A pet peeve of mine at Rept/Tarantula shows...

[mhill]

Who else has experienced this and gets really ticked by it? I recently went to a show and took along two B. smithi's...one male one female, both 3"+, both 2 weeks post molt, healthy, vibrant, and feeding great. The idea was to do some trading.
The first table I walk up to I ask the guy about trades, he said "Sure, love to...what ya got?" So I tell him then ask what he would allow for trade value.
He barely glances at the smithi's and proceeds to tell me how bad both of them are dehydrated, then says...well theyre only worth about $20, thats including the KK they were in. Yeah, ok...nice talkin with ya.
So, on down the row to another table. Young guy standing there with a bunch of B. smithi 1/4" slings for $40 each says he will give me $40 for them both. :clap: Good luck with that.

It just really irks me to no end to be treated like someone who just fell off the turnip truck by some of these small time vendors at shows. Any one else have similar experiences?

 

[jayefbe]

you can bring stuff to trade at your shows? The shows around here (admittedly we only have larger shows) you can only bring animals if you're a vendor.

When it comes to many vendors at reptile shows (not good CB dealers), you're dealing with people that buy and re-sell for a profit. They basically feed off the naivete of buyers. I mean, a $40 price tag on a 1/4" B. smithi says it all. Not saying it's not annoying, but basically to be expected. The ignorance of many reptile folks that deal with tarantulas is also astounding. I live near one of the best reptile stores in the country, but I would never buy a T from them. Why? Well, they have a MM P. regalis and a MM A. metallica for pretty exorbitant prices. You think they're telling prospective buyers that they're only gonna live for a few months? Nope. Somehow I doubt they even know that. I saw a kid spend $300 plus bucks on a 3" LP, a HUGE glass tank, a heat pad AND a heat lamp. It broke my heart knowing that he could've gotten a perfectly adequate set-up plus the exact same T for ~$20.

 

[gumby]

Nope never been to a show but Ill bet you were nicer to them then I would have been. One thing I cant deal with is when people try to take me for a ride like that. I would have torn them a new one. Im sorry you had to deal with that.

 

[mhill]

Nope never been to a show but Ill bet you were nicer to them then I would have been. One thing I cant deal with is when people try to take me for a ride like that. I would have torn them a new one. Im sorry you had to deal with that.

I try not to be rude, but sometimes you just cant help but laugh out loud right in front of them. Like the guy trying to sell the B. smithi 1/4" slings for $40, when he said "Hey thats a good price on those." I couldnt help but laugh and point out that there were plenty of smithi slings up to 1/2" for $15-20 each at the show.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Vendors tend to get Ts at wholesale prices and aren't going to buy something for retail in hopes of losing money. They have to pay for the table, gas, and other expenses. They have to pay for dead animals. They don't know you, it's not rare to see people selling things like you walking around a show that seem like a good deal and a vendor buys, set them up and the animals won't eat and then die (somebody just passing off their damaged junk). If I were at a show near you I'd trade $100 worth of stuff ONLY if you wanted things I have of extra but would think twice before handing over $40 in cash, especially if I had a bunch of smithi s'lings that obviously weren't selling.

 

[mhill]

Vendors tend to get Ts at wholesale prices and aren't going to buy something for retail in hopes of losing money. They have to pay for the table, gas, and other expenses. They have to pay for dead animals. They don't know you, it's not rare to see people selling things like you walking around a show that seem like a good deal and a vendor buys, set them up and the animals won't eat and then die (somebody just passing off their damaged junk). If I were at a show near you I'd trade $100 worth of stuff ONLY if you wanted things I have of extra but would think twice before handing over $40 in cash, especially if I had a bunch of smithi s'lings that obviously weren't selling.

#1...I dont try to trade with damaged junk.
#2...I wasnt asking for CASH...I was trying to trade for slings, so excuse me if I didnt think it was a fair deal to trade TWO healthy 3" smithis (1 m, 1 f) for ONE 1/4" tarantula of ANY species...which is the deal the two vendors was trying to pass off as..."As good as your gonna find." Please...not everyone who walks up to your table at a show is a complete idiot or so new to the hobby as to believe something like that. Im not saying ALL vendors or dealers are like this, but I have noticed a steady rise of this with smaller vendors. Ususally the ones like I encountered who stand there and try to tell you your trading stock is on deaths door when you know for a fact your animals are perfectly healthy.

From now on my business goes to people like Tarantulas Inc. (Teresa and Justin) who know fair pricing/dealing and whos table was clogged with people because theyre animals are priced accordingly.

 

[Skullptor]

Who else has experienced this and gets really ticked by it? I recently went to a show and took along two B. smithi's...one male one female, both 3"+, both 2 weeks post molt, healthy, vibrant, and feeding great. The idea was to do some trading.
The first table I walk up to I ask the guy about trades, he said "Sure, love to...what ya got?" So I tell him then ask what he would allow for trade value.
He barely glances at the smithi's and proceeds to tell me how bad both of them are dehydrated, then says...well theyre only worth about $20, thats including the KK they were in. Yeah, ok...nice talkin with ya.
So, on down the row to another table. Young guy standing there with a bunch of B. smithi 1/4" slings for $40 each says he will give me $40 for them both. :clap: Good luck with that.

It just really irks me to no end to be treated like someone who just fell off the turnip truck by some of these small time vendors at shows. Any one else have similar experiences?

I had an experience similar years ago. I don't think they think you are stupid. I just think they are trying to get the best deal for themselves. The dealer pulled the "Hey man, this table cost me $150" on me. I said get it from someone else - that's the cost of doing business.

 

[mhill]

I had an experience similar years ago. I don't think they think you are stupid. I just think they are trying to get the best deal for themselves. The dealer pulled the "Hey man, this table cost me $150" on me. I said get it from someone else - that's the cost of doing business.

I know they have expenses for being at the show, and that theyre not gonna give a trade value over wholesale, and Im fine with that. No problem. But when someone stands there and tells me two 3" B. smithi are only worth $20 and that theyre both severly dehydrated (when I know for a fact they are not)...thats just insulting my intelligence and in my opinion stooping to the level of trying to cheat someone.
My rant about this isnt really about the value of the trades...its the fact that alot of these smaller vendors treat people like they know absolutely nothing about the animals they are dealing with...granted, some dont...but not everyone who walks up to a table is a newbie with no clue whats going on.

 

[Skullptor]

With all these threads about dealers, I'm starting to feel sorry for them.

You didn't like the deal, you walked away.....you won!

 

[maitre]

I know they have expenses for being at the show, and that theyre not gonna give a trade value over wholesale, and Im fine with that. No problem. But when someone stands there and tells me two 3" B. smithi are only worth $20 and that theyre both severly dehydrated (when I know for a fact they are not)...thats just insulting my intelligence and in my opinion stooping to the level of trying to cheat someone.
My rant about this isnt really about the value of the trades...its the fact that alot of these smaller vendors treat people like they know absolutely nothing about the animals they are dealing with...granted, some dont...but not everyone who walks up to a table is a newbie with no clue whats going on.

Do you know what haggling is? Street bargaining? That's how it works. If they want your product, they're going to want it cheap and they're going to say whatever they want to get it cheap. Hey, it's not like they came knocking on your door trying to buy your T's at a low price - you went to them. Like Skullptor said, you walked away. You won.

If you feel like crap because of this one incident, imagine how the vendors/stand owners feel when person after person go to their table trying to haggle for lower prices. Have you ever shopped in South American or Asian street markets? They can list a shirt for $7.50 and a customer will come and offer $1. Vendors deal with that kind of crap all day.

 

[barabootom]

If you feel like crap because of this one incident, imagine how the vendors/stand owners feel when person after person go to their table trying to haggle for lower prices. Have you ever shopped in South American or Asian street markets? They can list a shirt for $7.50 and a customer will come and offer $1. Vendors deal with that kind of crap all day.

I imagine it's a pain for dealers but it comes with the territory. If the OP was offering a trade, then the trade value should have been higher. Of course a dealer isn't going to pay a lot and sell at very little profit, but a trade is a different story. The seller is trading at retail, not wholesale. So a trade is a no loss bargain for a dealer if the trade T has any popularity at all. A juvi smithi is easy to resell if the price isn't outrageous. The dealers mentioned above wanted a steal and I think were trying to take advantage, or were totally not interested, but then they should say so. A dealer selling a sling for $40, purchased that sling for $10, or less. Trading that same sling for a T easily worth $50 (juvi smithi), is the same as buying a juvi smithi for $10. How can a dealer justify being more greedy than that? The OP has a very legit compaint.

 

[mhill]

I imagine it's a pain for dealers but it comes with the territory. If the OP was offering a trade, then the trade value should have been higher. Of course a dealer isn't going to pay a lot and sell at very little profit, but a trade is a different story. The seller is trading at retail, not wholesale. So a trade is a no loss bargain for a dealer if the trade T has any popularity at all. A juvi smithi is easy to resell if the price isn't outrageous. The dealers mentioned above wanted a steal and I think were trying to take advantage, or were totally not interested, but then they should say so. A dealer selling a sling for $40, purchased that sling for $10, or less. Trading that same sling for a T easily worth $50 (juvi smithi), is the same as buying a juvi smithi for $10. How can a dealer justify being more greedy than that? The OP has a very legit compaint.

I think you just relayed it beter than I could have, barabootom.

 

[maitre]

I imagine it's a pain for dealers but it comes with the territory. If the OP was offering a trade, then the trade value should have been higher. Of course a dealer isn't going to pay a lot and sell at very little profit, but a trade is a different story. The seller is trading at retail, not wholesale. So a trade is a no loss bargain for a dealer if the trade T has any popularity at all. A juvi smithi is easy to resell if the price isn't outrageous. The dealers mentioned above wanted a steal and I think were trying to take advantage, or were totally not interested, but then they should say so. A dealer selling a sling for $40, purchased that sling for $10, or less. Trading that same sling for a T easily worth $50 (juvi smithi), is the same as buying a juvi smithi for $10. How can a dealer justify being more greedy than that? The OP has a very legit compaint.

I don't see how the exchange goods for money and bartering goods for other goods is different from each other. Both are a trade of valued goods for either monetary value in the form of cash or other valued goods. At the end of the day, whether the OP is given $10 cash or a $10 valued sling is the same thing... and at the end of the day, I don't think the OP will be happy with this sort of trade off.

OBVIOUSLY the vendor was trying to gain the advantage. Who wouldn't? Yes, it was unfair but that's how haggling works and the OP did walk away with his T's so he didn't lose out.

If the vendor wasn't interested in the OP's T's, then it would totally justify the unfair trade. I'm not going to pay full price for something I don't want... but if I see it at an extremely cheap price, I will pick it up to flip off to the next buyer.

 

[maitre]

If you think this is bad, try hocking photography gear at a camera store. You can walk in with a lens valued at $1500 on the used market and they will tell you it's "scratched, worn, needs servicing, unpopular, has dust between the elements, needs a cleaning, won't be able to be sold by the store, etc. etc" and because of those factors, they will offer you $150.

When you bring your property to someone else to try to sell it to them, you are always going to be at the disadvantage unless what you're selling is extremely rare or in exceptional condition for the price you expect.

 

[pouchedrat]

I've just been having issues with the dealers not knowing what the hell they even HAVE for sale. Just "brown tarantula $40" doesn't help, you know? I'd like to know the species of said random brown tarantula..

Also, someone was selling a tiny blue fang sling for $200 at a show I went to. Even I know that's way too steep.

 

[maitre]

I've just been having issues with the dealers not knowing what the hell they even HAVE for sale. Just "brown tarantula $40" doesn't help, you know? I'd like to know the species of said random brown tarantula..

Also, someone was selling a tiny blue fang sling for $200 at a show I went to. Even I know that's way too steep.

Hahaha yes, I agree with this. In my mind, this is a waaay bigger issue than their bargaining tactics.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

#1...I dont try to trade with damaged junk.

How exactly is a vendor supposed to know you're a "good guy" when they don't know you from Adam?

 

[mhill]

How exactly is a vendor supposed to know you're a "good guy" when they don't know you from Adam?

Well I can tell ya this...the vendor sure wasnt a "good guy" for trying to tell me the T's were in such horrible shape when obviously they werent, and that they were only worth $20 for BOTH. Please...

 

[gromgrom]

i saw some small time vendors selling B. Smithi slings for 40 bucks each!!! another table had them for 12! lol

another was a really good vendor, he had scorps, whipscorps, and T's. he sold me a gravid U. Mordax for 10 bucks and a suntiger sling for 15. he was really nice to talk to and was an average hobbyist, not a vendor out for cash.

 

[nhdjoseywales]

How exactly is a vendor supposed to know you're a "good guy" when they don't know you from Adam?

with all due respect, i think the OP has a point about the dehydration thing. Its not particularly hard to tell if an abdomen is undersized or not. one could liken this to trading in a car. you know what the book value for wholesale is for your car in its approximate condition. if the dealer then tries to tell you there is all this stuff wrong with it thats not wrong with it and uses that as an excuse to why he wont give you what you know its worth, he is trying to rip you off and deserves the rough edge of your tongue.