Where has the
Bayou City Breeders' Expo Gone?
A Candid Letter from
Mike Howlett, owner of Houston Herp Supply and proprietor of the
Bayou City Breeders' Expo and Sale
Unfortunately, it has become
increasingly difficult to coax enough vendors out of their places of
business (their homes, in most cases) to have the BCBE be a quality event.
My primary focus at Houston Herp Supply has always been education, and that
was the driving force behind the creation of the Bayou City Breeders' Expo
& Sale (BCBE). There are more than enough opportunities for people to buy
animals without getting any detailed information on how to properly care for them, and
I felt that this show would allow reptile enthusiasts a unique opportunity
for a complete reptile purchasing experience. This is also why the BCBE had
evolved to include all the non-profit organizations and educational seminars
as well. But these non-profits and seminar speakers don't pay for vendor tables,
and this meant that there was less income to support the show. As non-profit organization
participation increased and paying vendor participation decreased, I finally
reached a point where I was not just breaking even, but LOSING money to do the
show.
Obviously, I decided at
that point to try to enlist the help of the high-quality vendors who were
still attending the show...people who shared my commitment to educating the
public when they purchased their new pet. I asked them to help me find ways to
entice additional vendors to attend. But most reptile breeders who are doing this
for a living don't want to be bothered with having to pack up their animals and
travel somewhere to sit at a vendor table. They feel they can make as much or more
money selling animals online than they can at a show, and not have to 'deal with the
public.' They don't want to be bothered with having to answer people's questions, as
is the case at a reptile show that is open to the public. But how are the buyers
supposed to get their questions answered if they don't have someone to ask? And how
does a buyer choose the specific animal they want without seeing it? In my opinion, I
think it's a sad state of affairs when the very breeders who want you to buy their
animals don't want to take the time to answer people's questions or give them the
basic information they need to care for their new pet! Too often I see vendors at
other shows sitting behind their tables, not talking to anyone but other vendors, and
then wondering why they aren't having many customers at their tables.
For these reasons, as well as the strain
on family life trying to run the show as an individual, the Bayou City Breeders' Expo &
Sale has been discontinued until further notice. I am concentrating my time and effort
on doing more reptile educational programs and BIRTHDAY PARTIES, more sales of dry goods
and supplies, and less sales of live reptiles. I am not ceasing all reptile sales, but
rather decreasing the variety of animals for sale, so that the time is available to
educate more people. This to me is the aspect of reptile salesmanship that is sorely
lacking.
Should the vendor situation change
in the future, the Bayou City Breeders' Expo will return! I have really
enjoyed doing the shows, and having the good quality vendors that I had for
many years...people who are ultimately concerned with the welfare of the animals they sold,
and LIKED to make sure the owners of their babies knew how to care for them.
If you would like to participate as a vendor
in any future BCBE shows that may occur, and you share the commitment of other high-quality
vendors to educate the public and make sure your animals go to good WELL-INFORMED new homes,
please contact us at your convenience.
If there is anything that Houston Herp Supply
can do to increase your reptile experience, please let us know. Obviously, we carry a full
line of reptile products, including caging, heating, lighting, frozen rodents, and our newest
passion:
CARNIVOROUS PLANTS! Everything can be ordered online, or picked up here at our facility
by appointment.
Regards,
Mike Howlett
Houston Herp Supply - Your One-Stop
Reptile Source
Sponsor of the online Visual Key to the
Snakes of Harris County
E-mail:
Houstonherp@aol.com
Info@houstonherp.com
Telephone:
281-433-3286
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