04-21-2011, 05:06 PM
Please keep in mind this thread is geared towards assisting the new hobbyists in helping him or her to make informed choices, select healthy animals and have an excellent chance at a positive hobby experience.
The following is personal opinion, flavoured with advice geared towards helping the newer hobbyists. It is not gospel. It is not black and white. It is not Dogmatic - all or nothing. It is not "do as I say, not as I do". This is also not "Official Dart Den.com" policy. It is merely personal experience and an attempt to logically and easily lay out a starting point of choices to help the new member here. ALL readers are encouraged to take what they will from it, ask further questions - here in this thread or use any or all of it as a jumping off point en route to acquiring more information from other sources.
I encourage disagreement and robust debate on this topic as well as any other here but what I do NOT want to see, is "Forum Lawyering" and people who seem to want to put all their energy into finding the exact typed word or sentence for their "Master stroke" or "Gotcha" moment.
If you want to discuss who, when or where you should get a Dart Frog - then this thread / Forum is for you. Please don't come here with a sharp stick trying to stab your way into the limelight.
When I get a PM, asking me where to get Dart Frogs, and I've gotten three here in the last 24 hours....here's what I would do:
1. Join an online Dart Frog Forum - like this one :wink: If it is a 100% Dart Frog niche forum, you will have a much better chance at getting pertinent information about Dart Frogs and where to get them, then from a generic "Frog or Amphibian Forum".
2. Read a TON of posts and classified ads. I would recommend several weeks worth of reading and posting before even starting to consider a species from a particular "source" that will provide the actual animals (frogs). Find posts by those hobbyists that are close to you and read them all. Buy from a SPONSOR of a forum. There's a reason they are a Sponsor, as the forums don't just let anyone slap on that title. The Sponsors are good business people and hobbyists. PAY EXTRA ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE POST /ADVERTISER IS NEW OR NOT...HAS LOTS OF FORUM ACTIVITY AND CRED AND NOT JUST A FEW RANDOM POSTS. LIKE ANYTHING IN LIFE -DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE , ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AFTER LOTS OF THOUGHT.
3. Key into the Forum sections that announce the Local Meetings and Gatherings. Unless you live in New Mexico or South Dakota, chances are...there will be 1-4 of these meetings per year, within 1-4 hours away. They are your BEST source of acquiring Dart Frogs, as you are getting them from fellow hobbyists who are invested in the hobby. Try to locate some members that live close by as well. When they transfer a frog to you, they will often provide immediate customer service, often being able to meet you should something go wrong or a problem occurs. Don't be afraid of these local meetings. All the meetings that I've been to, have been full of fun, friendly people...and of course....EXCELLENT deals on quality frogs.
4. Captive born Frogs are the best choice .Not only are you rewarding the breeder for their excellent, good work with taking the time to produce quality frogs, but you are also hooking into a local network by buying them close by. Many times local people get huge discounts and of course, do not have to sweat and worry about all the potential problems that are intrinsic with shipping. Local buying also gets you better, quicker customer service and "tech support" IMO as well.
5. Reptile shows are second best, to Frogger Meets and Gatherings. Again, try to look for the True Hobbyists and Forum people that will be vending and staffing a table. There will also be Big Businesses, "Flippers" and Jobbers present at all Reptile shows. I would only patronize them if I had the input and recommendation of an experienced hobbyist, whom I trusted. I would say, be sure to get someone that's been in the hobby for a long time and that you feel, knows what he is talking about, to recommend buying from a wholesaler, importer or flipper.
6. Mail order 'Reptile Importers' / Website / Craigslist ect. I would not recommend buying anything sight unseen and taking a chance with a shipped frog unless you have the complete backing of someone senior / experienced, in the hobby to guide you and even then, I would read Fauna Classifieds Board of Inquiry (BOI) as well as Dart Den.com 's vendor feedback / rating section AND ask and PM a few people that have posted in connection with the potential seller.
The following is personal opinion, flavoured with advice geared towards helping the newer hobbyists. It is not gospel. It is not black and white. It is not Dogmatic - all or nothing. It is not "do as I say, not as I do". This is also not "Official Dart Den.com" policy. It is merely personal experience and an attempt to logically and easily lay out a starting point of choices to help the new member here. ALL readers are encouraged to take what they will from it, ask further questions - here in this thread or use any or all of it as a jumping off point en route to acquiring more information from other sources.
I encourage disagreement and robust debate on this topic as well as any other here but what I do NOT want to see, is "Forum Lawyering" and people who seem to want to put all their energy into finding the exact typed word or sentence for their "Master stroke" or "Gotcha" moment.
If you want to discuss who, when or where you should get a Dart Frog - then this thread / Forum is for you. Please don't come here with a sharp stick trying to stab your way into the limelight.
When I get a PM, asking me where to get Dart Frogs, and I've gotten three here in the last 24 hours....here's what I would do:
1. Join an online Dart Frog Forum - like this one :wink: If it is a 100% Dart Frog niche forum, you will have a much better chance at getting pertinent information about Dart Frogs and where to get them, then from a generic "Frog or Amphibian Forum".
2. Read a TON of posts and classified ads. I would recommend several weeks worth of reading and posting before even starting to consider a species from a particular "source" that will provide the actual animals (frogs). Find posts by those hobbyists that are close to you and read them all. Buy from a SPONSOR of a forum. There's a reason they are a Sponsor, as the forums don't just let anyone slap on that title. The Sponsors are good business people and hobbyists. PAY EXTRA ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE POST /ADVERTISER IS NEW OR NOT...HAS LOTS OF FORUM ACTIVITY AND CRED AND NOT JUST A FEW RANDOM POSTS. LIKE ANYTHING IN LIFE -DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE , ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AFTER LOTS OF THOUGHT.
3. Key into the Forum sections that announce the Local Meetings and Gatherings. Unless you live in New Mexico or South Dakota, chances are...there will be 1-4 of these meetings per year, within 1-4 hours away. They are your BEST source of acquiring Dart Frogs, as you are getting them from fellow hobbyists who are invested in the hobby. Try to locate some members that live close by as well. When they transfer a frog to you, they will often provide immediate customer service, often being able to meet you should something go wrong or a problem occurs. Don't be afraid of these local meetings. All the meetings that I've been to, have been full of fun, friendly people...and of course....EXCELLENT deals on quality frogs.
4. Captive born Frogs are the best choice .Not only are you rewarding the breeder for their excellent, good work with taking the time to produce quality frogs, but you are also hooking into a local network by buying them close by. Many times local people get huge discounts and of course, do not have to sweat and worry about all the potential problems that are intrinsic with shipping. Local buying also gets you better, quicker customer service and "tech support" IMO as well.
5. Reptile shows are second best, to Frogger Meets and Gatherings. Again, try to look for the True Hobbyists and Forum people that will be vending and staffing a table. There will also be Big Businesses, "Flippers" and Jobbers present at all Reptile shows. I would only patronize them if I had the input and recommendation of an experienced hobbyist, whom I trusted. I would say, be sure to get someone that's been in the hobby for a long time and that you feel, knows what he is talking about, to recommend buying from a wholesaler, importer or flipper.
6. Mail order 'Reptile Importers' / Website / Craigslist ect. I would not recommend buying anything sight unseen and taking a chance with a shipped frog unless you have the complete backing of someone senior / experienced, in the hobby to guide you and even then, I would read Fauna Classifieds Board of Inquiry (BOI) as well as Dart Den.com 's vendor feedback / rating section AND ask and PM a few people that have posted in connection with the potential seller.
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https://twitter.com/DartDen
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".