Oklahoma Reptile Show - Gone to the Mantids!

[GreenOasis]

I know at least a few folks have been wondering how the show was. I have to say, it was not the roaring success I'd hoped for, but I blame this on the fact that, at the last second, they postponed the show a week, and we just didn't have the turnout that we normally do. Often, folks come in from out of state for this show, so it wouldn't surprise me that they'd not be wanting to make the trip twice in a week's time. :blink: Not sure if the hotel is at fault for this or the coordinators, but I hope that it doesn't happen again. That is the sort of thing that drives the good vendors & customers away!

Anywho, here are some pics...I am still trying to upload the vids:

Here is Steve, the salesman:

Gongy City:

Curly, the Shield model:

A Popa girl model:

Some of the mantid collection:

Same thing, different view:

Robot Boy & the Roaches:

The other half of the mantids & enclosures:

Rats & sundries:

You can really see the enthusiasm in the teens' faces. The 15-yr-old girl (Ariana) carefully dodged the pics, but I did catch her in one of the vids.

(Ha!...Just realized I mispelled Oklahoma in the title! My fingers are too fast for my brain, I guess!)

 

[GreenOasis]

Aha! The other video is finally done uploading! Here you can see Ariana, the rat girl. Obviously, she's forgotten where her "area" is!

(Oh, and pardon Steve...it's his lunch break!) :lol:

 

[patrickfraser]

I want to go to a show. Is there a calendar or any happening in California? I know the Natural History Museum has something Natural History Museum Bug Fair 2011 May 14 & 15, 2011. Anybody know of anything else???

 

[animalexplorer]

Welcome to Bugmart, great deals and fantastic bugs! Sorry to hear about the small turnout.

 

[babyfroggy]

That looks so cool! I've never been to a bug show, wish they had one by me

 

[warpdrive]

sorry to hear that you had a small turn out. but I'm glad you are expanding and doing your best to help make a show happen and turn on some folks to a great insect.

I wish you lot's of luck in your future shows.

Harry

 

[GreenOasis]

That looks so cool! I've never been to a bug show, wish they had one by me

Well, it's actually a reptile show...we're the only one there with mantids. There are others that have tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes & roaches, though!

We have been invited several times now to do the "Lone Star" Reptile Expo (in San Antonio, I believe), but we just don't feel like we're BIG enough to do out-of-state shows yet. Maybe soon, though! Our bearded dragon girl is about to lay her second clutch already! :blink:

 

[patrickfraser]

YOU SHOULD GO! San Antonio is soooo nice. I haven't been since '88, but I remember I loved it. I'll always "Remember the Alamo". I even got a picture to help. The RiverWalk was really nice with canals around the shopping mall. I was training in Fort Sam Houston to be an Army field medic and had the opportunity to spend a few months there, before shipping out to Korea. I'da rather stayed in Texas. lol

 

[PhilinYuma]

This is a really great display, Carey! Great job. I hope that you sold out and made a decent profit after all that work. We have our own "rat girl" on the forum, Zoe, but we don't hear from her much any more. Are you there, kid?

Oh yes, and do go to San Antonio ASAP. You can call it a vacation!

 

[GreenOasis]

LOL...you guys assume we have enough disposeable cash to be able to front a venture to Texas! We are a family of six on one stable income (Steve's), with a toddler, to boot! Like I said, once we're big enough...doing enough business, well...THEN we could do out-of-state shows...but until then, we are stuck here in Oklahoma! <_<

Read the posts, Phil! I only sold maybe *5* mantids altogether. The geckos were our savior this show...sold three of the six we brought (but as you can see, they don't make us THAT much money.)

Well, I had seen that Zoe's pics show her at the Tulsa Zoo, so I hoped to see her at the show eventually, but...come to think of it, I haven't seen her post anything recently either. :huh: Maybe she's off to college or something?

 

[Mr.Mantid]

Ah sweet! I always wanted to go to a reptile show. I want to get into lizards at some point once I can get my own place. I had a friend who thought praying mantises were classified as reptiles, I laughed but then I realized he was seriouse.. baha!

 

[Rick]

No problems whatsoever with APHIS, USDA, etc? It REALLY suprises me you are getting away with that. Good sign for sure.

 

[GreenOasis]

Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Rick!

No, never been approached by a liberal tree-hugger pitying the animals in deli cups, either!

Alligators are supposed to be illegal to sell here too, but someone there had tubs of caimans (I guess they're in a different category?) It's always possible that the laws have changed. They tend to do that.

Also had a LOT of people mention other vendors who'd had "big, ugly stick bugs" there before (no one had them this show.) From the description, it sounded like possibly Extatosoma tiaratum or Eurycanthas (differing descriptions from people.)

One other vendor, who was interested in buying mantids for his store, lives in Texas and was concerned about the legality (he is one of the ones who'd had the "stick bugs" before.)...Texas doesn't play around with the law, after all. :cowboy: He asked if we knew of any "stick bugs" that were legal to sell and I told him the only one I knew of for sure that was legal here in the US was the Northern Walking Stick, but any native species was fine & legal to keep. I also showed him Texas Unicorns and told him they would be legal for his area, etc, but...he was hesitant to get them. He wants to do his own research, I guess. That's fine...always great to have an informed consumer! I just know he's a very busy guy, so...who knows if he will have time to do the research before the next show!

I think that the prime reason for APHIS or USDA to get involved would be if they were being imported or exported (primarily imported). But, that's why we have chosen not to import/export. Don't really want to get into that mess.

 

[patrickfraser]

I want to go to a show. Is there a calendar or any happening in California? I know the Natural History Museum has something Natural History Museum Bug Fair 2011 May 14 & 15, 2011. Anybody know of anything else???

Just thought I'd bump this up in case anybody in So Cal had any free time this weekend. I have never been, but will mst likely be checking it out this weekend. I'll take pictures and report.

 

[Rick]

Wow. I can't even show non native mantids at a museum event I do yearly called Bugfest. APHIS and USDA troll the booths looking for non natives. It frustrates me to no end the museum won't allow me to just show non natives for fear of the government. I was told by AHIS I could probably get a permit for showing if I reveled my sources which of course I am not going to do that to anyone here. But in your state you can spread them out on a table and sell them.

 

[Peter Clausen]

I've been to a fair number or reptile shows and I've seen mantises for sale (not as much as prior to about 5+ years ago). I've never seen such a clean set up with so many signs, etc. I've often thought that presentation could play a factor in sales at these shows. So many dealers just throw stuff out on the table and with the typical crowds at such events, much of the good stuff is buried three cups deep and you can't get close enough to the table to find it.

I'm surprised you sold so few. Many people will balk at spending $30 for a pet that lives a matter of months, especially in a room full of comparably priced reptiles with lifespans ranging years.

A trick might be keeping a portion of the inventory below the table. This will help in two ways.

1. minimize aforementioned attention from the aforementioned persons

2. make it look like there is a shortage of supply

Looked like a fun, family event! Chatting with people about the things you love is a good expenditure of time.

 

[GreenOasis]

You know, I did actually start out by just putting maybe 6 cups of each species out, but Steve thought it would look better (and be easier for us, I guess) to have them ALL out. We'll probably do things differently next time, as I do feel the table was a bit "overstocked" with stuff. People tend to get lost in a blur of cups and don't even know what they're looking at anymore!

Next show we'll have a lot more BIG mantises & larger nymphs, and I think that will be pivotal in getting more sales. As Steve pointed out, people would rather pay $20 for a large adult mantis, than an L3 nymph of the same species for $2. New folks are just too afraid that they'll kill them! (Can't say I'd blame them...I would worry too!)

Rick, ya' know...we're all kind o' laid back 'round here in Oklahomuh! :cowboy:

And, you notice that we specifically steer away from any signage mentioning countries of origin or the use of the word "exotic". If people ask...we tell them, of course, but we don't volunteer information that could bring about the wrong kind of attention.

I tell ya'...if they tried to come after me, it would be an interesting day, because I would be throwing around all kinds of references to feral cats & dogs & how THOSE have a much bigger impact on the "ecosystem" than mantids. Shoot...I remember when I lived in California and there were news bits about "Do not allow young children out to play unsupervised, as there have been reports of feral dog packs attacking & killing children & pets." That was only about 7 years ago, folks!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

So epic. I keep meaning to catch one of the big reptile shows down here. I'm not going to lie, part of the appeal is I'm hoping there will be at least one vendor decked out with mantises.