Buying a Hamster?

Hey all.
First (real) topic I would start with is how to buy a hamster. Let me tell you one story:
"It was 2 weeks before X-mas last year and new pet shop opened in my town. I wanted to get a dog, but my mom didn't let me, so I said I will buy a rat. If I did that, she would probably kick me out of the house. OK I said. You do not let me have dog, I'll get rats. Too bad, I could find any. But few days later my granny found two mice. I was happy. I took old terrarium and placed mice inside. When my mom got home from work she almost had a stroke. But she realized I really wants a pet and I am serious about that. So she let me buy a hamster as my X-mas gift. Same day I went to pet shop.
There were like two terrariums. One crowded with nice and colorful baby syrian hamsters, and another with three big albino angora hamsters. Shop assistent came and asked me what I need, I said that I would like to get a hamster. All she did is aked me which one I like. I picked cute silver ball. It was a bit affraid. I asked assistent can she tell me is it boy or girl. She didn't know. But I immediately fell in love. "No matter what, I am buying you", I said. So I bough it. When I came home first thing to find out was sex of my hamster. I didn't take a while to find out he was boy. Next goal: pick a name. At first he was nameless for first few days, and then I found perfect name; Pixie."
So, this is quite how it was. What I am trying to say is DO A RESEARCH. Do not be a stupid kid who point and gets something without knowning a single thing about it. It is much, much easier to care for hamster with some experience and knowledge, belive me. It is much easier to raise FiFi now after I already raised Pixie and Bella.
Read a lot of different stories about experiences with hamster. But do not stick to them. Remember that every hamster is unique. So, a lot of research and choose a good pet shop. I would reccomand to visit few before buying your hamster and make list on good and bad sides of each, and in the end choose the best. Eve better is buying hamsters from breeders. And the best thing is, that there are those breeders that breed because of love for hamsters and not money, who may give you a hamster for free. But prepare yourself, they might fool you. So do your best, do little research and I am sure your new hamster will spice up your life. Hope this post helped someone.

-Marko