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Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...
Dart Den

Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

The "Business" part of the Dart Frog Hobby...
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The "Business" part of the Dart Frog Hobby...
#1
I think we all like to say "Hobby First", business second but "business" should never be considered a bad word IMO.

Making $$, even at the "grass roots" or hobby level is VERY important. It allows us to stay afloat. To keep our little slice of the hobby going in these horrid economic times. Without selling offspring, feeders, supplies, artwork, vivariums ect....the hobby becomes a money suck. A drain on other family resources. And I'm quite sure that would upset the misses in any one's house and no one wants that.

Most of you have heard this one from me before, but it's an "easy" story to tell and to emulate.

I purchased a single 8 dollar culture of Giant Spanish Orange Isopods. After, just now, giving the remaining master cultures to a buddy, I am pretty sure I have transfered, traded or sold, over 50 cultures from the one single acquisition. Anyone can do that, whether it's FF - feeders or ABG mix or plant cuttings. You CAN easily work to affording this hobby solely thru the hobby itself.

Some keys to this:

1. You MUST develope a network of fellow hobbyists and the easiest way is to join several Forums and become active.

2. Attend Frogger meetings, gatherings and Reptile shows. You will meet contacts there and be able to transfer things. Do you have to be a vendor for this ? Nope. Meets some friends at the Reptile Show food court. Arrange to meet them thru the various forums.
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#2
I see something else....

For those of you who are paranoid.

Use the word "TRANSFERED" instead of "sold".

Say "Transferred, Traded or Sold" instead of just "sold".

Just something I picked up from some friends. As always....just passing info along. The above statement should not be construed as legal advice...I'm not (currently) a lawyer.
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#3
Any side business in a niche hobby like ours is really tough to start up and get going. It's also a lot more difficult and fraught with challenges when you partner up with a person or 2. Very hard...

My advice is start VERY small and by yourself. Just my take on it...
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#4
I think this kinda dovetails into the "Flipper" thread....

When attempting to judge if someone is a Flipper or Unethical businessman....ask yourself....what are they putting BACK into the hobby? Are they giving back:

Time
Effort
Information
Help
Money
Innovation

Anything ?

or are they simply....getting frogs in, an then' gettin' em out the door ?
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#5
I agree. It can be an expensive hobby. I think that's why many people get out. I remember when I started I thought I had to have this big elaborate set up with a water feature. Cost me over $400 plus. Then the easy beginner frogs! Well then you have the addiction! And you have to have more. But this time I am not going to spend $400 on a tank. And I think this time I will get a proven pair of big beginner frogs to maybe make my money back? And they breed for me and a make some money then I am thinking dang I made some good money I might as well buy another and another pair. Before you know it I have lots of frogs then I can't culture enough flies and it becomes a big hassle. So I think to myself maybe thumbs or pums? So now I have to sell everything big and buy new vert tanks. And then come the expensive thumb or pum pairs. Well everybody knows they breed like rabbits so your swimming in these expensive frogs that you can make lots of cash!! Oh wait, so now you spent all of this money and they don't breed like the big frogs. So you sell some of these frogs and by some big frogs. And now you start to break even. Everything seems to come around. So now comes the vending and everything else. The cycle of frogging. Just my two cents.
Gabe,
TWI/ASN
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#6
I understand the economy is tough and people have a right to try to earn....but we are dealing with live animals here and not lace doily's or other consumables. We owe it to the frogs to try to be a little better and work harder on the business aspect.

I have gotten a couple PM's of "Jeeze the forums (forum - singular. lets call it like it is. Only DD) are posting up so much dirt and bad hobby stuff and I'm sick of reading it".

Folks, by posting....that's the only way we are going to grow, be more professional and better the hobby. We don't want a forum where all people say is "Sweet Viv, nice froggie and sorry about your loss" do we ? That fluff won't help the hobby or the frogs one bit.

The people that want to make business deals and wheel and deal...that's fine, but you better do it right and be prepared to shoulder the weight.
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#7
Also, a lot of people (new) don't realize just how small this niche' hobby truly is. When something big happens...the majority of the hobby hears about it pretty quick.

It's almost impossible to put something over on people for a long period of time. Info gets verified and passed around VERY quickly, usually.
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#8
Philsuma Wrote:I understand the economy is tough and people have a right to try to earn....but we are dealing with live animals here and not lace doily's or other consumables. We owe it to the frogs to try to be a little better and work harder on the business aspect.

I have gotten a couple PM's of "Geeze the forums (forum - singular. lets call it like it is. Only DD) are posting up so much dirt and bad hobby stuff and I'm sick of reading it".

Folks, by posting....that's the only way we are going to grow, be more professional and better the hobby. We don't want a forum where all people say is "Sweet Viv, nice frog and sorry about your loss" do we ? That fluff won't help the hobby or the frogs one bit.

The people that want to make business deals and wheel and deal...that's fine, but you better do it right and be prepared to shoulder the weight.

Folks, Phil is doing the hobby a service by not burying his head in the sand on these issues. I appreciate the various threads that provide feedback and discussion on "not so popular" topics. I have already had a close call to losing money, but thanks to Dart Den I was able sync up w other froggers to flush out facts and clear up assumptions. When scams and trolls hit the scene they need to be confronted, reformed, or castigated from the hobby.

-Scott
Scott - North Dallas
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