Role of large pet store chains in the hobby

[Steve123]

Hey all. It's difficult to lurk or participate in T Chat or T Questions and Discussions and not notice the large amount of posts regarding two species in particular. Many or most of you know the species I'm going mention: Grammostola porteri/rosea (pic ur flavor) and Avicularia avicularia.

Many of these posts are accompanied by statements such as "this is my first T." I imagine many of these hobbyists eventually settle in and expand their horizons on Arachnoboards and by other means. Others leave following a fail after a confirming response to "is my new Avic. avic. dead?"

I take it as fact that the two largest vendor chains, PetCo and PetSmart (PC/PS), offer these two species because they are inexpensive, and the supply for them, for the time being anyway, is seemingly inexhaustible (so-called Chile ban duly noted). I also acknowledge that any impact on the hobby of PC/PS, positive or negative, comes at the expense of wild populations of these two species, disposable goods as far as PC/PS are concerned. But has our hobby also grown in number as a result of PC/PS, on the backs as it were, of wild populations of Avicularia avicularia and Grammostola porteri/rosea, available widely and inexpensively?

Thanks for your participation,
Steve

Edit (Mon 11:51 EST): Those who purchased their first T from PC/PS, please also feel free to elaborate on how this purchase affected your involvement in the hobby.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

It's funny because my answer is a "yes" and "no" at the same time. Those two were my first Theraphosidae in 1992, as a kid (the only "Avic" i had, btw, jumped into genus Psalmopoeus three years after thanks to a trade saying "Frankly, my dear, i don't give a damn" to "Avics" tough i love 0.1 Avicularia versicolor, the only one i forgot & forgot to buy btw) but i haven't bought from Pet Shops because, here in Italy, back then, Pet Shops (Italian ones, no PetCo or PetSmart btw) never sold venomous inverts, only Arachnids/Inverts/Snakes ones had those (shops owned by enthusiast breeders turned sellers... back then Arachnids were full legal here).

 

[Steve123]

Ah, I neglected to consider that back in 1992, these two were number 1 and 2 no matter where you got your T! Point well-taken Chris, thank you. I guess your answer would officially be no therefore, with an important elaboration.

 

[viper69]

I bought my first T from an entomologist that was a large scale breeder. Once I started going to reptile shows (my first exotics), I've only bought from reputable breeders or reputable people.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Ah, I neglected to consider that back in 1992, these two were number 1 and 2 no matter where you got your T! Point well-taken Chris, thank you. I guess your answer would officially be no therefore, with an important elaboration.

To be completely honest, i (well, we, my brother too) went out of that shop with two Scorpions as well (now i don't remember the genus nor species -- not hots however -- because never was too much into those, not to mention that back then i was really young and my Mother never had problems with T's but she was very, very uncomfortable with Scorpions, so i've trade those later for T's even if she decided to let us keep those). I voted no because i didn't buy (obviously) from the Pet shops you mentioned sorry

Btw the truth... also i was a beginner and here, prior, no OWs or NW intermediate for beginners was the rule (saw a "Blue" one that day, lol, had the money but the seller said: "No, son"

 

[awiec]

I wanted a tarantula for a very long time, my mother offered to buy me one when I was 14 so I jumped onto the opportunity. After I did heavy research, I decided I wanted a GBB but the major chains did not have such a spider. This was 10 years ago before all the pop up of all sorts of breeders and rich species selection so I decided to settled with my native Michigan wild spiders for the tim being. Fast forward to about 7 years later and a classmate of mine told me about a local reptile show that also had invertebrates. When I went to the show I was astounded by the variety as the first time I shopped for spiders there wasn't that much offered (especially as CB slings). I remembered the GBB as my ideal starter but alas there was none to be found, so instead I went home with an Avicularia versicolor and proceeded to stumble upon this board.

I suppose my story is a bit different as I bought from a local breeder, something some people don't have access to, but had the pet store had what I wanted, I would have been brought into the hobby via a cheap WC specimen.

 

[Steve123]

Okay, so the three nays did not buy from PC/PS, and are veterans here, possibly not buying because PC/PS did not exist when they started in the hobby, and of course Chris is from Italy. One yay. I should vote too: nay, but only because my son found our first on a dirt road in Arizona. Had he asked for one at PC/PS, I would have bought one, and if it was a PC/PS WC Avic. avic., it would probably have died in our hands (they still do, took me Idon'tcaretomention how many males and females to finally get them converted from WC to CB (i.e., first sac).

p.s. Mods/admin - The "Thank You" button was very handy, I wish it were back.

 

[sdsnybny]

Way back before the internet and big LPs for me late 70's a WC B. smithi or B. anitha. Not sure as when it passed 17 years later it could stretch from the substrate (2-3") to the top of a 10 gallon tank. still miss "Mortisha" then life Kids and everything else took me another direction. Started back up last march with a CL G. poteri purchase now closing in on 100 T's

 

[SausageinaNet]

Well over here we do have neither of both chains. I bought my first T from a breeder and to this day every one I own was purchased from different breeders. It is also cheaper to buy from breeders than from pet stores.

 

[PanzoN88]

I bought my first three tarantulas from another nember of the forum. No petco or petsmart around this ghost town. If i had not done my research, i probably would have made the mistake of making the rwo hour trip to the nearest petsmart and ended up with a MM G. Porteri. Its amazing how many mistakes i avoided by doing research.

 

[Poec54]

Like it or not, pet stores will carry tarantulas; they bring in curious people, especially children, and while they may not buy a spider, they'll probably buy something else: another pet, or food/supplies/toys for their cat or dog. The occasional losses of tarantulas is inconsequential compared to the increased traffic and sales they bring. Spiders are cheap at the wholesale level. Tarantulas have been sold in pet stores since the 1960's. What some people fail to understand is that tarantulas increase store sales, even if they never sell a spider. They don't care of they sell the spider, they want the additional shoppers in the store that come with it.

We can try to educate pet stores to better care for their spiders, calmly, without putting them on the defensive. They don't get much training. Some will be receptive, some won't. The turnover is high in those places and if you didn't get anywhere with one employee or one manager, you may with the next.

Think of the spider...is it doomed? Maybe, but we can help change that. It should not have to die because it happened to wind up in a pet store. Is that how you want to die, making a meaningless point for someone else? Walking away accomplishes NOTHING. If it dies it will be replaced, just as they have for the past 50 years. Save those spiders however you can.

 

[truecreature]

My first was from a Petco, but it was I believe an A. seemanni (was called a zebra leg or something, didn't know much about Ts back then), so I won't be able to vote in the poll.

 

[Bugmom]

My first tarantula came from my front yard - Aphonopelma hentzi. Second one was bought from a local pet store. It wasn't until 2012 that I bought tarantulas from a breeder.

I have bought tarantulas from Petco. I've had good experiences doing so... especially when they mislabel a 2.5" B. albiceps as a B. vagans and charge $20. I've also found a 3" A. seemani in a Petco for $25. Yeah, wasn't going to pass that up since I wanted one anyway and didn't have to pay any shipping.

Also the pole is a little confusing. Do you mean no, as in no not from those stores, or yes from those stores but not an Grammastola or Avic? The "no" threw me off.

 

[Olan]

My first was an Aphonopelma I found on a vacation to arizona. Then got several (G. porteri, B. emilia, P. regalis, C. fasciatum) from the local pet store. Switched to online breeders in high school.

 

[Steve123]

@Poec54 - Hmm, I believe you're making one or more assumptions about my intent with this post that are probably off target. Maybe I should not have mentioned anything about corporate mindset, which I don't think it is inherently bad or good. It represents the beating heart of America. Anyway, for the time being, may I ask you not to derail?
@raisinjelly - Thank you for elaborating! Later, I will manually adjust your vote as a "Yes," as far as PC/PS playing a role in starting you out in the hobby (adding a fourth choice: other species) Thanks again.
@Bugmom - No problems with PC/PS T purchases, I would do the same. Based on your elaboration, I would assume PC/PS play a large role in your involvement in the hobby.
I didn't realize there are PC/PS stores that stock species other than the two mentioned until raisinjelly's and your post. Thank you both.
-Steve

 

[Steve123]

My first was an Aphonopelma I found on a vacation to arizona. Then got several (G. porteri, B. emilia, P. regalis, C. fasciatum) from the local pet store. Switched to online breeders in high school.

Another T veteran. I started the same way, same state even.

 

[Steve123]

Addendum/reminder: Although my first T was a WC spider my son found in AZ, if instead he had asked for a T during one of our trips to PC/PS, I would have bought one.

 

[lalberts9310]

My 1st T was a P. Irminia I got as a sling from one of our local petstores. Raised the little fella to adulthood, even though when I started out with complete inappropriate husbandry.

 

[eminart]

I got my first T (B. smithi) from a small, local pet store back in the 80's.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Heh, I was gonna post that I had gotten my first T (a B. smithi) from a small pet store back in the 80's. In that era, they were still fairly prevalent in stores, I guess.