US Repticon Baltimore, MD 1/19-1/20

[Major 78]

Hey! So I will be going to Repticon in Baltmore, MD on 1/19/19! Was wondering in any other TF'ers will be coming? Does anyone know if there will be any vendors that carry T's? More info here: http://repticon.com/maryland/baltimore/

Here's a post I made. If you can't tell, I'm pretty excited.
"
Ok, so I just had the luckiest moment ever. Lemme explain.

My birthday is on February 28, so I told my parents I didn't want a tangible gift, but to go to Repticon. We looked at the nearest Repticon in our area and decided Edison, NJ. I was super excited. But the my Dad sat down with me and said that I would probably have to pay for some of it. I was a little disappointed but was OK with the idea. We calculated gas, hotel prices, food, tickets, and how much I wanted to spend at the expo. Let's just say, it was a little pricy. NJ has some expensive hotels. I tried to come up with ways to cut down the total price without lowering my budget for Repticon itself. Couldn't think of any way except not eating for a couple days and seeping in the car, and my Dad and I don't want to do either lol. I was checking the Repticon website, and saw the other areas that that Repticon was being held. My Dad looked over my shoulder and exclaimed "Baltimore!" I was confused, I asked him why he was so happy. He said his best friend lived in Baltimore and he would happily let us stay at his house for a night or two. I was happy, since that cut down housing prices. The drive was also only 3 minutes longer than the drive to NJ. We decided to go there on the 18, spend the night, and go to Repticon on the 19. Now, I can show my Dad in person how beautiful and calm T's can be! And, the vendors can probably help explain to him that they should be child friendly. I am bringing $200-300 for the Repticon itself, and from what I have heard, that should be more than enough. I have to do TONS of chores to pay my Dad back for that though... My Mom, brother, and sister are not coming. I also got my dad to agree to holding at least 1 snake, and 1 T. Help him get over his fear and disgust of animals. I have wanted to go to Repticon EVER since I found out about it, but never though I would actually go. To all of you who go to expos often, it may not seem as big of a deal, but for me, this is a dream come true. Hundreds of people around me who won't think I am weird for thinking a tarantulas is pretty. I am so happy, you would have to see me in person to see the grin on my face that spreads across my face. Also, any other members going?"

 

[Floodmeister]

Congratulations! I'll be in Baltimore that weekend permitting the weather. I'll be going to the aquarium there so I might stop by in the afternoon. It'll be my first Repticon as well. I've been to almost every expo in the Philly area like Hamburg and Oaks for the past year and a half and I still get excited going to them like it was my first. I'm really interested because the venue looks much larger then the ones I've attended. My birthday is at the end of the month so i'm thinking about getting something special and by special, I mean something a tad bit more then I would normally spend. Maybe my first pokie or to be honest I was thinking a T. stirmi if I can find one. Nonetheless I'm excited to go just as much as you are, I know Creative Ectothermic Solutions will be there and they usually have a good selection. I bought a few T's from them and held my first one from them so you should be able to hold one with your father. The one pictured in my profile pic is my first T, an A. seemani, which was purchased from them. The Oogedy-Boogedy LLC I think has T's if I remember correctly. Outback Reptiles is usually there with T's but I try to stay away from them as a google search can tell you how most people feel about them. If there's any knowledge I can pass to you about the expos I've be to is that a T vendor that knows what they are talking about will label them with scientific names. Reptile vendors who bring T's to sell will label them with common names, and may not know a whole lot about them. Not to say they are horrible and keep their T's wrong, as I have purchased probably around 3-4 like that and they are still alive and well. Don't be afraid to ask them questions and spend time looking at all of them to see what kind of condition they are in. I will usually see a species I want and spend time looking at every single one they have before I make a purchase. My first time I kind of felt rushed and that I needed to hurry up like I was holding them up from getting a sale. But most of the vendors are really friendly and don't mind talking to you. With the exception of one vendor I deal with at my local expo. I seriously don't know how to talk to that dude. But my final piece of advice is to walk the entire expo and check out prices before making any purchases. My first few expos I saw a species I wanted, bought it, only to find that same species a few tables down even cheaper. I wish you the best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions