• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.

For Sale Itinerary #24, March 8th!! Get Your orders in and ready for transport!!

Burzum999

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PSA #1: I have a neuro surgery on March 31 with my "10-day" checkup on April 12. Most people require ~4 weeks to recover although ~2 weeks is possible, so, do NOT count on an April itinerary!!

PSA #2: There will be no more west coast, defined in this context as anything west of El Paso, TX (draw a line up to Canada), at least not during Winter, definitely not without a copilot, and preferably on a slower itinerary if I do resume. It is not fair to my much greater 'eastern clientele' who, for example, comprised 94% of my Shipments and 96% of my Stops on the January 2022 itinerary, to be pushed back 2-3 days (atop natural delays already putting me behind 3-4 days) for just a couple of Stops on the west coast.

NOTA BENE #1: I am flying solo this round, but there are also only 10 Shipments at the moment, so, it shouldn't be too bad. That being said, please give me more to outweigh this absurd gas situation!!

NOTA BENE #2: I had raised my base Shipment rates (id est, not Extended Territory or Large Shipment surcharges) by $25 for February and March (should have started this in December), not even because of these absurd prices, but for the simple reasoning that Winter consumes more gas (read here: https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/col...pBgYNW6WGUVpNLdkpKdJ9jTuK_CH5RDyjKrD48UZfxVBk), not to mention the natural struggles n' delays that come with Winter. Here is the price matrix for this month, for multiple Pickups going to one (1) Customer (Recipient), in simplest form:

One (1) Pickup = $150
Two (2) Pickups = $275
Three (3) Pickups = $375
A fourth or more Pickups will be $75/ea on top of the $375.

Further NOTA BENE: This is when ALL Stops, id est all Pickups + Delivery, are within Standard Territory, id est: All of PA down the east coast to Tampa, across the Gulf down to San Antonio, over to Abilene and straight up through the eastern halves/portions of OK/KS/NE, lower portion of MN, lower halves of WI and MI, all of MO/IA/IL/IN/OH, and everything within.

Id est, exempli gratia; if just one (1) Stop, whether Pickup or Delivery, is in El Paso, this will incur a $50 surcharge; if in Odessa, a $25 surcharge. These examples are part of Extended Territory. Exceptionally large Shipments still incur their own surcharge (possibly on top of an Extended Territory surcharge), whether a single large animal (exempli gratia, an adult D. polylepis, O. hannah or Lachesis sp.), a large pair of animals (e.g., full-grown B. rhinoceros), or a gazillion animals.

*****​

Greetings Everyone,

For those who were a part of any of the first 23 itineraries, or who at least followed the corresponding ads:

2020
November 3: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=741990
November 17: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=743530
November 30: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745171
December 15: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=746372
December 29: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=747466
2021
January 11: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=748657
January 28: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2244808#post2244808
February 8: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750893
March 2: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=752201
March 23: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=753972
April 13: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=755101
May 4: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=757160
May 19: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=758367
June 15: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=760260
July 13: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=762953
August 10: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2268395#post2268395
August 24: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2270319#post2270319
September 15: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=768336
October 19: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=771661
November 15: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2282376#post2282376
December 6: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=775606
2022
January 11
: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2286853#post2286853
February 15: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2290325#post2290325

...I had hit the road for my 24th run on March 8. For those who are unaware of what all of this pertains to, please read my original ‘(VENOMOUS) ANIMAL DELIVERY SERVICE’ ad posted on 4 September 2020: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2222383#post2222383, and read all of the positive feedback on the first of the aforementioned links (11/3). Nota Bene: This original ad needs some serious revamping, ha, but You will get the gist of it.

I will detail how the process works which is quite simple honestly, via a pre-typed description that I copy/paste to everyone, and over a phone call if need be. In the meantime, please check out the previous ads for an idea of how these itineraries work, the smooth flow n’ logical order of Pickups and Deliveries that is, and infer what You can.

As of March 14, I have 15 Shipments/23 Stops lined up so far. See photos 2-4 for Google Maps screenshots of the current itinerary, and the corresponding list here (id est, 'currently' because more Stops [Shipments] will likely be added which, logically, will alter the itinerary, but which all affected Sellers and Customers will be apprised of renewed ETAs ASAP):

Tuesday, 3/8
Brooklyn: Delivery (from me; a Persian cat)
Matamoras: Delivery (from me)
Wednesday, 3/9
Home: Pickup (Drop-Off)
Thursday, 3/10
Little River: Pickup
Friday, 3/11
Cleveland: Pickup
Brenham: Pickup x 2
Brenham: Pickup (for me; different Seller than above)
Denton: Pickup
Broken Arrow: Pickup
Saturday, 3/12
Kansas City: Pickup
Aurora: Pickup + Delivery x 2 (from Home & Kansas City Pickups)
Salesville: Pickup
Sunday, 3/13
Grygla: Delivery x 2 (from Little River & Salesville Pickups)
Monday, 3/14
Bemidji: ***Where I slept, but then...
Grygla: ***Returned per Seller's & Customer's request to probe a questionable animal (hence, counted as a Stop, and yes, I charged for all of this)
Tuesday, 3/15
Warren: Pickup
Parma: Delivery (from Cleveland Pickup)
Huntington: Delivery (from Brenham Pickup)
Jackhorn: Delivery (from Warren Pickup)
Wednesday, 3/16
Rocky Ford: Delivery (from Brenham Pickup)
Charleston: Delivery (from Aurora Pickup)
Little River: Delivery (from Broken Arrow Pickup)
Clayton: Pickup
Thursday, 3/17
Chesapeake: Delivery (from Denton Pickup)
Philadelphia: Delivery (from Clayton Pickup)
Home

Nota Bene: Deliveries from us will not show a Pickup, nor will Pickups for us show a Delivery. This is to explain any discrepancy in the number of Pickups to the number of Deliveries, and, ultimately, to the number of Shipments I claim. The intention is to depict everywhere we are stopping and traveling through in case You have something to add. Also, added Shipments do not necessarily mean added Stops if both Pickup and Delivery are locations we are already hitting up. Id est, added Shipments will not necessarily add time (save playing Tetris to fit everything as well as more animals to inspect in our daily inspections).

Please share these ads like wildfire! The more Shipments the merrier! And as far as payment options and quotes, please inquire.

I thank You in advance for Your (continuing) patronage!! I offer many benefits to my service, including but not limited to: Daily inspections with videos of each animal sent as proof (Customers love this!); conditional live arrival guarantee (ask for terms or details); no special crating nor IATA labels; hand-delivery to Your home, work or public place of Your choice; flexibility and versatility including able to change course last minute (e.g. from home to work); direct communication (and timely responses) with the carrier of Your precious gems.

Give Obscure Gems Reptiles’ Animal Transport Service a shot, You will not be disappointed!!

Sincerely,

Timothy Gould
Obscure Gems Reptiles
[email protected]
Cell: (413) 427-4832
 

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