Latest update: April 2, 2026

Want to skip those pesky shipping fees? Here's how: pre-order for FREE pickup at a tradeshow near you! Pre-ordering is a bit like ridesharing, but for orders instead of people. We're already shipping a bunch of live animals, plants, feeders and dry goods to the tradeshow, so it (usually) doesn't cost us any extra to bring your order along too.

Below we've answered some of the most frequently-asked questions about pre-orders and how they work. Have a question that isn't answered here? Email [email protected] to let us know!

What's a pre-order? 

We stock over 6,000 products in our warehouse for customers to choose from online. There's no way we can bring it all to every trade show we attend, so instead we let customers place orders ahead for pickup at the show. This way you get exactly what you want with no shipping fees, plus you get to look cool when you pick up your special order in person. VIP coming through!

How do I place a pre-order?

It's so easy! Simply place your order on our website as usual, with one important difference: in the Shipping Address area of Checkout, select the appropriate Store/Show Pickup option. This lets us know to bring your order to the show. That's it!

What can I pre-order?

Almost everything available for purchase on our website can be pre-ordered for show pickup. That means live animals, plants, feeders and supplies! However, there are a few important exceptions that we'll cover below.

What CAN'T I pre-order?

There are a few products that we don't allow for pre-order. There are three main reasons for this: 1) it's a dropship product, meaning that we don't actually keep it in our facility and can't pack it for shipment to the show; 2) it's a bulky product that would take up too much space; or 3) it doesn't fare well through freight transport and tends to arrive at the show in poor condition. The following products are not allowed for pre-order for at least one of these reasons.

• Glass terrariums (these are usually available at the show from other vendors)
• Zen Habitats products
• Phailozoo products
• Reptile Kages products
• Crickets by Timberline
• Frozen rodents
• Canadian nightcrawlers
• Bottle fly spikes
• Some—but not all—animals with a green Partner Network badge, which looks like this:

Our Partner Network animals are dropshipped by a Certified Breeder Partner, but they aren't always exclusively dropshipped. We may have some available in-house as well. To see if a specific Partner Network animal can be pre-ordered, please reach out to Customer Service.

How much can I pre-order?

We strive to accommodate all pre-orders to help you save on shipping and time, but since vehicle and booth space are limited, we do monitor order volumes to ensure we can safely transport everyone's items alongside our show inventory. If an order is large enough to impact our travel logistics or booth operations, we’ll contact you directly to discuss the best way to handle it. For very large orders, we recommend contacting us early so we can plan the logistics together.

What if the show is cancelled or Josh's Frogs isn't there?

If for any reason (illness, vehicle trouble, sudden emergency, venue cancellation, etc) we cannot attend the show as planned, we'll notify you as soon as possible and provide your choice of either free shipping or a full refund for all your pre-orders. In other words: if we don't show, your pre-order still ships FREE!

What if I don't make it to the show?

If you don't pick up your pre-order at the show as planned, we can either cancel it and refund you or ship it to you at your expense. In some situations (such as monthly shows) we may be able to hold your pre-order until the next show. We'll reach out to see how you'd like to proceed. If we can't get in touch with you after making reasonable attempts to do so, we'll cancel and refund your pre-order.