It was around 1995, I was doing something called "surfing the web" on this new thing called the internet.  There were no search engines back then but I found this banner that would show websites at random based on one's preselected interests.  Ultimately I wound up on a site for a nursery selling airplants.  I had never heard of such a thing and eventually would place a sample order for these plants that didn't grow in soil. Like so many when they first become aware of Tillandsias, I was totally intrigued by the amazing diversity of species, hybrids and locality forms.

I was also developing a rather serious interest in reptiles and various herps that were being sold at reptiles shows and swap meets.  I thought I could sell Tillandsias there and I did. I put many a mile on my old trusty van driving to the various reptile and  garden shows here in the heartland. Then along came eBay and ultimately a website. In 2011, selling tillandsias became my full time livelihood.