Undercutting Chameleon Prices @ Shows

[eisentrauti]

Well, theres an easy way to avoide this kind of stress: To bring only reserved animals to the fair. Beeing a hobbyiest dont depending on the "reptile income" that's maybe easy to say but thats for me the only reasonable thing to do. If you dont have anything extremely special, theres nearly always somebody who beats your price. In the end people are so cheeky that they talk with you an half hour about the animals and tell you afterwards "that they will come back to your place when they done their round". Infact, they came never back...
So at fairs, I use to plan everything in advance, I bring with me the reserved (and in most cases prepayed or part-prepayed) animals with me and pick up the animals I reserved. The rest of time I spend on with talking with friends or breeders of other reptiles and searching for some guys with good feeder insects. In most cases I'm even to lazy to go on a round to see all tables, cause in my opinion it's nearly impossible to find interesting and special animals on them.

 

[DeremensisBlue]

For those of you who vendor at shows, how do you deal with other breeders who undercut your pricing?

What are some of your experiences with this? Is it just the way the game is played, do you undercut in turn? Stick to your guns? Has it ruined the show for you? Did it turn out well?

We are doing two shows in the next 2 weeks and this may be an issue for us, and we want to stick to our guns, along with the other great breeders around.


Thanks.

I would say that this depends on whether you are intending to have a long term chameleon business or if you are just making some spending money. If you are just making some spending money and may or may not be at another show then you need to compete on price and go for the tactics that move inventory. Your customer base are the ones looking for a quick deal.

If you are establishing a business and a reputation you will be able to, and should, hold on to a price level. The shows, website, and personal contacts are not just to make an immediate sale, but to establish a reputation which will result in a long term (possibly repeat) customer and word of mouth sales down the road. Your customer base are the ones looking for a longer term relationship.

One approach is short term return and the other is long term return. Both have a viable market. Choose the market you would like to address and gear your prices, your service and your marketing accordingly. Hybrid approaches are tricky. I'd choose one or the other, stick with it, and act like it consistently. You'll get good at it and your customers will know what they can expect from you and what they shouldn't.


Bill

 

[Texas Panther Man]

If your selling veileds or jacksons your gonna be limited as far as pricing goes in order to be competetive in the marketplace. If your selling something that is rare and your the only one at the show with them then you can set your prices accordingly. You still dont want to be greedy and overprice yourself out of potential sales. Because whatever you dont sell you have to bring back home and continue to feed and house. So you have to take that all into account when pricing things. I frankly stick to my guns until the end of the shows. If I have anything left I may have a last hour sale. As I prefer not to bring anything back to my home thats been to a show. I'd rather not take any chances with my collection. Thats just my personal preference.....

 

[bradley]

People who are serius will more likely pay more for a better qualty animal, I know i would!

 

[Syn]

Let's fight back undercutting prices with uppercutting people! Oh wait...

 

[sandrachameleon]

People who are serius will more likely pay more for a better qualty animal, I know i would!

sure, but those same people arent the ones that wait for a fair. They buy direct from the breeders with great reputations. Fair-goers are often bargain seekers or people making purchases spur of the moment (regrettably).

 

[sandrachameleon]

If your selling veileds or jacksons your gonna be limited as far as pricing goes in order to be competetive in the marketplace. .

depends where you are. My local market is now well saturated with panthers (largely thanks to me) but I cannot find a vieled or a cb jackson anywhere. Plenty of people around here who would like a locally bred vieled.

 

[allencg101]

Let's fight back undercutting prices with uppercutting people! Oh wait...

And thats why i love you syn

 

[JackP308]

It's quite the opposite around here . Over priced neglected/malnourished WC, and even CB some times. You're lucky to find any competition selling chameleons in ohio shows. Choices are slim to none so even the worse sell cause that is all that there is some times, and people for some reason rather not leave empty handed.

 

[Syn]

It's quite the opposite around here . Over priced neglected/malnourished WC, and even CB some times. You're lucky to find any competition selling chameleons in ohio shows. Choices are slim to none so even the worse sell cause that is all that there is some times, and people for some reason rather not leave empty handed.

Sounds like a good place to start selling at.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

depends where you are. My local market is now well saturated with panthers (largely thanks to me) but I cannot find a vieled or a cb jackson anywhere. Plenty of people around here who would like a locally bred vieled.

You still cant charge anywhere near the price of a panther for a veiled. Unless your selling cb adults that are of breeding age. I see jacksons going for anywhere from 20.00 to 60.00 wholesale depending on the amt purchased. Thats what your going to be competing against at shows. Ppl want stuff at wholesale pricing for common species. Your not going to have much wiggle room when it comes to pricing on a clutch of veileds or jacksons it doesnt matter where your at.Veiled prices crashed in the mid to late 90's and havent ever rebounded. I can remember when veileds were going for a cpl of hundred dollars each for babies. Those days are long gone though. I frankly dont see how a veiled breeder can make much $$ on a clutch after adding up feeder and electrical costs for a clutch....

 

[JackP308]

People just wholesale those chameleons to big chain pet stores now. So basically they dont have to sit on them at all and lose profit.

 

[Vegas Chad]

This is a funny thread... Keep it goin!!!

 

[sandrachameleon]

You still cant charge anywhere near the price of a panther for a veiled. Unless your selling cb adults that are of breeding age. .... it doesnt matter where your at.Veiled prices crashed in the mid to late 90's and havent ever rebounded...

Pet store here sold a female veiled of dubious origins and unknown age for $150 only a few months ago. Such is the demand (or perhaps the stupidity / lack of informed buyer). My female panthers were selling for close to the same price.

It really DOES matter where you live.

 

[Chuck G]

Sounds like a good place to start selling at.

Leave the preposition off the end of that sentence.
People get what they pay for. I have had people haggle with me at shows because another vendor is selling for less. It's less costly in the long run to buy a more expensive healthy animal than a sickly animal that will cost money at the vet. Think of the empty cage you purchased for your cheaper chameleon that is now taking a dirt nap. I will give discounts to returning customers and someone buying multiples. Anyway, I refuse to get into a price war with another vendor. My prices stay the same at the beginning and the end of the show. I have my prices out before the show starts so the other vendors can see them if they choose.

 

[Phelsuma]

The rule to getting a high quality cham is like that of a ta good tats arent cheap, cheap tats arent good if you want quality you have to pay for it. But people like the kammers and screameleons rep speak for themselves. So why would you go to a breeder with cheaper prices plus with them you never know what your going to get

This works both ways as top breeders have earned their reputations over a period of time and consistently produce healthy animals, however, a new breeder doesn't have the track record of these sellers/breeders so may be forced to undercut them to get sales. New breeders may also keep the big boys on their toes so I wouldn't have a problem going to an unknown seller if I were happy with his service/product. I have been to shows in the UK where animals have not sold because the prices were too high and some sellers gave the impression that they were doing potential buyers a favour by being there.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Pet store here sold a female veiled of dubious origins and unknown age for $150 only a few months ago. Such is the demand (or perhaps the stupidity / lack of informed buyer). My female panthers were selling for close to the same price.

You just made my point for me with that statement. Your quoting prices apples vs oranges here. We are talking about expo/show pricing not retail pet store prices. A pet store as we all know will buy any animal for pennies on the dollar and mark that animal up 200% or more. That 150 dollar female veiled was purchased for between 25-50 dollars. She also sounded like she was an older juvie or adult based on your unknown age comment. As I stated, older breeding age veileds go for more $$ than do juvies or babies. But still not anywhere near pardalis prices. An older nice looking breeding age panther of pure locale blood is going to be 3-4x as exp easily. I see them commonly on here and fauna in the 300-500 dollar range based on markings and which locale it is. The only 300 veileds Ive seen in the last 10 yrs were the trans veileds when they first hit the market. And now they are droping in price also.

 

[sandrachameleon]

My point was to the comment "You still cant charge anywhere near the price of a panther for a veiled" which just isnt always true. It depends where you are, and the supply/demand there.
That pet store sells panthers for nearly the same prices as the veileds. She sold CHEAP because she was "dubious" (unknown age, undeclared origins) - they pay $100 for a female panther to sell her at $180. (which is why I sell mine for $125-150 direct). A male veiled will sell for only slightly less than a male panther. You really CAN sell veileds for near the price of panthers here, currently. Seriously, believe me, the market for veileds here is good because supply is low. No one pays $20 like you've been suggesting. This isnt the USA or Toronto where everyone breeds veileds like no tomorrow.