Vending

[NinjaDuo]

When is vending ok? How do I know if I have enough credibility to start vending at a show. I feel like I know some, but I'm not an expert.... and it makes me feel like I shouldn't. At the same time I think it would be a great experience, and I would be fine.

I tend to be negative in my abilities no matter what it is. But others around me have encouraged me.

(Start Reading Here):For those who just want to get to my questions

1. What is a good number of Leos to bring to a show?
2. What are some troubles you may have had in the past while vending that I should look out for?
3. Do I base my prices off of others online? How do you determine the price?
4. Are business cards worth having?

This is the only way I can think of gaining some credibility in my local community?

 

[fl_orchidslave]

1. Bring as many as you can. Even some that aren't for sale, like parents, is good. You want to have a "full" looking table.

2. Power supplies are sometimes a PIA. Bring a good cord and power strip. AC can be cold for geckos, lighting helps not just to brighten your display, but also a bit of added heat. Theft can also occur, be aware of anything that gets picked up off your table.

3. Online pricing and show pricing can be quite different in some cases. Every market area is different. You will need to check around your local area for ranges, but remember, well known breeders get more $$$ for their animals than someone just starting out.

4. Yes you do need business cards. Someone might want to contact you in the future, or you may want to jot something down for a potential customer, like a hatch date. I always tell people, if there is any problem at all, do get in touch with me right away. Vistaprint.com has some inexpensive options. Don't place cards at the front edge of your table, or a bunch of kids will just walk by and grab a card for their collection.

 

[NinjaDuo]

What sort of lighting would you suggest. And hopefully I'll have 20 geckos for sale, and some art

 

[acpart]

Check out this Gecko Time article I wrote: http://www.geckotime.com/preparing-to-vend-at-a-reptile-show/

Aliza

 

[NinjaDuo]

That was a great read. Makes me a lot less nervous!

Thanks Aliza!


Cody

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Cody, everyone is nervous for their first show vending. As far as lighting, we use clamp on fixtures with adjustable necks. You will want to check that electricity is included in your table fee.

 

[Adirondackgeckos]

Check out this Gecko Time article I wrote: http://www.geckotime.com/preparing-to-vend-at-a-reptile-show/

Aliza

Great article Aliza!

 

[acpart]

Thank you. I try to write articles about topics that people seem most concerned about. I'll be doing one in a few weeks about basic genetics through the offspring of my pair of hets. If anyone has suggestions for topics, or, better yet, wants to write an article, let me know.

Aliza

 

[LZRDGRL]

1) The most important thing is how to pick the right show to vend at. Make sure the show has a good website, enough customers, and a good reputation. Take a show where you are the sole vendor of leopard geckos, or where there are only 1-2 others (look at its website and determine the other vendors and what they have to sell; keep in mind that not all vendors listed on the show websites will be there regularly!). If you only have 20 geckos with you, but there are five vendors already who have 150 geckos each, you probably won't get many customers, especially when you are still a "no-name" and they are "reputable breeders." So, make sure who your competition is.

2) Make sure the show is at a good location. Tiny, unknown places will attract fewer customers than big cities where people of different states attend. You need to drive there with your geckos in your car, and you might have fatalities on the way if you're not careful with heat/cold, stress, etc. So don't go to shows that are too far away. You will probably pack the geckos in their deli cups the night before, then you travel to the show for up to 7 hours or thereabouts, and the next day you sell and drive back the same day. So your geckos might be in their deli cups for up to three days! Provide them with water and food, and clean out their poop. Bring along paper towels and an empty trash bag for that!

3) Be aware of thieves. If you have to stay overnight and cannot take your geckos into your hotel room (most have a "no pet" policy), make sure you can store them in a supervised parking lot if they have to stay in the car. Cover them up, so nobody knows they are in there. You can also sometimes set up in the show hall the night before, and leave the geckos there. Only do it if the hall is locked and/or there is a night guard! AT the show, make sure you have an invoice book with you (you can buy one at Staples) and give each of your customers a receipt, while keeping the carbon copy. Sometimes, the customers are checked at the exit if they have a receipt; otherwise, it might be assumed they stole the gecko from your table. This MIGHT happen! Just be watchful while you're selling.

4) Be aware that mostly, parents with little children will come to your booth, and the kids want to touch your geckos. You are liable for any bite wounds and such, so unless you have a very good insurance that covers this, don't let them take out your geckos and play with them. Many kids don't know how to touch a reptile. Broken tails might be the consequence, too. You're not a petting zoo, you're a vendor! I have to cut back on that, too. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be customer-friendly. If a child really wants to buy a special gecko, you have to teach it how to stretch out its hand and let the gecko sit on it, so it doesn't get bitten.

5) As someone said before, bring an extension cord if you WANT light. You don't really need lights for your geckos; they'll be fine in the hall without any special heat! They'll just be there from 10 a.m. to 3-4 p.m. (and they'll be in your car MUCH longer without light!!). You don't even need hand warmers. I used to bring those in fall, but it is not cold in the halls! It is so that people feel well in them: not too hot, not too cold. Your geckos will do fine at room temperature, too. Overhead lights might harm kids when they touch hot light bulbs! You are also liable for injuries resulting from that.

6) Make sure you have all the necessary advertising stuff!!! Some show administrators won't even let you exhibit unless you have a professional stand with big banners, sandwich boards, signs, etc. Business cards are a must. So is a table cloth, with or without your logo. Your booth needs to look attractive! You can order banners and signs and stands at www.buildasign.com, other online places, and local copy shops. Be prepared to pay a couple hundred dollars for them. Make sure your business has a good name, and display it on a big sign/banner over your table. Make sure you have a good website your customers can go to. That's not a must, but very helpful. Indicate it on your business cards.

7) Pricing: Get informed about prices of leos AT SHOWS (especially at the show you're planning to vend at!!!!). ONLINE PRICES ARE DIFFERENT!!! Mostly, show prices are cheaper. You can get into trouble if you undercut the prices of your competitors, and you won't sell any geckos if yours are more expensive but the same morphs and quality as those of your competitors! So go to shows as a CUSTOMER first and get well informed about pricing!

8) Give each customer (and even some passers-by) a CARE SHEET!!! Even if you don't sell a gecko to every person who comes to your booth to talk to you, make yourself known by providing every inquirer with a business card and a care sheet. This way, you'll get your name out, and might attract future customers.

9) It is very helpful to have a SAMPLE SET-UP with you! Bring a 10gallon tank, put a moist hide and a dry hide in it, three lids for mealworms, water, and calcium powder, and a UTH or overhead red/black light (no power necessary; it's just for display)!!! I always do this. Several of your customers will make spontaneous buys. They are so uneducated that they get the gecko first and then look at the same show (or at home!) for a suitable enclosure and cage furnishing. If they have to get their supplies at the same show, tell them what they need (write it on the care sheet you give them), and show them the sample set-up! If you don't do this, they'll put their gecko on sand in the same box as their crested gecko or what else they might already have at home. Also tell them what you used to feed the gecko they buy, so they can continue providing the same kind of food.

10) Decide whether you want to give them a 24- or 48-hour live guarantee. If you do and the gecko dies during transport home or when they arrive at home, you need to get into email contact with your customers and provide a free replacement gecko at their shipping costs. You can limit your warranty (e.g., don't cover silly errors, like they squeezed it in the car, or their cat got to it when they opened the deli cup at home, etc.). Just cover the fact that your gecko is healthy. If you sell a small or thin-tailed one, make sure it is healthy. Under NO circumstances, sell a sick gecko!!! You can bring geckos for adoption, but make sure they have minor deficits, such as little tail kinks. Don't adopt out animals that can mess up the public gene pool (such as Enigmas with a very strong syndrome; deformed geckos; etc.). You have no power over your customers, and they MAY breed your animal, even if you told them it's a PET ONLY!!!

11) Quantities:
To my first shows, I only brought about 36 geckos. I sold between 10-18, and adopted some out that I didn't need, so I had more cage space at home. I made between 300-700 bucks (subtract the hotel room for 3 people, the food we ate, and the gas for driving 7 hours in one direction). If you want to see pictures of my shows, look here. If you have a business, be aware that you need to pay TAXES on every gecko you sell! If you just keep it as a hobby, I don't know if you have to pay taxes on this kind of income, but you'd better get informed. I'm German, so I don't know how that works here in America. It's ideal to have 50+ geckos. I can tell you that you need ONE 8 foot table for 30-50 geckos. You'll need big and small deli cups. Order a great quantity well in advance! Make sure you also order the lids; those are sold separately. I was so stupid and only ordered the cups in the beginning! :main_laugh: You will need two or more 6-8 foot tables for 50+ geckos. Renting a table costs between 30-75 bucks per table, depending on the show you go to!!! Make sure you get at least that money back by selling your geckos

12) Depending on which show you go to, you'll sell different kinds of morphs! At the shows where I used to vend at, most of my customers were parents with little kids looking for one pet, or college students. They wanted cheaper morphs and hardly spent more than 95 bucks per animal. If you have high-quality animals for 100+ dollars, you might attract bigger breeders and hobbyists who are looking for quality. But those people don't attend all kinds of shows. Here's the Reptile Show Event Calendar 2011. Be aware that some shows might be canceled, and it won't be written on that calendar! I had a table already at the Murray, KY show (Kentucky Reptile Show, KRE) for July 9th, but it got canceled, and we didn't get informed through email, although we had already reserved the table at our last show there. So you need to check the show website often and better make some phone calls to make sure your show is REALLY on before you drive there! Don't rely on others; be your own man

13) NEVER go to a show ALONE!!! Take a boyfriend/girlfriend or some other helper. You will want to walk around, look, and buy animals yourself. You can't leave your booth unattended. Have somebody there to guard your animals and sell for you if you want to wander around, get food, or take a leak :main_evilgrin:

14) You can bring FOOD for yourself, but all shows have some kind of fast food places. Bring something to drink, though. Prepare to be sitting behind your table for about 6 hours!

15) Get to know other leopard vendors at the show, if you do have competition there. Get to know their prices. Exchange animals. Learn from them, and spread knowledge! Tell them about geckoforums.net :main_yes:

16. If you STILL have questions, PM me. But you probably got enough by now :main_rolleyes:

Chrissy