me so I know he will find me good specimens.Plus I am a lazy tw*t! I think you can tell if a shop is good or bad just by looking around and listening to advice that they give people. The owner of my shop gets asked for advice on herp care from a local zoo and also lectures on herps at the local uni so i know he knows what he is on about.


i new they couldnt all be bad


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## vamp woman (May 5, 2005)

phil said:


> if i where you vamp woman,i would find a good breeder and go direct to them,as breeders usually take a lot of pride in what they do,and they know the animals they are breeding,so you get first class advise,but still make sure you ask alot of people about the person you are going to buy from,as there is always the bad egg :wink:


i do use breeders only,i just wanted to know what others used really,im quite lucky really as someone i know gets me equipment at trade price also 8)


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## scarlettvegetable (Jan 4, 2006)

sorry to change the subject slightly, but are there many private breeders on here? If there is...what do you breed? I know im just being nosey, but you never know...it might be good publicity!lol

On the pet shop/private breeders front, I have bought from shops, had bad experiences from them, not really bought privately, but would like to think I will, if anyone has any geckos perhaps... :wink: 

Can't remember who it was who said about the CF royals but I used to live near a place that imported tonnes of them, not even a week old that had all had their first shed in the bags they were in, and as they were only young, they hadn't started eating, but were being sold none the less.

But like everyone said, there are good and bad! :lol:


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## tazzyasb (May 4, 2005)

there are a few breeders on here.
i breed corns and so does nige (cornmorphs) there are a few others aswell.

to answer your question i buy from private and shops. If i see somethinhg i want and i think the price is right i get it.


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## Perfect Pythons (Jan 14, 2006)

Well if you hadent have guessed im a python breeder lol


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## scarlettvegetable (Jan 4, 2006)

lol...really....well I never...lol :lol: 

just royals or all sorts?


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## Perfect Pythons (Jan 14, 2006)

Royals, Coastals (hoping for some Jaguars this year *GRIN*), Irian jayas, also going to be doing some childrens this year also because there a nice little python for a beginner


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## scarlettvegetable (Jan 4, 2006)

awww...i like childrens pythons...just cant afford to buy them...  

I hope you get your jaguars...they are really pretty, would love a nice pair of those too...  But you cant have everything eh!


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## Perfect Pythons (Jan 14, 2006)

But there cheeper than buying a piebald royal look at it that way  as for childrens i will be selling them for about £50/60


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## scarlettvegetable (Jan 4, 2006)

now that is very true... :lol: id love a childrens but even that price is money i could spend on bills n stuff!!lol


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