Various Vendor Related Questions!

[Sarin]

Hey guys. I am hoping to vend for the first time in Mississauga either in the fall or the early 2011 show. It depends on when my 'babies' decide to have some babies.

Anyway, I really would like to come prepared so I have a few questions.

Banners, the big shiney professional ones that you usually hang in front of your table. Where do you get these?

Lighting.. I'd like to have some kind of light above the geckos on the table. What sort of lighting would you recommend for this? And where would I get it as well as the top? (Like you see on aquariums.) I cannot think of the name, hopefully you know what I'm trying to say! LOL. (Also, would this lighting be alright to use every day above their home enclosures? Just for viewing.)

Containers.. I'm having a hard time finding containers. I really like the 8o deli cups and the oval-looking clear ones that snap shut, the ones with the lid attached to them already on a hinge. Where would one find these containers, preferrably in Canada? Everywhere I look they are in the US and you have to buy something crazy like 500.. I don't need that many.. Yet.

Thanks!

[Amy_R]

Banners:
You can try a print shop or copying centre for things like these. The real issue is having one designed just right.

Lights:
Typically people call them light canopies or fluorescent fixtures. You can get a huge range of sizes at most pet stores. Try somewhere you know sells fish and related supplies, as that was their original purpose. You may also be able to find similar fixtures in garden supply stores, and of course, used online. Stick a fluorescent tube in there, and you're good to go.

Containers:
People get their containers for many different sources. Some people buy things from Bulk Barn, some from the dollar store, some from a deli shop, and you can also find the simple deli containers online (one that comes to mind is reptile kings). Finding the containers is not hard, it's putting holes in them that really sucks, lol. For the thinner containers (eg. deli cups) you can try just a simple one hole punch. This can be time consuming, but it's cheap, and it works. For thicker plastics, you can use a rotary tool/drill. Or if you want, you can cut out the centre of the lids and replace it with a fine mesh. How you go about ventilating your containers is entirely up to you.

Good luck!

[Sarin]

Hey Amy! How're you doing? I was the one who bought your adult Dalmatian female at the last expo. She is doing great so far!

Thanks for answering my questions! You helped a tonne.

[Dyesub Dave]

Another easy method for putting holes into plastic containers is to use a soldering iron. Not only is this fairly quick and doesn't take much effort but the holes are nice and smooth afterwards. You can also decide how large you want the holes by how far you push the soldering iron through the plastic.

Just make sure that you're doing this in a well ventilated area!!

Dyesub Dave.

[alistair]

for holes I use a awl its like a ice pick but a little fatter I just punch them from the in side out.