# Selling at reptile shows/starting business



## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

So for a while now I have been contempleting starting a small business. I don't want anything huge maybe sell at a reptile show every two months and _maybe_ the internet. I plan to sell plants, premade terrariums, amphibians, and various supplies. This leads me two my main question, most of my business would be focussed on selling my plants but is there really a high enough demand for them. I recently went to a show and saw no one selling terrariums or plants so there isn't competition. My next question is do I need a license to sell variouse amphibians at a reptile show(treefrogs,reed frogs, and darts much later on as I get expirienced). Ohh also this isn't just to make money I want to do it because I like to work with amphibians and any extra money could help support my hobby  :shock: 
Hope you can all understand this  :roll: 

Justin


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

Check out the latest thred on proposed classified changes. Selling dart and supplies as a business can be a lot of work for little return. The biggest problem I see with plants is having enough room to have a large stock, as you might only make a few dollars per plant or less. It is a tough business.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

I'm not really getting into it for the big $$$ because I know they are not there. Do to limited growing space for the plants I would only go to a show every 2 or 3 months to sell. Say if I had a business name and business card/website would I have to register as a business? LOL that sounds stupid


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

For tax purposed I would say yes. I too would like to start selling a few vivarium a year, but more so I can continue a hobby my house does not have room for


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

There's competition in everything, including plants, so don't go into this thinking you've got some specialized offering.

If you have some things to sell and expect to cover your expenses, then get it together and go have some fun selling stuff and meeting people.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

I meant at the show no one was selling plants/terrariums


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## Lucille (May 9, 2008)

Talk to Aaron here on the board who has a biz and has decided to go wholesale. I think that would be a worthwhile education as he has a good handle on all the plusses and minuses and has recently posted about some of them.


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## a hill (Aug 4, 2007)

jdart16 said:


> I meant at the show no one was selling plants/terrariums


Well first things first.

Don't expect to make money  

After thats done you're all set.

A good start would be writing a business plan. "A business plan guide for Dummies" is probably one of the best out there. I used it to learn how to do this and for DECA (distributive educators clubs of America aka a business entrepreneurship high school club) I won my state level and went to nationals. The business plan helps you to see the reality of it and if it is worth it. 

Sales online doesn't have to be a "business" the IRS doesn't really care about you until you're pulling in around $500 in profit per year many times small businesses get in trouble for their taxes and what not so make sure to keep very good record for Taxes if you end up having to file. 

In my experience its easy to have some sales online on forums via word of mouth and places like aquabid.com and Ebay. For my Planted fish tank hobby I've done this and helped to keep me out of debt.

Did that make sense? Maybe not.

-Andrew


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

I think I understand your telling me to keep very good records incase of trouble. So basically I don't have to register unless I start making $500 in profit(very unlikely). Also as I have said before this isn't some kind of get rich quick idea I like to work with these plants and animals and any extra money is a bonus, this isn't going to be a full blown business going to shows multiple times a month.


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

I think you will have fun with it then


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

LOL I hope I think the most fun will be dealing with all of the variouse species of frogs.


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## Lucille (May 9, 2008)

You could make terrariums. I just saw this ad on another site:



Self sustaining terrarium 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 gallon terrarium planted to be self sustaining with natural biological filtration system. Plants include live sphagnum moss, bromeliads, ivy, and epiphytes. Has water feature large enough to sustain either pair of Mantella frogs or a few small fish, however there are none currently. Can also house day gecko nicely. Included is UVB light source and water pump. Has front access panes that slide open from either side. Asking $350. Located in Northern Virginia. Willing to ship but all costs are on the buyer


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

$350 for a 10 gallon? And I thought $250-300 was steep for my 30's I want to sell.

I will say this on terrariums. If you are going to do them right, as in to sell as a show peice, they can be expensive to do, I have been looking. I do know members that sell simple ones for like $150 or so.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

I was thinking of constructing 18x18x18 terrariums with front opening doors, maybe that euro vent in the front, background, fully planted. What do you think a fair price would be?


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

On par with an exoterra maybe.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

As someone who started off selling cups and lids in classifieds (with an initial investment of $5000) to now making a living in this hobby, (with 3 employees and plans for more in the fall) let me share my experience.

As with all businesses, you are fighting an uphill battle. The vast majority of business die in the first year. Those that don't die don't make any profit either. You have to push through that. Growth will eat your profits. Are you prepared to work hard for over a year with no or little money to show for it?

You have to do something that no one else is doing, better than they could do it, and cheaper than they could do it. That is where a good business plan comes in. Push it around to those that know you best and ask them to honestly tell you if they think you are capable. Beg them to be honest. YOU DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO BE NICE TO YOU. Find someone that loves you enough to be brutally honest with you. Not everyone is cut out to own their own business and for every good business plan, there are millions that just aren't feasible.

*This hobby as a whole is growing.* On the other hand, there is more "competition" now in some sectors of this hobby than there has ever been. And, there is a lot of cross-over into other sectors that has yet to be capitalized on in this hobby. There are a lot of reptile vendors begging for wholesale lots of frogs.

Lucille is right. Custom terrarium design is a great place to start. It is a location based as shipping isn't feasible.

Best of luck to you.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks for the insightful reply :mrgreen: a few more posts from those with experience like you would be nice.


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

Hi,
I can give you my experience and what I do but I have only been doing shows since last november and only little one. I do one, at the most 2 shows a month.
I make almost no money doing it but I enjoy it. I only breed a couple kinds of frogs but I figure it was a way to possibly sell some of my surplus froglets( I do alot of froglets trading also though)

Some of the people at the shows are great. Some of them need a swift kick in the toosh. The importers I can do with out ( but I have made friends with one of them) Make friends at the show, if people like you and know you do a good job and have good quality animals they will send people to your table. The importer guy that I dont like ( well I like him but I dont like what he does) on occasions has WC darts. Fine people bought from him cause they were cheaper but after he sold them a dart he would send them to my table for FF, Spingtails, plants and such. So it still kinda worked out for me. He also for some odd reason always has cases of coconut huts so he sells the to me at his cost ( well actually like 1.00 more but you get the point)

I tried the pre made viv. It was made back in november ( just a simple 10 gal) and I toted it around with me up until April. 
I try to offer a variety ( I try to buy surplus plants from people here to have plants to sell at my table. I may roughly .50 a plants but that just normally covers shipping) But it is nice to be able to offer them.
I take FF cultures ( melan and hydei) some of the chameleon people and gecko people buy the hydei and I give a free culture to every person who buys a frog. Try to find places where you can buy your cups and lids in bulk ( that helps me out alot. Fortunatley I have a place in town so I save a bit on shipping there)
If a person gets my generic card at the show and happens to call I try to work them out some better deals ( taking them cuttings to the next show, stuff like that) I would prefer to make no money what so ever and know my frog is going to a good home. 
You will meet some great people and some people who make you want to cringe when you see them walk in the door ( I swear if the lady insist in telling me about her "garden frog" one more time I will smack her. Just cause you found it in the garden does not mean it is a "garden frog")
Another thing I try to do is make up temp containers ( the 190 ozers) some spag moss, seeded with springtails and some plant cutting to have a place for them to keep their froglets for a few week instead of taking home a 2-3 month old froglet and throwing it into a 55 gal tank and wondering why you dont see it too much. 
Some show you will be busy the whole time, some times you will play cards for a couple of hours since NO ONE is there. Any little bit of money I do make goes directly back into buying supplies for the next show, paying the table fee for the next show or into the frog fund for that pair of frogs I have been saving up for. Don't go into it thinking you are going to make tons of cash and you should be alright
I still enjoy going to show and I hope I never get to the point when I dont then I am going to quit doing them for a while. I dont want what I enjoy as a hobby to turn into a money making no longer enjoyable thing.

Sorry for the long winded post. I was in your spot about a year ago and thought I would share what I have learned.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

Don't worry about the long winded post as I found it quite useful :wink: Should I consider selling fruitflies/ crickets is it really worth it. I see a TON of verdors selling them and don't want to waste my time if no one is going to buy them.

Thanks Justin


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

I dont sell crickets but I do sell a decent number of Fruit flies but no one at the show I got to carries fruit flies. So that makes it a bit nicer.

Also if you make your own media it helps out cost wise in the long run ( for me atleast it does)

Also it is nice to know that when you send some one home with a frog you can also send them home with a booming ff culture so you know your frog is going to get fed.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

For now I'm dealing mostly with treefrogs not so much with darts so I probably won't be needing them.


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