Buying caging at an Expo?

[ScalesTailsandClaws]

Hey, I'm attending the Colombia SC repticon show on March 10th-11th. I'm 99 percent sure I'll be purchasing a panther cham there, but I don't know if I should assume I will and then spend all the money now and get it all set up only to find something else at the show I want more. Do shows generally jack up the prices on caging? Could I walk into the show with no set-up or animal, and walk out with everything I'll need? I have the basics: Lighting and heat, but no cage/furnishings besides a few large potted plants. Could I buy my cage at the show for a reasonable price?

Thanks

 

[panicbess]

You can walk in and buy anything your heart desired. I didnt see much in the forms of "Chameleons" last couple of times though? If so im grabbing a few also..Thanks for the heads up on the dates!!

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Look over the vendor list before you go. Make sure someone that carries supplies will be vending that particular show. Some small shows dont have lg scale suppliers vending. In which case you may have a hard time finding a screen cham cage, or at least one in the size you need. If your buying a juvie you'll need the smallest screen cage. And some companies dont stock those they often dont sell as quickly as a 2x4 lg cage will. I'd buy my cage now and then you know all you'll need are the vines and a dripper and a uvb/basking bulb. Those items are easy to locate in most big box pet stores.
Jmpo...

 

[ScalesTailsandClaws]

Nowhere within 100 miles carries any screen cages aside from crappy repti-breeze cages, and even those are $99 and aren't big enough for a large juvenile.... And I think I'm going to skip the small cage and go straight for the 2x2x4 since in the wild they certainly have more space than that. I'll just make sure the cham is eating by releasing feeders right near the animal, and cup feeding/hand feeding whenever possible. I've heard of many others having great success this way. I just don't want to buy everything online only to find out that I want something else when I get to the show. The SC show is massive, with usually the upwards of 80-100 vendors. I don't think I'll have an issue finding anything, when I come to think of it.... I just would like to know how steep the prices will be at the show compared to normal online prices. I'm not paying $100 for a 175 gallon reptarium.

 

[javsto]

Nowhere within 100 miles carries any screen cages aside from crappy repti-breeze cages, and even those are $99 and aren't big enough for a large juvenile.... And I think I'm going to skip the small cage and go straight for the 2x2x4 since in the wild they certainly have more space than that. I'll just make sure the cham is eating by releasing feeders right near the animal, and cup feeding/hand feeding whenever possible. I've heard of many others having great success this way. I just don't want to buy everything online only to find out that I want something else when I get to the show. The SC show is massive, with usually the upwards of 80-100 vendors. I don't think I'll have an issue finding anything, when I come to think of it.... I just would like to know how steep the prices will be at the show compared to normal online prices. I'm not paying $100 for a 175 gallon reptarium.

I have seen some cages at my local long island reptile show go for twice as much as I can get them on amazon.com. here is a link to the current prices for a reptibreeze 2x2x4 ft cage.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...tibreeze+24x24x48&sprefix=reptibreeze,aps,209

 

[ScalesTailsandClaws]

I won't be purchasing a repti-breeze as I've heard many bad things about them. I'm probably going to go for the more economical and less visually pleasing reptarium. Have you ever seen these sold at a show before?

 

[DekuScrub]

i make mine. in fact ive got a giant stack of them sitting in the basement. id sell ya one cheap but im assuming shipping wouldnt be cheap. plus theyre all used and have holes in the tops for misting heads.

there is a guy in a wheel chair at the hamburg herp show up here in PA that makes his own screen cages too. i have no idea whether or not he would be at your SC show. but theyre pretty cool, they all have a built in tupperware container on the bottom, and shelving. yes i said shelving for plants and such. he does a really top notch job on em.

in fact.... i wouldnt be surprised if he were here among us

oh but i dont even know about the prices.

ive tried selling a couple cages at shows before but they were the 2X2X2 cubes with blue cloth visual barrier sides. just so i wouldnt have to load them back in my car once the chams inside were sold. they also had holes in the top for the misting head of course.