# Advice on starting a tarantula breeding business?



## tarantula_luver

Hi there, i'd like to start my own tarantula breeding business, but not sure where to start. Any advice for me? I live in Canada and i planned on breeding some species myself, but also think to get other species i'd have to buy through a wholesaler, in bulk. How do I go about finding these people? What are good ways to advertise my business?
Any advice, really, would be helpful.
Thanks.


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## JC

I think before you go all out and start a breeding business, you should be able to answer all of these questions yourself.

Also ask yourself, how many people have breeding tarantulas as their sole economic income?

Reactions: Like 1 | Disagree 1


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## tarantula_luver

oh, I know you can't make a living off it. That's not why I'd like to start one. It would be a side hobby

Reactions: Like 1


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## jayefbe

I think, when it comes to tarantulas, things can quickly get out of hand.  I only have ~50 tarantulas/scorps and it's already to the point that I can't really add anymore due to time/space constraints.  I can only imagine what things will be like once I start producing sacs.  

The small demand for inverts, and the vast quantities of offspring they are capable of producing means that there's very little profit margin especially given the time requirements needed to care for them before they are sold.  One of the American importers is closing shop, just to make more time for his family.  Unless you're importing large quantities, and can devote immense amounts of time on it, this hobby isn't going to provide you with any extra income.

Reactions: Like 2


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## forrestpengra

Well first you start out by joining the Canadian sub-forum, it will help you network the Canadian users.

Secondly, its one thing to mate enough Ts to support your habit but a complete other to have it as a business.  There are already quite a number of Canadian breeders, plus enthusiasts who are continually breeding.  I think it would be very difficult to pull it off.  I plan on doing a couple matings to sell a few slings off or trade for species I don't have.  

I wish you the best but the Canadian invert market is pretty small and the community tight.  Unless you can offer something super unique it'll be tough.

Cheers


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## codykrr

sorry bud, but unless your loaded already you wont be able to obtain a decent breeding stock anytime soon.  most breeders now days started as hobbiest who got into breeding which led to selling.

there are only a handfull of breeders who do this full time. and you can ask them yourself. if you factored in time, supplies, trips to the usps they actually probly dont make a heck of alot.

i suggest you start off like all of us have. start buying and trading Ts particularly slings or juvies.  or if you have the money a couple adults. raise the up and then start breeding. ive been in this hobby for right at 5 years now. and ive just now got a decent enough stock to even consider selling Ts as a disposible income. though i will invest 99%of any profit into more Ts.

it might sound good on paper but you have a long road ahead of you if you think people on here became overnight success stories.

not to mention you need to gain a reputation....good practice, fast delivery, good selection. throw in freebies.  that doesnt come over night.

anyway once again ill suggest you buy some fast growing wanted species. I.E Avicularia, holothele, pokies...raise them...breed them and then take what you earn off of the babies and buy your next breeding projects.

good luck.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RoosterG

You could breed theraphosa blondi's and sell them cheaper than average market value price..maybe that would bring in most of the income..


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## Arachnoholic420

forrestpengra said:


> Well first you start out by joining the Canadian sub-forum, it will help you network the Canadian users.
> 
> Secondly, its one thing to mate enough Ts to support your habit but a complete other to have it as a business.  There are already quite a number of Canadian breeders, plus enthusiasts who are continually breeding.  I think it would be very difficult to pull it off.  I plan on doing a couple matings to sell a few slings off or trade for species I don't have.
> 
> I wish you the best but the Canadian invert market is pretty small and the community tight.  Unless you can offer something super unique it'll be tough.
> 
> Cheers


I second this...


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## Moltar

All of the above points are fairly valid. Your best bet (IMO) is to start with one easy species (P. murinus, maybe?) sell some, trade some, move on to another species, repeat. I expect that if you continue dabbling and expanding, learning and growing, you'll find within a few years that you've built up a decent side business and might even be taking in a bit of income from it.

Good luck!

Reactions: Like 1


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## PrimalTaunt

Moltar said:


> All of the above points are fairly valid. Your best bet (IMO) is to start with one easy species (P. murinus, maybe?) sell some, trade some, move on to another species, repeat. I expect that if you continue dabbling and expanding, learning and growing, you'll find within a few years that you've built up a decent side business and might even be taking in a bit of income from it.
> 
> Good luck!


+1 to this.


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## barabootom

My advice would be, forget about making any money.  Pick 7-8 of your all time favorite T's and raise some breeding stock and breed them strictly for fun.  Forget about whether they are easy or difficult to breed.  Do it just for fun.  If you're successful, great!  If not, enjoy the challenge, enjoy the T's.  Very few people are making money breeding.

Reactions: Like 1


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## thevez2

I agree, start small, breed for fun and experience.  Use sacs to trade for future breeding stock, then repeat. Eventually, if you are successful, it could grow into a business.


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## tarantula_luver

thevez2 said:


> I agree, start small, breed for fun and experience.  Use sacs to trade for future breeding stock, then repeat. Eventually, if you are successful, it could grow into a business.


That's a good idea, that's how I'll star. Thanks for all the input everyone


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## woni

HI  tarantula_luver 

Did you Start thatbreeding of yours ? or idi you decide to leve it and if you did would you be able to assist me as i want to start breeding but need some advise plz 

Kind Regards

Woni


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## jayefbe

Considering that he/she posted this nearly 2 1/2 years ago and hasn't posted again, probably not. Which brings up a somewhat important yet overlooked aspect of this hobby. Many people get into it, become obsessed with tarantulas, and within a few months have dozens to even hundreds of tarantulas. They dream of breeding every species they own, posting YouTube videos, and gaining the money and respect amongst their arachnopeers that will come with it. Then, a few months later, they're completely absent from the hobby and have sold off most/all of their collection. I've seen it happen with many, many people. 

I am positive that nearly everyone who is reading/posting on this forum would insist that this is a lifelong passion that will never fade if asked. I'm also positive that the majority of those people won't even be in the hobby, or their interest will wane considerably within a few years. 

I'm not saying that one shouldn't be enthusiastic or excited when they start off in this hobby. I know I had problems controlling myself in the beginning, and watched my collection grow at a ridiculous rate. I'm just saying that there is plenty of time to learn and grow within this hobby. Not everyone needs to have 50+ tarantulas and be pulling sacs every week. Not everyone is cut out for the extremely long hours that comes with trying to breed and sell tarantulas for a profit. My advice is to enjoy the hobby as that...a hobby. Buy the species you like. If you end up with a mature female and can get your hands on a mature male, by all means, breed them. You'll slowly but surely become one of the "experts" that you currently revere. 

But if you come into this hobby dreaming of making a living breeding P. metallica, M. balfouri, Xenesthis species, and every other pricey difficult to breed species, you're only going to be disappointed. All of the dealers in this hobby have spent years to decades gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to do what they do. Even then it's a long and arduous process that few could do. I love this hobby and have kept tarantulas for many years, and I know that I couldn't do it. Not for the money that's available. So just be patient. Have fun. Who knows, in a few years you might be the biggest dealer of tarantulas in the hobby. Or you might not even own a tarantula anymore. In the end it doesn't really matter, just as long as you're enjoying your time in the hobby.

Reactions: Like 19


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## Stan Schultz

tarantula_luver said:


> Hi there, i'd like to start my own tarantula breeding business, but not sure where to start. Any advice for me? ...


Short answer: *DON'T!* Certainly, don't give up your day job!

Long answer: Unless you have a natural knack for running a business, it'll take long hours, a significant financial investment, and a fair amount of risk with virtually no chance of profit. The only good news is that you get to play with a lot of tarantulas! :biggrin:



tarantula_luver said:


> ... I live in Canada and i planned on breeding some species myself, but also think to get other species i'd have to buy through a wholesaler, in bulk. How do I go about finding these people? What are good ways to advertise my business?
> Any advice, really, would be helpful. ...


Ah ha! Another crazy Canadian! I'm convinced it's either the winter's cold or being slammed in the head by too many, errant, hockey pucks! 

Anyway, I will be in the Calgary area during the month of September. If you're really serious about this, or you'd like a night out just to talk about tarantulas, we can meet someplace, have dinner and discuss spider issues then. Get back to me via normal E-mail, not PMs on this forum. My addy is in my sig, below.

Enjoy your little, 8-legged goalie!

*EDIT: Oops! I didn't catch the original post date until someone else pointed it out. My bad.*


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## Ultum4Spiderz

You forget how long Ts take to grow?? Snake breeders definitly have a more stable cash-flow.
breeding Ts is probably the most challenging Animal so good luck !!!:biggrin:


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## jayefbe

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> You forget how long Ts take to grow?? Snake breeders definitly have a more stable cash-flow.
> breeding Ts is probably the most challenging Animal so good luck !!!:biggrin:


Are you just posting the first thing that pops into your head?

Breeding T's is downright easy compared to many snakes. Cycling, brumation (for some), incubating eggs in an incubator with a stable temperature....those are all things that are MUCH more difficult for breeding snakes than most tarantula species. There are a few that are difficult, but many are quite simple. 

How long does it take a snake to mature? A couple years if you feed them up a lot and are lucky, three years they're usually good to go (boas and pythons at least). Quite a few tarantula species are mature and ready for breeding in the same amount of time. Outside of some of the slower growing species, you are completely wrong about that. The only reason that snake breeders may have a "more stable cash-flow" is because the market for snakes is much larger than tarantulas. Even then, breeding snakes is far from a "stable" source of income.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BrettG

jayefbe said:


> Are you just posting the first thing that pops into your head?
> 
> Breeding T's is downright easy compared to many snakes. Cycling, brumation (for some), incubating eggs in an incubator with a stable temperature....those are all things that are MUCH more difficult for breeding snakes than most tarantula species. There are a few that are difficult, but many are quite simple.
> 
> How long does it take a snake to mature? A couple years if you feed them up a lot and are lucky, three years they're usually good to go (boas and pythons at least). Quite a few tarantula species are mature and ready for breeding in the same amount of time. Outside of some of the slower growing species, you are completely wrong about that. The only reason that snake breeders may have a "more stable cash-flow" is because the market for snakes is much larger than tarantulas. Even then, breeding snakes is far from a "stable" source of income.


I agree,and will also add this....Look at the price difference between tarantulas and snakes.You can drop THOUSANDS on a SINGLE snake.

Reactions: Clarification Please 1


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## captmarga

Original post date aside, there is good advice on this thread.  I've been seriously collecting Ts for just under three years now.  I have owned Ts for over 30.  I decided to try breeding.  My collection went from under 100 to over 1000 in a very short timespan, and only with four eggsacs. This is also with selling off a large portion of those slings. 

For any collector/breeder of ANY species of animal (I am a registrar for equines): 
 Where do you live?  Will you have a receptive market waiting to purchase the young resulting from the breeding?  
Will you have to have export permits to ship animals from out of your country?  Does the country you are shipping to have permits and requirements? 
Are you willing to keep and feed the masses of young (even in the case of one or two yearling horse foals... they cost money to feed each year) if they do not sell? 
Is the breed/species you are working with popular, or does everyone have them?  Are you willing to invest in a popular species you know or think will be a better animal/more in demand? 
Are you confident with shipping (and/or packing) the animals for transport?  
Do you have a good bill of sale/sales policy written out?  
How good are you at answering emails/messages on a daily or at least every-other day basis? 

All of these are of extreme importance in breeding whether for profit or for hobby. 

I started with the low-end species, so if I lost an eggsac, or the young didn't make it I wouldn't be as heartbroken as I would have been with say P metallica.  I have better experience, know what I need to do, what to expect.  I'm planning on breeding some higher-end Ts.  The low-end ones I might as well leave together and let them cannibalize... there isn't much market, but I knew that when I started.   My newest project is working with a conservationist on a native repopulation effort.  It might work or not, and it will be years before anything is known, but I'm willing to devote time and effort to it. 

That's the most important part - never mind the money, those people, with any species or breed of animal, are in the minority.  Your time, your effort, and your enjoyment are what count.  

Good luck to all, 

Marga

Reactions: Like 2


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## arachnidsrva

*T's*

You should first get a nice job with benefits and good health insurance

I suggest after that you can pick between Tarantulas OR here are a few other suggestions

Running/Jogging with friends
Owning a yacht and renting it out to the public
Restoring a car and selling it
Rock Climbing Expert
Scuba Diving Instructor
Karate Teacher
Deep Sea Fisherman
Become an actual dinosaur


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## Vespula

arachnidsrva said:


> Become an actual dinosaur


Tempting... very tempting.


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## Ultum4Spiderz

jayefbe said:


> Are you just posting the first thing that pops into your head?
> 
> Breeding T's is downright easy compared to many snakes. Cycling, brumation (for some), incubating eggs in an incubator with a stable temperature....those are all things that are MUCH more difficult for breeding snakes than most tarantula species. There are a few that are difficult, but many are quite simple.
> 
> How long does it take a snake to mature? A couple years if you feed them up a lot and are lucky, three years they're usually good to go (boas and pythons at least). Quite a few tarantula species are mature and ready for breeding in the same amount of time. Outside of some of the slower growing species, you are completely wrong about that. The only reason that snake breeders may have a "more stable cash-flow" is because the market for snakes is much larger than tarantulas. Even then, breeding snakes is far from a "stable" source of income.


You are correct but did you hear about that one Record breaking Ball Python that sold for 59-60,000 dollars?  Yet to hear of a T selling for 60k cash
Some Color morphs sell for $100-1000s a peice , Snakes are a lot harder due to temperatures I forgot about that.:sarcasm:


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## SamuraiSid

Breed cuz you love it. If you make money, consider it good fortune.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## jayefbe

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> You are correct but did you hear about that one Record breaking Ball Python that sold for 59-60,000 dollars?  Yet to hear of a T selling for 60k cash
> Some Color morphs sell for $100-1000s a peice , Snakes are a lot harder due to temperatures I forgot about that.:sarcasm:


I don't think you read my whole post. Also people have spent far more than 60k on a ball python.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## mastercave

I once heard someone say something along the lines of "It's only a hobby as long as you put in more money than you gain"......


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## skar

Ya I gave up on the breeding thing.  I tried breeding humans business . . . . All I could get were a bunch of males   LOL


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## Anonymity82

Step one: Breed tarantulas

Step two: ?

Step three: Big Profit!

---------- Post added 07-30-2012 at 05:03 PM ----------




skar said:


> Ya I gave up on the breeding thing.  I tried breeding humans business . . . . All I could get were a bunch of males   LOL


And unlike females, they may never mature...

Reactions: Like 3


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## arachnidsrva

tarantulas are fun. 

if you have one or a few - then try and make a pair or two - then make tarantula love

feed slings - take care of them - then sell them all at 3rd instar... you can make money back for all the time and cost of T's


start with g rosea or avic avic - that way the slings will cover your 40 dollar cost


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## captmarga

Selling slings bulk at .50 each or even $3 each rarely covers the time and energy spent feeding them for 3-6 months (or longer).  Sure, the high-end Ts can cover costs more, but with any business or hobby, you expect to put out more than you bring in for the first year or more in start-up costs.  Remember that saying, "In order to make a small fortune, first start with a large one"?  Holds true here.  Believe me, I'm feeding some 600 slings, and they have not covered all my time, effort, cricket costs, deli cup costs, electricity costs, or headache medicine costs.  It's a hobby.  An expensive one, and I knew it when I started.  I'm good if I get extra runnin' money here and there. 

Marga


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## BrettG

Breeding is fun but most people do it for the wrong reasons.We do it to produce trade bait,or cheap deals for fellow hobbyists.I will tell you what,there is nothing more frustrating than doing all the work and then getting totally lowballed on the offspring.Posting 5 lots of something interesting for $45 and having jokers offer you much less(including shipping!!) makes you want to beat your head against the wall.You all know who you are.Be prepared for that because if you breed it WILL happen.If you try to sell full price be prepared to have the offspring FOREVER.Figure out what "dealers" you want to try to work with,and talk to them.Have a plan,so when you have offspring you are not STUCK with it.And don't get butthurt when the spiders you sold for $3.50 each are now selling for $29 each,and people are actually BUYING them,because well,it's from a"dealer" after all..Every last word I just typed is the honest to god truth,so decide if it sounds like a good plan for YOU or not.

Reactions: Like 3


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## gottarantulas

Conceivably one could make money. If you look at reptile trends and models (which of course differ from the tarantula hobby), every few years there's the new hot species...the must haves. Additionally at least within the last decade, there has been the introduction and recognition of morphs whether it be ball pythons, reticulated pythons, corn snakes, bearded dragons, leopard geckos, fat tail geckos, etc. A breeder will have the exclusive on a certain morph of animal and in the first year or two that given morph will sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars and then in the ensuing years, the prices drastically drop because everyone and their mother is breeding and selling them and there are more of them in the market. Having spoken with someone who was a pioneer in with the explosion of Tokay gecko morphs, he said you have to have contacts within the industry, international contacts, you have to be to recognize market trends and adjust accordingly, etc. I think you should inquire to the big or at least successful tarantula outfits like Ken The Bug Guy, Paul Becker, Tarantulas.com and Tarantulaspiders.com. Obviously, they've found a niche and formula to have some semblence of a profit margin to be in business for a few years now.


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## jayefbe

brickster said:


> Ken The Bug Guy, Paul Becker, Tarantulas.com and Tarantulaspiders.com. Obviously, they've found a niche and formula to have some semblence of a profit margin to be in business for a few years now.


Yes, almost all of them import in large numbers. I think invert dealers do a lot more import/buying and reselling then compared to the reptile trade.

Also, ball python morphs sell for tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars and then drop to hundreds of dollars. It's actually held their prices better than I ever thought.


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## Kodi

jayefbe said:


> Considering that he/she posted this nearly 2 1/2 years ago and hasn't posted again, probably not. Which brings up a somewhat important yet overlooked aspect of this hobby. Many people get into it, become obsessed with tarantulas, and within a few months have dozens to even hundreds of tarantulas. They dream of breeding every species they own, posting YouTube videos, and gaining the money and respect amongst their arachnopeers that will come with it. Then, a few months later, they're completely absent from the hobby and have sold off most/all of their collection. I've seen it happen with many, many people.
> 
> I am positive that nearly everyone who is reading/posting on this forum would insist that this is a lifelong passion that will never fade if asked. I'm also positive that the majority of those people won't even be in the hobby, or their interest will wane considerably within a few years.
> 
> I'm not saying that one shouldn't be enthusiastic or excited when they start off in this hobby. I know I had problems controlling myself in the beginning, and watched my collection grow at a ridiculous rate. I'm just saying that there is plenty of time to learn and grow within this hobby. Not everyone needs to have 50+ tarantulas and be pulling sacs every week. Not everyone is cut out for the extremely long hours that comes with trying to breed and sell tarantulas for a profit. My advice is to enjoy the hobby as that...a hobby. Buy the species you like. If you end up with a mature female and can get your hands on a mature male, by all means, breed them. You'll slowly but surely become one of the "experts" that you currently revere.
> 
> But if you come into this hobby dreaming of making a living breeding P. metallica, M. balfouri, Xenesthis species, and every other pricey difficult to breed species, you're only going to be disappointed. All of the dealers in this hobby have spent years to decades gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to do what they do. Even then it's a long and arduous process that few could do. I love this hobby and have kept tarantulas for many years, and I know that I couldn't do it. Not for the money that's available. So just be patient. Have fun. Who knows, in a few years you might be the biggest dealer of tarantulas in the hobby. Or you might not even own a tarantula anymore. In the end it doesn't really matter, just as long as you're enjoying your time in the hobby.


This has really fixed my view as a new T hobbyist. Thank you.


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## AviculariaRob

Wow that was awesome! You said everything that needed to be said about this hobby, hope more people read this.


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## TheRealPsycho

I think as a side business you can make a decent amount of profit. There are ways to do such a thing. Sell them to local dealers below their wholesalers price. You can start a small business where you specialize in Tarantulas and breed them but you would need other ways to .market and sell aswell. You can sell via personal website or craigslist. See if a local schools or colleges wants some for science or whatever and donate with a priced list zeroed out so you can claim tax credits. I mean there are several options however you will not get rich doing this or see any real income until you start producing healthy spiderlings and have patience. Do not sell privatly for the same price as dealers but at the same time do not go way below either because if everyone did that it would start lowering the price of that species.

* Also note I am not a dealer and I am just another person that is in the hobby.


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## BrettG

To make any cash you really need to be pairing 15+ spiders at the same time,so you HOPEFULLY end up with a few different sp producing sacks ROUGHLY in the same time frame.It is a pain,but do-able......

Reactions: Like 1


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## TheRealPsycho

BrettG said:


> To make any cash you really need to be pairing 15+ spiders at the same time,so you HOPEFULLY end up with a few different sp producing sacks ROUGHLY in the same time frame.It is a pain,but do-able......


Oh I completly agree! If you have a variety Spiders and good pictures of the species at roughly the same time your odds of selling greatly increase. I do plan on breeding mine but I will offer to local dealers first before I try selling on my own as I am just doing this as a hobby.


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