In your pet store.... you make the choices....

[Wiggles92]

What would you pay for feeder anoles/geckos?

And for fruit flys?

If you can meet or beat the average price for them online then, I'd say that you're set.

Fruit flies are extremely cheap and easy to culture once you get a system down and get the hang of making the media and such. I had a nice culture of them going for a year or so when I had my house gecko, and some of their offspring are still hanging around my house now a few years later (as determined by their red eyes and odd-coloration). As for the feeder lizards, look into something that can be cheaply acquired for breeding stock and has a high rate of reproduction.

 

[mshill90]

If you can meet or beat the average price for them online then, I'd say that you're set.

Fruit flies are extremely cheap and easy to culture once you get a system down and get the hang of making the media and such. I had a nice culture of them going for a year or so when I had my house gecko, and some of their offspring are still hanging around my house now a few years later (as determined by their red eyes and odd-coloration).

The thing with beating the online prices, is with the online prices you also have to pay shipping.. so if i sell them for less than they sell them online, I am not covering my shipping, and I would be taking a loss.

Like, is $4 too much?

As for the flies, I do see they are easy to grow. lol. I just need to make sure they stay contained.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

4 bucks would be a bit high imo. 2.50 or 3 imho for those would make it worth while to buy from a lrs instead of buying online

 

[mshill90]

the wholesale cost for me is 2.50. at last that's what I could find.

 

[Andrewtfw]

As a manager of a lfs that after 22 yrs is now going out of business, I wish you the best of luck. Our store prided itself on excellent customer service. Customer service does not pay the bills. We lost out to the internet. Customers would come to us for advice and then buy online. We also had a large population of families that used us to occupy their kids attention while they talked as they waited to be seated at the restaurant next door. We would often hear them telling each other that it was like going to the national aquarium only it was free and their kids get a better view. Once again, this entertainment does not pay the bills. I still dream of having my own store one day, but at the rate that lfs have disappeared around the area, it may have to remain a dream.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

the wholesale cost for me is 2.50. at last that's what I could find.

Really? I havnt looked in awhile. I guess the price went up .

 

[Vicious_Fish]

What would you pay for feeder anoles/geckos?

And for fruit flys?

Well, I had to pay $5.00 for an almost completely used up fruit fly culture for Zootopia over in Harrisburg the other day because I was desperate for them (I need them to feed to my newborn Lygodactylus). I think I may have got about a dozen flies out of it so I'm pretty ticked. I think Petco and Petsmart sell the cultures for about the same price but they're in small vials. The thing about fruit flies is that you can breed them yourself by making new cultures. All you have to do is reseed new cultures with adult flies and you're good to go. I only need fruit flies for a few weeks initially so I don't bother breeding them.


Also like mentioned the internet is killing everything. You should consider having a website as well to help out your business so that you can also pull in money doing online sales.

 

[Marcel_h]

In my experience most reptile/fish only stores only stay around for a few years and dissapear then. It`s stuff like dog and cat products that pay the bills.

 

[mshill90]

In my experience most reptile/fish only stores only stay around for a few years and dissapear then. It`s stuff like dog and cat products that pay the bills.

Maybe in your location.

 

[mshill90]

Well, I had to pay $5.00 for an almost completely used up fruit fly culture for Zootopia over in Harrisburg the other day because I was desperate for them (I need them to feed to my newborn Lygodactylus). I think I may have got about a dozen flies out of it so I'm pretty ticked. I think Petco and Petsmart sell the cultures for about the same price but they're in small vials. The thing about fruit flies is that you can breed them yourself by making new cultures. All you have to do is reseed new cultures with adult flies and you're good to go. I only need fruit flies for a few weeks initially so I don't bother breeding them.


Also like mentioned the internet is killing everything. You should consider having a website as well to help out your business so that you can also pull in money doing online sales.

I do plan on doing internet sales. I just don't want to try to start both at the same time. That would be too much. And very hard to keep track of at first.

As for fruit flies... Zootopia? Really. That place is a complete hole in the wall.

I can get some good deals on fruit fly cultures, so I think I can get you covered for those.
Shoot me a PM, and I'll give you some info.