• 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.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

For Sale Itinerary #25, May 3!! Get Your orders in and ready for transport!!

Burzum999

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NOTA BENE #1: Surgery went, and recovery has been going, very well, so yes, I am confident to hit the road again next week and to do just fine. :) And yes, I have made this ad earlier than usual because of the lapse since last itinerary, to get everybody back into the swing of things, but it changes almost daily, so, expect updates. I will boost the ad with a Reply a day or two before departure, which is typically when I make these, as a reminder to departure, and as always, Stops (Shipments) can be added after departure.

NOTA BENE #2 / PSA #1: WEST COAST HAS BEEN CALLED OFF THIS ROUND!! It has simply proven not feasible with less than three (3) Stops out there, where, exempli gratia, if just that Reno, NV-->Grygla, MN Shipment was a go on its own, would have cost $500+ in gas alone, which I would have had to charge $550+ to maybe break even. Two (2) other prospective Shipments had fallen off: Olyphant, PA-->Sacramento, CA and Tucson, AZ-->Linwood, NC, leaving no choice but for the Customer (Recipient) of the Reno/Grygla Shipment to cancel, whereas all three (3) would have made for somewhat reasonable fees ($225-$300).

NOTA BENE #3: I had raised my base Shipment rates (id est, not Extended Territory or Large Shipment surcharges) by $25 in February, and until gas comes down again, they will remain. 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 Pennsylvania 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. Perhaps an unusual and extreme, but applicable example for this itinerary, is a Pickup in Reno, NV, for Delivery in Grygla, MN; Reno is a $100 surcharge, and Grygla is a $50 surcharge = $300 total ($150 [base charge] + $100 + $50), especially with how expensive gas is on the West Coast. However, with so few Stops (Shipments) out there, I have to charge $350.

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 24 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
March 8: https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=781637

...Lois and I will be hitting the road again on May 3. 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, finally revamped on 7 May 2022, and read all of the positive feedback on the first of the aforementioned links (11/3).

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 May 8, we have 29 Shipments/45 Stops lined up so far. See photos 2-4, and a Reply with three (3) photos, 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, 5/3
Parma: Pickup x 2
East Stroudsburg: Pickup
Wednesday, 5/4
Purcellville: Delivery (from Parma Pickup)
Jackhorn: Pickup
Charleston: Delivery (from Parma Pickup)
Ridgeland: Pickup x 4
Thursday, 5/5
St. Augustine: Delivery (nonvenomous; from us)
Tallahassee: Pickup (nonvenomous)
McKinney: Delivery (from Ridgeland Pickup)
Frisco: Pickup
Denton, TX: Pickup + Delivery (from Jackhorn Pickup)
Rhome: Pickup
Friday, 5/6
Houston (Gulf Fwy): Delivery (from Rhome Pickup)
Houston (S Sam Houston Pkwy E): Pickup
Brenham: Pickup + Delivery (from Tallahassee Pickup)
Austin: Delivery (from us)
Burnet: Delivery (from East Stroudsburg Pickup)
San Antonio: Pickup
Saturday, 5/7
Cambridge: Delivery (from Frisco Pickup)
Omaha: Pickup
Sunday, 5/8
Carthage: Pickup x 2
Aurora: Delivery (from us)
O'Fallon: Delivery (from Omaha Pickup)
Coal City: Delivery (from Ridgeland Pickup)
Monday, 5/9
Martinsville: Delivery (from Ridgeland Pickup)
Indianapolis (Community Pl): Delivery (from Ridgeland Pickup)
Indianapolis (E 96th St): Pickup
Dayton: Delivery (from San Antonio Pickup)
Jackhorn: Delivery (from Denton, TX, Pickup)
Stokesdale: Delivery (from Houston Pickup)
Greensboro: Delivery (from Indianapolis Pickup)
Denton, NC: Pickup
Tuesday, 5/10
Sumter: Delivery (from Carthage Pickup)
Moncks Corner: Delivery (from Denton, NC, Pickup)
Fort Lauderdale: Pickup x 2 (frozen Burms)
Wednesday, 5/11
Ridgeland: Pickup x 3
Charleston: Delivery (from Fort Lauderdale Pickup)
Enola: Pickup
Thursday, 5/12
Virginia Beach: Delivery (from Enola Pickup)
East Stroudsburg: Delivery (from [second] Ridgeland Pickup)
Matamoras: Delivery (from Brenham Pickup)
Butler: Delivery (from [second] Ridgeland Pickup)
Irwin: Delivery (from Carthage Pickup)
Friday, 5/13
Dayton: Delivery (from [second] Ridgeland Pickup)
Parma: Delivery (from Fort Lauderdale Pickup)
Home

~10,256 miles, divided by ~30 MPG = 342 gallons, times $4.328/gal (AAA National Average as of 5/9, having increased 1-2 cents per day since at least 4/26 when it was $4.123) = $1,480 in gas, let alone wear n' tear (e.g., synthetic LOF every month, tires every ~3 months), tolls, food, et cetera. Not that anyone has ever given me issue on my transport fee, knock on wood, and I thank You All for Your understanding and acceptance, but this is to explain why rates had increased in February should there ever be any question or complaint, and further to explain surcharges for Extended Territory (exempli gratia: $25 to Odessa, TX, $50 to El Paso, TX, $75 to Tucson, AZ, $100-$150 west of Tucson [the latter depending on how many Stops (Shipments) on the West Coast there are]).

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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Screenshots #4 -6

Screenshots #4-6. Twenty-nine (29) Shipments/45 Stops so far, keep'em comin'!!
 

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