Yes on equipment -- PVC/plastic enclosures; Reptile Basics should have a pretty complete lineup of their products; decor items and some substrates are usually in good variety.
VIP admission is worth the extra money not only to skip the line, but also to get in early before the crowds. So, either come a couple hours before doors open, or a couple hours after. The March show isn't as bad in this regard as the October one, but still.
The auction on Sat night is kind of fun. I've only gone to it once, but I did enjoy it (didn't buy anything, but that's not the way I buy stuff).
I don't actually know what most vendors' thoughts about shipping expo sale animals are. Many vendors mark animals down in price for expos to try to skip the hassle of shipping. I vend expos (local ones, not these big national events, and I don't breed ball pythons), and I would probably decline a shipping arrangement from an expo sale. At the shows I vend, I don't even have time and energy to make arrangements like that during the expo. It would probably be worth checking with specific vendors ahead of time on this. Possibly given the state of the market, BP breeders might agree to just about anything to make a sale.
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