buying a tarantula

[johnt]

Just would like to know. I know thier are thread's on here about dealer's
I am new here and want to build a collection where do I start? who do I trust?
So many seller's. I have a rose hair would like to get in to some pink toe's or green bottle blue's.Some then like them thank you

 

[Arachnomore]

Just would like to know. I know thier are thread's on here about dealer's
I am new here and want to build a collection where do I start? who do I trust?
So many seller's. I have a rose hair would like to get in to some pink toe's or green bottle blue's.Some then like them thank you

Well first off, start by going into the seller reviews and read about them. Same goes for the section on warnings. I have dealt with a couple and they all are rather legit people to work with. All the top breeders/posters are stickied in the sellers section. That doesn't mean the others aren't any good... shop around, You will do fine.

 

[Moltar]

Check out some of the bigger online dealers.

http://www.swiftinverts.com/
http://www.southernspiderworks.com/
http://www.botarby8s.com/

Those are just a few. Their prices may not be as good as buying from an individual on these boards but the slick websites might make the whole transaction easier for you. I got some of my first T's from Swift's and was very happy. i spoke with kelly Swift on the phone before placing both orders and he was very helpful and happy to answer my questions.

If you're feeling a little more bold go ahead and browse the "for Sale or Trade" section. you'll want to do a little research on the seller and the t you're getting if you do that. By research i just mean reading the sellers review here on the boards and doing a search on proper care for the species you're interested in. Make sure that what you're getting is a decent starter tarantula. There are some species that can be difficult to keep healthy and others that are very ferocious or are extreme escape hazards. Read the sticky threads, do some searching and browse the results then make an informed decision.

With the weather being how it is this time of year i'd suggest trying to buy from someone somewhat near you and in the warmer latitudes.

 

[Truff135]

With the weather being how it is this time of year i'd suggest trying to buy from someone somewhat near you and in the warmer latitudes.

I can vouch for that. I'm willing to bet that with the DoA I had, that one extra day it took to get from CA to OH could have made the difference. Even though it was express it still took 2 days.
So I agree, try to find someone within your general half of the country, especially with this whacky weather.

 

[gambite]

If you are buying your first, I suggest getting it from a local store if possible. Some people will probably flame me for saying it, but I think that, in the long run, it will be a better deal. You can browse the FS/T ads here, but keep in mind that anything you buy will cost an extra $20 for shipping and a Live Arrival guaruntee. So, unless you are buying a LOT of T's or at really discounted prices and getting freebies, this kinda kills most incentive to get them online. That is, unless you dont care about spending the extra money.

 

[Truff135]

If you are buying your first, I suggest getting it from a local store if possible. Some people will probably flame me for saying it, but I think that, in the long run, it will be a better deal. You can browse the FS/T ads here, but keep in mind that anything you buy will cost an extra $20 for shipping and a Live Arrival guaruntee. So, unless you are buying a LOT of T's or at really discounted prices and getting freebies, this kinda kills most incentive to get them online. That is, unless you dont care about spending the extra money.

I won't disagree with you about buying from a pet store, you can find some good starter tarantulas there. However, please keep in mind:

1) If it's a g. rosea there's a 99% chance it's wild-caught and there is no guarantee on age/sex. You could be buying a pre-ultimate male and not know it.
2) Don't listen to a word about what pet stores tell you when it comes to taking care of them. Most employees sadly don't know much when it comes to proper husbandry. Come to us if you have any questions and I highly suggest reading the "beginner" thread and if you buy a rosea, read the "new rosea owner" (or whatever it's called) thread as well. There's some invaluable information.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

i spoke with kelly Swift on the phone before placing both orders and he was very helpful and happy to answer my questions.

Same story here - and I'd been awake for a couple days and just had my 21st birthday party, so I definitely wasn't the most coherent person to talk to! He was a great guy to deal with, and very patient with several panicked newbie emails I sent him in the days after getting my spiders (they were my first ever).

He also has a list of freebie spiderlings, and you get one if your order is over twenty bucks. You can specify which one you'd prefer (I lucked out and he had G. aureostriata on the list when I did it), or ask him which would be best-suited for your experience level.

EDIT: I totally spaced out on this, but if you're getting anything over 2" legspan, you can ask him to sex it for you. He didn't charge me any extra for getting a C. cyaneopubescens female! You can't tell me that's not awesome.

 

[kingfarvito]

some thing i dont think anyone mentioned some of the bigger dealers give discount to arachnoboard members

 

[AzJohn]

Just would like to know. I know thier are thread's on here about dealer's
I am new here and want to build a collection where do I start? who do I trust?
So many seller's. I have a rose hair would like to get in to some pink toe's or green bottle blue's.Some then like them thank you

I noticed you are from southern California. Their are some good dealers and breeders in that area. Check out the for sale section. You'll save the shipping cost if you can pick the tarantula up.

 

[Moltar]

If you are buying your first, I suggest getting it from a local store if possible. Some people will probably flame me for saying it, but I think that, in the long run, it will be a better deal. You can browse the FS/T ads here, but keep in mind that anything you buy will cost an extra $20 for shipping and a Live Arrival guaruntee. So, unless you are buying a LOT of T's or at really discounted prices and getting freebies, this kinda kills most incentive to get them online. That is, unless you dont care about spending the extra money.

All true. The flip side of this however is that anything from a petstore i probably a wild caught, imported animal. You never know what you're getting that way. There could be health problems, parasites, severe dehydration is almost assured and you could unwittingly end up with a mature male that dies 3 months after you buy it.

If you go with a petshop, see if you can take a picture or 2 of the t and post it here. We'll tell you if it looks healthy and if it's being kept properly.

There's also the ethical issue of supporting a store that keeps it's animals improperly. If you buy a sick tarantula to 'rescue' it then you're just encouraging the store to stock more sick t's...

Johnt, sorry if this is more than you wanted to know this early in the game. What i just nutshelled is the basis of lots of ongoing discussion about tarantulas being sold in petshops. Some people feel very strongly on this issue.

 

[Jonathan Rice]

Bigger online dealers with big websites are more reputable, yes. but I recommend trying some of the smaller online sellers/dealers with great reviews if you want to save A LOT of money! More often than not, sellers like Reptist and Surena, and so and so, offer some of the same t's as the BIG NAMES for around half the price.

It's tough to quickly compare this hobby to any other consumer market. If you wanted a TV for instance, you'd go to a larger store and save. But when buying a tarantula, it's just the opposite. Larger online stores have a great selection but they also make their entire living off selling t's so the prices are inevitably higher. Is the quality higher? In some cases, yes, in my experience, it's generally the same. Tarantulas are one of the easiest pets to take care of. Feed them, make sure they have a constant supply of water and leave them be.

That said, seeing how this is your first time, or rather that you are new to the hobby, try Swifty (www.swiftsinverts.com) or Brandon (www.reptistexotics.com); They'll answer every question you could possibly have and will really take care of you, as they have taken care of me many times over!

Then try the private online sellers/breeders with good reviews! Again, make sure they have a lot of good reviews!!! Good luck and welcome to the hobby!!

 

[Truff135]

All true. The flip side of this however is that anything from a petstore i probably a wild caught, imported animal. You never know what you're getting that way. There could be health problems, parasites, severe dehydration is almost assured and you could unwittingly end up with a mature male that dies 3 months after you buy it.

If you go with a petshop, see if you can take a picture or 2 of the t and post it here. We'll tell you if it looks healthy and if it's being kept properly.

There's also the ethical issue of supporting a store that keeps it's animals improperly. If you buy a sick tarantula to 'rescue' it then you're just encouraging the store to stock more sick t's...

Johnt, sorry if this is more than you wanted to know this early in the game. What i just nutshelled is the basis of lots of ongoing discussion about tarantulas being sold in petshops. Some people feel very strongly on this issue.

Then there's people like me that know all this, and yet...just couldn't pass up the fuzzy little avic avic with the cutesy pink toes. I knew better!!! But I'm happy I bought her anyway.
Sometimes you have to just rescue that one tarantula that practically begs for help (or so I told myself).

 

[Moltar]

Then there's people like me that know all this, and yet...just couldn't pass up the fuzzy little avic avic with the cutesy pink toes. I knew better!!! But I'm happy I bought her anyway.
Sometimes you have to just rescue that one tarantula that practically begs for help (or so I told myself).

Yeah, i know, right? All that arachnid fundamentalist dogma just goes right out the window when you see that fuzzy lil bug just waiting to go home with you...

 

[johnt]

Thank you all

I am buying from botarby8's and one other guy on here that gave me a awesome deal on a package deal will post a review when I get them

 

[Truff135]

Congratulations! Oh, and I must warn you that with the purchase of any tarantula you also MUST have a camera in order to post pics. If you don't, we'll hound you forever!

 

[kingfarvito]

I am buying from botarby8's and one other guy on here that gave me a awesome deal on a package deal will post a review when I get them

tell botar your a AB member...10% off

 

[johnt]

I will

I sent him a email and left message for him.
I am getting a p.regalis and b.smithi and and and four salmon pink's
and a package deal of some more brachypelma's I can not wait. some of the brachypelmas are a inch and more