# Why did you get into spiders?



## Grael (Sep 28, 2003)

whats the first T. you ever got? and the story behind it?

mine was the gorgeous A. Geniculata, seen her in the new pet shop opened in my town, i never knew tarantulas could be so colourful, only T.s i had seen was rosies and red legs so i had to have her paid 45 pounds for her and she was like 3 CM which was bloody expensive! but now looking back she was worth every penny, now i have a P. Irminia, 2 Curly hairs and her and soon to be having a P. Pulcher and a B. Beomei ^_^


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## mebebraz (Sep 28, 2003)

well, mines simple, want a t, cant, wife doesnt, get divorce, oh, get a t, been building ever since, first t, common rose, now up to 70+


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## ithuriel (Sep 28, 2003)

id been pretty interested in getting a T for some time but never got around to it. i found out that a mate of mines at work had two rosies and he told me quite a bit about them and showed me a few books. i decided i would get one 
thing is the petstore he got them from no longer sold Ts so i looked all over leicester , litterally.went from one store to another and nothing  then when i was about to give up i found one that had a few Ts in store 
i looked at what he had and in ignorance bought an indian ornamental female , adult sized.he told me it was pretty harmless too and that it was alright to put my hand in the tank to change the waterbowl well i didnt do that but my mate at work soon put me right about how dangerous a pokie can be if not treated with respect. ive since learned that  particular dealer isnt to be trusted so i rarely go there anymore , unless im forced to buy feeder insects due to a shortage in the other stores that ive since found that sell exotic pets.


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## Grael (Sep 28, 2003)

> _Originally posted by mebebraz _
> *well, mines simple, want a t, cant, wife doesnt, get divorce, oh, get a t, been building ever since, first t, common rose, now up to 70+ *


wow you divored your wife for a T.? thats so cool lol


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## Code Monkey (Sep 28, 2003)

I was 11 and into spiders and other myriad biological things. My family was vacationing at my grandmother's and we were shopping at the mall. They had a Haitian brown (P. cancerides) on sale for $10.99 and I had something like $15 to my name. I asked my mom, she said yes and even helped with the few bucks I needed to get a kritter keeper type cage and some gravel (yikes  ).

That was sometime in 1981 or 1982.


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## Deliverme314 (Sep 28, 2003)

Two weeks ago I got my C.Crawshayi, Ag.Geniculata and a L.Cristata.  All slings... the King baboon is an inch the other two were 1/4 inch slings... The A.Genic has been burrowed for a molt for four days now... I can see he is moving around on the bottom of the tupperware so I assume it went well... cant wait to see him/her... MY FIRST MOLT!


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## looseyfur (Sep 28, 2003)

I was gifted a curly sling. 
It was the best gift ever.
I still  have her.
shes a fat piggy.
if I could fit the dog in the enclosure
she would eat it.

looseyfur


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## Lopez (Sep 28, 2003)

It's 1991, I'm 11 years old, and for some reason (can never remember why) I want a pet tarantula more than anything in the world.

My mother, being highly arachnophobic is having none of it. So instead, I buy any T books I can (not many to choose from back then) and keep House Spiders (Tegeneria sp.) in self-constructed tanks....  

Eventually, after holding a G rosea at some animal fair or zoo, my mother begins to relax about the spider thing. I've set my sights on a "Mombassa Golden Starburst", which I've read is some evil ball of yellow hellfire that has your arm off in ten seconds flat (hey, I was about 12 or so by then)
Unbeknown to me, mother sources and purchases a hatchling G rosea for my 13th birthday. Well, not exactly what I wanted mum, but I guess it's the thought that counts.


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## pronty (Sep 28, 2003)

See this thread:

Your First Tarantula?


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## rosehaired1979 (Sep 28, 2003)

My first Ts was A.Versicolor,A.Metallica,Curly Hair,PZB,and a Chaco Golden Knee. They were my first ts. My husband had already had some ts for awhile but I started to get interested so I got some to


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## roylemom (Sep 28, 2003)

I bought a G. rosea for my kids for Valentines Day. Did it for a joke. I've always been the type of mom that does stupid things to shock the kids and my son is scared to death of the common house spider, so I thought I'd really shock him with this.(Yes, I did my research first to care for it properly, and John Hoke helped me.) Anyway, we're not so scared of spiders anymore....we love them.


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## extrovertinvert (Sep 28, 2003)

got a rosea gave to me and have been hooked ever since


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## SpiderTwin (Sep 28, 2003)

I was in a pet store just looking around and the guy working there asked me and my son if we wanted to see a spider. Of course he said "sure I would", so he showed us an A. versicolor juvi and sling. 

When I told my wife later, she freaked, but I told that it was really cool. Next thing I know, she's buying me one for a Christmas present. It was an A. versi that was one molt away from mature male. Luckily though, the guy helped me later by getting me a female A. versi for a killer price.


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## krystal (Sep 28, 2003)

mine was an a. chalcodes given to me my freshman or sophomore year in high school.  

a friend of mine was dating an older guy who was in the army and stationed in arizona.  he got her a tarantula and she wasn't interested in it.  however, i was, and she gave it to me for my birthday.  

i had her until i graduated from high school (she was pretty old) and when she died, i was really, really sad.  

i picked up again on the hobby about two years ago when i bought an a. geniculata.  then i bought the b. boehmei that was also in the pet store.  and of course, i bought the pterror they had, too.


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## Psycho (Sep 28, 2003)

Wife got an iguana... I got a G. rosea... the end.... well not really....

is there ever an end?   

~~~Psycho~~~


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## PapaSmurf (Sep 28, 2003)

well,
it was about 7 months ago i was at a reptile show bying some firebelly toads when i seen a table with this wicked looking T a c.crawshayi  well i ad been wanting a T longer than this but was scared of them,so i finally gave in and got a G.Rosea i got the T a cage and some crickets all for 15 bucks  after about 6.5 months of keeping chilean rose's i'm finally gettting aggressive speices and cant quit buying them. 



Josh


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## Mojo Jojo (Sep 29, 2003)

Up until about 4 years ago, I would have never thought about getting a tarantula. I hated tarantulas with a passion. When I was younger, I could never understand the people that I saw on tv holding tarantulas. I cringed just seeing it on tv. 

However, being interested in science, and loving to watch the discovery channel, I would see shows about them, and thus learn more and more about them. I even saw on a Discovery channel show about phobias, how an old woman with a severe case of arachnophobia got over her fear to the point of being able to hold a tarantula. 

So the more I learned about them, the more interested in them I became. Well, three or so years ago, I went into a petstore near my apartment and was looking around. Anyways, I came across a rose hair exuvum that was laying on a shelf. So I decided to pick it up and put it in the palm of my hand. 

I have to tell you, that that really freaked my out. I don't care if it was just a shed skin, it gave me the willies. So I put it back down. Well, a few weeks later, I went back into the petstore, and an old woman that worked there, was letting that rose hair crawl all up and down her arm. 

Well, my ego got the best of me.  I figured that if some old woman could do it, then so could I. So I asked her if I could hold it, and she let me. Again, I got quite a case of the willies. But I was intrigued at the same time. I really liked seeing the creature walk. That rose hair, turned out to be my first tarantula.

Jon

p.s.  It was also the first tarantula that I got rid of -- damn boring rose hair.  Oh well, it served its purpose.


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## ThiagoMassa (Sep 29, 2003)

My first T. was the one at the thread "Id Me.." in the Tarantulas Boards! Pleeeeease help me on that! LOL

Thanks for any help.
Thiago


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## Mendi (Sep 29, 2003)

My first T was an adult female G.rosea named "Rose", followed after several months with my first slings, G.rosea, A.hentzi, A.seemanni. B.albopilosum, C.fasciatum, and H.maculata. And then I was truly hooked on the hobby


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## OB-1 (Sep 29, 2003)

first t  was a G. rosea.  it died soon after i foolishly fed it wild caught crickets.  now i know better.. and have been hooked on Ts ever since.


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## The Red Queen (Jun 27, 2004)

Hi all,

I was just curious to see why everyone started keeping tarantulas and other inverts instead of *or* in addition to other more typical animals (dogs, cats, etc.)
Here's my story...
I have always had a thing for spiders and bugs, but I really started keeping T's because of a lack of options for other pets.  We lived in an apartment when I was growing up, so dogs and cats were out of the question.  I am allergic to furry animals anyway, so rats, guinea pigs, etc.  and anything that eats small furry animals were out too.  My sister had fish, but I have never cared for them myself.  I had parakeets for a few years, but when they died my mother said no more... she was tired of the noise, the mess, and the smell.  She told me if I wanted a pet I had to find something quiet, clean, small, and odorless... so I brought home my first tarantula, an A. seemanni named Spaz.

I would love to hear everyone’s story of how they got started with inverts


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## sanguinarian (Jun 27, 2004)

I've always been fascinated by spiders. My Aunt says I was drawing them when I was 6 years old. Living in the country every now and then you see a Golden Orb Spider with that wonderful web you just have to throw some bug into. I have always loved jumping spiders. I made a cake shaped like a spider with butterfinger legs and lollipop eyes. I am not getting any younger and I thought to myself just do it and get one. Well now I have six.


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## eksong (Jun 27, 2004)

Before this year, I had never even considered owning tarantulas.  Honestly, it was a sudden whim that developed into a fascinating and addictive hobby.


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## WayneT (Jun 27, 2004)

Well...always had a thing for spiders, that's for sure.  Definately fascinated by them.  I remember when the B. smithi's were all over the pet trade in the 70's, too. Wanted one then, mom said NO!!!
Zoom to the recent future...I was at a point in my life after a divorce and no one serious...in other words, no one to talk me out of it  and I spent a year or so reading everythin I could get my hands on and talking to other enthusiasts.  Well, three years later, and I've got 26 of them, and would have 126 of them if my bank account would let me!!  It is by far the coolest hobby there is...and I've met some really great people through it, especially from the boards!


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## Lycanthrope (Jun 27, 2004)

It all started when I walked into the local exotic shop to buy a snake. They had two big P. imperators on the counter in a crtter keeper labelled "13$ for both. So I bought them on impulse, and went home and researched them for hours. Alot of the sites I read about scorps on also had t's, and before long I bought my first t. Then my second. And so on.


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## Malkavian (Jun 27, 2004)

NEver really considered them until i got shoved into a college housing apartment and had to consider pets that dont take up alot of room.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 27, 2004)

I've always loved "bugs" (as well as more traditional animals.)  Have cats and a dog. Fish. The rare wild thing that needs rehabilitating.  Got into Ts because of the web, really.  Looking stuff up, found sites with pictures, and wow! But they just fit in beautifully with the type of nature I have loved all my life!


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## David Burns (Jun 27, 2004)

I've always been into bugs and things. At 13 I raised several generations of mosquitoes, kept wood ticks as pets, stuff like that. Over the years I've raised and bred cockroaches, grasshoppers and many types of small vertabrates as well. 

Well, a couple of years ago I had to make a choice, get a job or a hobby so I was checking out the pet stores and I came across a king baboon spiderling. I went home, got on the computer and learned every thing I could in a few short days and bought it. Now I have 34 T's with 6 more coming this week. I'm definitally a tarantula addict.


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## Hoosier (Jun 27, 2004)

I'm actually getting into T's right now.  I just purchased an emperor scorp. and I absolutely love it.  I grew up watching those national geog. series and still recall those scenes with T's and even pedes.  I am especially interested in colorful sp. like the green bottle blue and fire leg.


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## spidergoddess (Jun 27, 2004)

I have been addicted to animals (excepting monkeys, shudder) for just about all of my 50 years. Must have been about 1991, I was coming home from my job in Virginia as a dog-walker, and noticed a pet shop going out of business. Stopped in, and found a G. rosea with Kritter Keeper for $11., half-price.  Thought it was too good a deal to pass up, so bought. At that time I knew nothing about keeping spiders, and there was little info that I could find. When she died after 10 years, I bought another, and went online to see what I could learn. Lo and behold, all sorts of people talking about tarantulas. YAY. Now I'm up to 50 tarantulas, and really love seeing slings grow to adulthood. Family all dislike spiders to varying degrees, but I'm working on my grandson, who just worked up the nerve to hold his first G. rosea sling last weekend. 

Other animals in the house include 5 demonic cats (Tiger Lily, Boogie, Sassafras, Fellini, and Zelda Fitzgerald), 1 energetic Austrailian Cattle Dog mix (Weezil), 1 sweet cuddly rat (Ratzenchen), and assorted nameless mice.


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## chuck (Jun 27, 2004)

about 14 years ago my cousin had a normal outside NYC spider in a mayonnaise jar with sticks and it made a web.  i was always fascinated with their webs.  when i went to my great aunt's house, out on the porch during the summers would be spiders with their webs and i'd go catch flys to throw into the web.

jump ahead 11 years, i was bored and looking to get a cool pet.  first thought was piranha  looked a few websites and i came across tarantulas.  my old love for the webs got me hooked.  and with the dealers usually carrying more than just tarantulas i eventually got scorps and other creepy crawlers.


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## spot (Jun 27, 2004)

I've also always been facinated with insects, not spiders really until I came across some tarantula websites and fell in love immediately!! I have been doing lots of research and will be getting my first ts next weekend-a curly hair and maybe an a. hentzi, and a sling or two. I am very excited. my family is also slow in warming up to the idea but they are willing to give it a chance. I hope they will fall in love with the spiders, too   we've been fattening up some crickets and thats been fun.


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## Gene (Jun 27, 2004)

I hadn't considered them until a little over a week ago after talking to Dragoon. I have had pretty much everything else at one point or another not to mention I was a little phobic of them. After  being on the board for a couple of days and picking up a G. Rosea I have really gotten to like them.

Since then I have met Lycanthrope and purchased a A. Avic and I love her too. I would have never imagined how much fun a bug could be.   

Now I must have more.......I told my wife that the avic was my fix for this week who knows what the future will bring.


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## tarantulakeeper (Jun 27, 2004)

For the past 10 years or so I've kept snakes in my classroom. During the school year 1997/98 my students and I got into a conversation about phobias. Many kids come into my room a little leery of snakes and most love them pretty quick after learning more about them.  Anyway, I told this group (6th graders) I didn't particulary care for spiders.  Well, the challenge was on.  Had to get me over my fear of spiders.  After doing some websearching I found a 3D tarantula poster offered by Todd Gearheart which included a free tarantula.  I think it was $10 at the time.  I ordered the poster and told my class we were getting a new class pet.  Well, the poster came along with a 1/4 spiderling.  I was disappointed (in the size of the spider) and the kids were too.  Later that week I found an adult female G. rosea for $5 from Paul Becker at PetCenter.  And, since I had to pay $20 for shipping might as well get a few more spiders right?  Well, six years later I have over 140 juvies/adults and about 400 various spiderlings from successful eggsacs.  Gotta love this hobby!     John


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## lizmotobike (Jun 27, 2004)

i got my g. rosea about 5 months ago. she was not being cared for. no water for over 2 months. she was given to me by a friend who new i liked all kinds of animals. my mother told me that when i was 3 and we moved to a very rural area in the hollywood hills and that there was a tarantula that lived near the front door that i was enthralled with. so i guess it started early with me. i have had 4 goats, 30 rabbits, 7 chickens, 3 ducks, 6 cats, 1 hawk, numourous mice, 4 dogs and 2 horses at one time, while i was growing up. i was in 4-h. now i only have 2 cats, a dog, and my T evita. i am completly enthralled with T's now. i am going to be getting more T's soon.


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## edesign (Jun 28, 2004)

well...think i used to want one when i was in high school/junior high. But i got my first one recently because i wanted a pet but not something i had to pay a pet deposit for. In a way i find the lil thing almost as cute as a cat in a way lol...something new too. always did like collecting bugs as a kid...can't even count how many ant colonies i had or how many spiders and caterpillars i kept in jars lol


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## lizmotobike (Jun 28, 2004)

oops let me try again.


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## Ker (Jun 28, 2004)

T's for me werent an option until a couple of years back.  My brother's wife is a med student, and was given a Rose Hair to care for and report about for one of her biology classes.  She was terrified.  Seems that Priscilla was a bit of a jumper, and when Heather got pounced on the first time, she was DONE.  My brother who also happens to be an arachnophobic called me up and asked if I could just keep her through the weekend, and then he would bring her back to the school.  She ended up staying the entire school year.  Although she was a rather acrobatic jumper, she was pretty low-key otherwise, and didnt do much other than lurk and eat.  Giving her back was the hardest thing I had to do, and I spent a couple of years wondering if I should get my own.  Well, I finally got my own.. four on the first order ( damn Swifty and his good prices!!), and I havent stopped yet.  I am up to 15 and I spend every evening wondering what I will get next.


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## Wolvie56X (Jun 28, 2004)

i got 20 scorps and finally got a centipede, so a T is the next step and ker is helping me with that one  ;P 

also i got into scorps because i couldnt get a snake, couldnt feed it mice, but crickets and roaches to big creepy crawlies work for me

Wolvie


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## Wolvie56X (Jun 28, 2004)

haha speaking of which, hiya ker

 

Wolvie


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## Mad Hatter (Jun 28, 2004)

I've never been the kind of person to get a pet just for the sake of having a pet.  So for me, the decision to keep tarantulas came mostly from the desire to have a pet that was most like me.  Since tarantulas are territorial and solitary creatures, they were the perfect choice.   

My first T was - can you guess? - a G. rosea!!! I bought her one very rainy day at the nearby Petco... and even though my collection has grown since she came into my life, she still holds a very special place in my heart. I love her so much... And out of all the Ts I have, she is my favorite to watch - all her movements are so careful and deliberate and BEAUTIFUL! So here's to Samara, my G. rosea... :worship:  :worship:  :worship:


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## jayco_heat (Jun 28, 2004)

*well*

As a kid, my older brother had a T, his first died, then he later got another 1 wich he kept for a while. He went off to school with it and I never saw it again. I believe he may have given it away. Well, as I moveb out, and into a friends house. I coul'nt keep 1 because my roomy at the time was even affraid of puppies, and it was his house. I later met, had kids, and moved in with very nice young ladey. And did not want 1 because of my lil-ones. Well she eventually became a very un_nice young ladey and now I room with 2 child-hood friends. One has a snake, and thinks my T is cool. The other hates him a but we all pay for the place and he can't say Diddly. So I got my 1st T about 3 months ago and now have 3.


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## Sheri (Jun 28, 2004)

My 2.5 yr son saw eight legged freaks, and was obsessed. I soent the summer catching wild ones, he was 3.5 yrs when I broke down and bought an A. seemani. Now I have about 30, and an order coming next week. I love the hobby, and see no end in sight! And it has been an amazing experience for my son. I recently found out he has very poor vision, he is legally blind without his glasses and better with them, but about half as well as he should be seeing. Anyway, as a result, he is not a gifted athlete (very clumsy and can't see the balls coming), and he has difficulty doing craft work, or fine motor skilled activity. But keeping tarantulas, and learning about them has given him something to excell in! He is learning the latin names, and at just four years old, given a presentation to his daycare, even to the school age kids. Spiders are his treademark... he wears spiders, and has mastered drawing them. The only thing in fact that he can draw. And best of all, it is something that sets him apart, and makes him unique enough that no one focuses on the stuff he can't do, or that he wears very thick glasses.
Getting these tarantulas was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made for him.
I just hope my younger son doesn't develop a passion for elephants!


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## willywonka (Jun 28, 2004)

I was deathly afraid of spiders ever since childhood, had a bad experience with a pair of black widows.  As an adult I thought that this phobia of mine was silly so I went out and bought the biggest spider I could fine.  Fortunately for me it was a B. smithi (this was before the cities act).  I learned to hold it without any fear and now years later I have 30 tarantulas and a loving wife who tolerates my obsession.


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## Mikey_G.Rosea (Jun 28, 2004)

It started out we (my family and i) moved from Sacramento up here to the Placerville area. My mom bought horses, and in-turn needed horse food (alfafla). So there was local feed store with some exotic pets. I would go with my mom to get feed for her horses and we would go look at all the fish and snakes and stuff. They had all kinds of cool snakes. So I told my mom i wanted a baby corn snake (for $20.00) and it wouldn't eat it's food, so it died...

So i went back and bought another, same story, died... 

So i went back and i was looking around and i saw a small cage labeled "Rose Hair Tarantula $5.99" So I was like "Mom! i gotta get that! (i was 14 or so at the time lol) and then I bought it. 

So it's about 5 years later, and i still have that same G.Rosea! That's what started it for me. I am still thinking about a H.lividum, but i don't know where i am going to find the money!


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## Stealth Taco (Jun 28, 2004)

I remember, it was the winter of '73 coldest winter i ever saw....nevermind, I just got into the hobby from staring at my brother's T's as they annhiliated the crickets we so delightfully fed to them. I don't know, I guess I have always had a hatred of crickets, so finding something that could destroy the noisy freaks set a fire to my mind and heart. I hope to have an entire section of my house devoted to Tarantulas. and a cricket holding cage designed like death row of Texas. MWUAHAHAHAA >:^D


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## Fergrim (Jun 28, 2004)

I just wanted a pet that I could take to school with me.. I was thinking low maintenance and something interesting..  So I did some research and bought myself an emperor scorpion.. I had no idea it'd become an addicting hobby!  I'm already planning to order about five more scorpions and I'm sure I'll be moving on to pedes and Ts in no time..

Getting that scorp was a great decision


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## Randomosity (Jun 28, 2004)

Well, I wanted a pet for my college apartment......and I was at Petco and saw the Rosehair.  I was originally wanting a snake or lizard...but the Tarantula was cheap.  My mom had also said "NO!" to tarantulas (I had asked as a joke) but when I saw the price for the Rosey....I decided to get her/him.  Not to mention my mom is/was deathly afraid of spiders.  So it was pretty much a spur of the moment choice.  Even though it's illegal to keep Tarantulas in my college apartment (it's owned by the college...apartment style dorms...very nice ones too)...I figure they may give me a break if they ever find them, especially since I can't really breed them and escape is a near impossibility (I always have at least 1 other person there ready to help capture escapees)


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## xBurntBytheSunx (Jun 28, 2004)

i don't have much room for anything else in my apt except bugs...i saw a picture one day of a whip scorpion and then i got the idea that a tarantula might be fun....now i have 9 of them....plus i used to be freaked out by spiders, that also made them attractive pets


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## Mattyb (Jun 28, 2004)

Well to be honest i've always been afraid of spiders, but i was always fasinated with them. I went to one of my local pet stores just about 2 months ago and saw a Chilean Rose Hair and i absolutly loved it. My first idea was wow this would be awesome to show my friends. So i bought it about a week later. I started to do some research on it and i totally fell in love with spiders and within the past 2 months i'm up to 5 T's goin on more. There isn't a big market for T's around my area so whenever one of my local pet stores gets one in they call me right away....for 2 reasons....they don't want to touch the things and they want them out of their pet store asap....and as most of you know most pet stores do not have the proper set up for a T so i am more than happy to take them off their hands...


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## Socrates (Jun 28, 2004)

How I got into keeping Ts....huh.  Well, got a minute?

To start off, I would have NEVER imagined keeping any 8-legged animals IN my house.  But then my 12-year old son began "working" on me.  At first he wanted a snake.  That was out of the question because my husband unfortunately is deathly afraid of them.  Next up he wanted some sort of lizard, but couldn't make up his mind as to what kind.  Then he said "Tarantula".  I laughed in his face.  His persistence eventually paid off.  He didn't stop talking about wanting a Tarantula, weeks went by, and he just would not give up.  

So one afternoon in March of this year I've had enough and told my son I would go to a pet shop with him just to see if they even kept any Tarantulas.  Then I told him if I could manage to look at one up close, without running out of the store screaming, I would "think" about it.  Well, that day we came home with "Socrates", our G. Rosea.    

...and here I am, nearly 4 months later, and 4 Ts richer.   

---
Wendy
---


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## T 'n T (Jun 28, 2004)

I was doing a search for tigers and came across ‘Chinese Earth Tiger.’  I clicked on the link to see the adorable Chinese ear…erk… holy crap, a tarantula!     That thing is huge!  (For a spider, that is.)  Then I saw there were baboon ones, and hey, here’s a tarantula website.  What’s this, these weirdos on the forum say they’re CUTE???   :?  Good lord, these people are complete and total… ooh, little spider babies, they’re not so bad… and hey, this critter is blue!  The rest is history.


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## Citharischius (Jun 28, 2004)

Just gotta love them


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## Angelique Reed (Jun 28, 2004)

I happened upon the hobby by accident.  My dad owns a vaccuum cleaner business & received a tarantula as a trade in.  I took it (Chilean Rose T.) off of his hands.  What started as an office joke quickly turned into arachno-mania.  Now, I can't imagine life without my spider.


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## LAking (Jun 28, 2004)

I've always liked animals, but grew up primarily with cats. I started getting into snakes about 4 years ago when my room mate and old HS friend introduced me to them. I've owned a Ball Python, Red Tail Boa, Corn Snake, and Burmese Python. All i have left (mostly due to time and money) is the Burm. I never had any interest in T's and quite honestly had a mild fear of spiders most of my life. I hated when there was a spider in my room, i felt i had to kill it. I got a job at a pet store and eventually we got some T's in (rosea of course) and i started to get interested in them. Watching them eat was pretty fun. As i usally do with an animal that interests me, i started researching a lot. It took quite a few months but i eventually bought a Pink Zebra Beauty as my first T. Not long after that i got a B. Smithi. Unfortunately the PZB died because it was wild caught and had a wasp larvea in it but i still have the Smithi and i just got a new Green Bottle Blue sling. I'm not as crazy into as some here. I'm not interested in owning a room full of T's and i'd rather not mess with the really agressive and venomous ones but i love the ones i do have and they keep me interested. Oh, and i just found a young black widow in my room a few days ago so i'm gonna try and keep it for a while.


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## LAking (Jun 28, 2004)

Angelique Reed said:
			
		

> I happened upon the hobby by accident.  My dad owns a vaccuum cleaner business & received a tarantula as a trade in.  I took it (Chilean Rose T.) off of his hands.  What started as an office joke quickly turned into arachno-mania.  Now, I can't imagine life without my spider.


He took a T as a trade in? For what? Details please?


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## Dragoon (Jun 28, 2004)

hahahaha....I like all the stories, but TnT's is the best!  

I've always been obsessed with animals.  I lived in small apartments in the city, and was not allowed pets, so catching grasshoppers and crickets in jars was my only outlet for pets, or wildlife. 
I never really saw a tarantula until I started volunteering at a new exotic pet store. I liked all the critters there, but was smitten with monitor lizards and T's. 
A rose hair and a pinktoe were my first purchases. Both of which molted out male within six months. and died. Bummer. I was still interested, and when I had some spare cash for a new pet, I found Tarantula Canada, and someone who patiently answered my questions! 
A year later, I have close to 50 T's, and six scorps, and my lovely Nephila!

Does anyone here notice the wonderful contribution all those pet store roseas are making to the hobby? I notice that being a cheap purchase is what has drawn many into the arachnoworld. That is both noble and sad. Many die, I am sure, but also many serve to erase fears of spiders. 
Roseas have my respect!
D.


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## Gillian (Jun 28, 2004)

My reason(s) are probably not very exotic. When I was a kid, my younger sister bullied me, on a daily basis. When she saw I was scared of bugs, she'd catch them, and then throw them on me. Only, she'd aim for my hair, or my clothes, so they'd get hopelessly entangled, and I'd get totally hysterical.

    So, one day, while I was at a Reptile Expo here, about 2 years ago, something compelled me to hold a tarantula. I wasn't scared anymore. So, I got into tarantula keeping, to conquer my fear of bugs.
Peace, light & eternal love...
Gillian
)0(


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## Scylla (Jun 28, 2004)

I think I mentioned this somewhere else, but just about a year ago I attended a training seminar where one of the speakers was discussing T's.  He brought his 20+ year old B. smithi, Elvira, and handed her out to the class.  She was passed from hand to hand and I was dreading my turn.  True, some people refused to touch her, but I didn't want to lose face.  All the same, I was terrified.  My terror mounted as she came closer.  When my turn came, I had tears of fear in my eyes.  She steppend onto my hand and it was magical.  She was so beautiful and didn't feel anything like I expected her to feel.  I spent the next 6 month researching and in December I got my G. rosea, Evelina.  I justified it by saying that I was planning on giving educational lectures and I wanted to share that wondrous experience of meeting a T for the first time.  I now have 18.    

PS    Elvira passed on last week.


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## gusman1204 (Jun 29, 2004)

Stealth Taco said:
			
		

> I remember, it was the winter of '73 coldest winter i ever saw....nevermind, I just got into the hobby from staring at my brother's T's as they annhiliated the crickets we so delightfully fed to them. I don't know, I guess I have always had a hatred of crickets, so finding something that could destroy the noisy freaks set a fire to my mind and heart. I hope to have an entire section of my house devoted to Tarantulas. and a cricket holding cage designed like death row of Texas. MWUAHAHAHAA >:^D


   ;P If you really want something that destroys crickets, would u like to feed my 2 baby bearded dragons that end up havin 10-30 3/8" and 1/2" crickets every day?  
about getting into hobbie.... i always was amazed by spiders, and when i finally got my first T (take a wild guess. yes it was a G. Rosea)... it wasnt too long before i got my B.smithi... now planin on A. Genic... if i dun go broke on crickets


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## Joe1968 (Jun 29, 2004)

this is a good thread, i enjoy reading peeps experinces.
well here mine.

in 1991 i was in the Army stationed in ft drum, ny. i took this girl to a movie called " the silence of the lambs" ( i know ...what a movie watch on a date) anyways if u remember, the killer has a cool terarium and collect exotics bugs. later on i went to a pet shop and got me a diff bug, a rose hair, i had to sneak it in at the Army barracks, i had to hide it when we have our daily room inspection by our company first sergeant , i was getting out in a few months anyway so i didnt care. i remeber at the time i was leaving, i have all my stuff all pack up in my tiny car and my T in his critter cage in the front seat with me. left NY, drove to Canada, cross Michigan, then to St Louis.

remember this is 1991 at that time the only available species is either a rose hair or a pink toe, at least that what i saw they have. internet wasnt born yet and theres no way i could find a cool species that i like, but i love my rose hair. i even remember saying "oh cool this one has a cute tiny hooks in the front leg" well u guess it , he is a he. well i still get to enjoy Harry for 6 months or so, then he died. then i got busy in college and all, then about the first week of this month, i went to a reptile store to get a pair of house geckos, i saw a cobalt blue and ended up buying it...i got addicted again , the bug bit, now i have 18 T's...i need to stop.    i realized that i have forgoten how cool T's are.


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## caligulathegod (Jun 29, 2004)

I've always liked spiders.  Also, I've always loved Halloween and Horror.  Up until a few years ago, I had 4 pirahnas.  It was like having a horror movie right there in a fish tank.  Very gruesome.  Anyway, what kicked the spider thing into high gear was when I got my car, I wanted vanity plates of some obscure film I liked.  I thought about a film that I'd seen recently called "Spider Baby".  It was perfect.  I got Spider Baby (or as close as I could get to it with 7 characters) on my plates and started collecting spider toys to keep in my car.  Now I have about 20 spider toys in my car.  I just got more and more obsessed with spiders.  Eventually, my girlfriend got me a tarantula for my birthday and I was hooked.  Now I'm up to 7.


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## Keith Richard (Jun 30, 2004)

The king of shock rock, Alice Cooper released "Welcome to my Nightmare" back in 1975. The Vincent Price intro narritive to "Black Widow" got me hooked on arachnids...been fascinated ever since.

Thanks Alice!!!


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## lta3398 (Jun 30, 2004)

*why I got into these great pets*

I have always had a great fascination with all spiders and snakes. My parents didn't approve as my mother is still to this day deathly afraid of any snake and spiders WERE NOT much better in her book. I cannot explain why I love them so much, I just do. So now I am married with two young boys who share my fascination and love them as much as I do. We have five Ts at the moment, including my beloved A. Seemaani who is my avatar. I have had him the longest of all my Ts and he is my baby. I just think they are so beautiful and great pets!


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## Pheonixx (Jun 30, 2004)

oddly my girlfriend wanted to get a T.  and eacxh week she asked me "is today trantula tuesday?"  i said no for about 3 weeks then she bought me two little avic. avic's.  i was stoked cause these guys were so cool (then i got them home and got poop shot at me)  but anyways now i have 5 T's  and they are all pretty cool


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## Ryan Bridgman (Jul 1, 2004)

Well as a child living in Australia I had bad experiences with spiders (got bitten by a red-back - f*cking hurt like hell) and that put me off spiders. When we moved to England I still had the fear despite the fact that no English spider will hurt you.

I got married 5 years ago and my wife is Thai, and in Thailand there are many bugs and big spiders and people aren't afraid of them. In fact, my wife loved bugs and kept pestering me to get a T. I kept saying no due to my fear. Well one day we were in a reptile store in camden and my wife saw a full grown T Blondi and again was pestering me to get it. I was like, 'no way you freak' but then my eyes wandered to a A.Seemanni and I was amazed at how darn cool it looked. So as a compromise I agreed to get the Seemanni. For the first night I felt uneasy having a T in my room, and it was very much the case that my wife was going to look after it. But then over the next few days I became more and more fascinated by the T, and she really grew on me.

So, about a month later I came home with a B.Smithi - again I just couldn't get over how incredibly beautiful the species is. 2 weeks later I returned home with a Curly Hair, then I got 2 mantises (man i LOVE mantises - any T owner wanting another really cool pet I wholly recommend mantises - it's like having your own pet alien). Now I was the person looking after the T's, doing maintenance and cleaning and I really think they are awesome creatures.

Yesterday I received my 4th T in the post, a Peruvian Greenvelvet courtesy of Virginia Cheeseman. This is my 1st 'baby T' (s/he is about half an inch) and I am really looking forward to raising it.

The funny thing is, I am no longer afraid of big spiders but I still won't go near anything with long spindly legs such as a harvestman, Daddy Long legs or Crane fly. Those just creep me out!


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## LPacker79 (Jul 1, 2004)

I blame my younger brother, Jeff.

A little history on Jeff: He's wrecked 5 cars due to drunk driving, he's cut his bottom lip off and required plastic surgery due to driving his car into a deep culvert, hit parked cars, went cruising through a cornfield and pulled back onto the road right in front of a cop, and he's managed to lose a fight with the garage floor. Throughout all of this, my mom just continued to buy him new cars. At age 20, Jeff lost his driver's license due to too many DUI's. He'll be 24 this month and has yet to get his license back. Why the history? Just to let ya'll understand the way my brother's mind works (or doesn't work).

November of 2002, the sunday before Thanksgiving. I wake up and come downstairs to find a T in a kritter keeper on the kitchen table. A little taken aback, I assume the creature belonged to Jeff's friend who had stayed the night. A few hours later and Jeff's friend wakes up. I comment on the T (something along the lines of it being cute if I recall correctly). The friend replies with "That's not mine, it's Jeff's."  Oh hell, what has Jeff done now is all I can think of. So I start grilling the friend for information. Apparently, another friend of theirs had bought this T a few months before to scare girls at parties with. By all rights the spider should be dead. This "owner" and several of his friends have all dropped her, and by one account THREW her across a room because she bit him. Anyway, this kid didn't want her anymore and convinced my drunk brother to buy her from him.
So Jeff finally wakes up and doesn't remember buying the spider at all.  What's more, he's terrified of her. Me, afraid that he would neglect her or worse, kill her, agrees to take her.  Knowing absolutely nothing about tarantulas and never having thought of owning one, I immediately scour the internet in search of information. Of course, she is a G. rosea.
The next month I bought another G. rosea. The month after that I made my first online order.  Now I have 70 something, all because of my brother.

Thanks Jeff!


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## Tarangela (Jul 1, 2004)

I had an incredible fear of spiders when I was little.  I just didn't like being near them, even though I thought they were very neat to watch-from a distance!

I started working a second job to help out at a local pet store that had a rose hair.  It was very sad   They had it in a small enclosure, w/ a HEAT light and that *jelly* looking stuff that was supposed to be water for the spider.  It was constantly crawling around, trying to get away from the light.

A couple of weeks later, I decided to TAKE IT HOME and save it.  It would have died!  I was scared to even touch the deli cup it was in!  I was really nervous.

That was back in 99 

Here I am, SPIDER keeper, and the *weird one* in the community, w/ the *room of spiders*     lol

I love each and every one of my little babies!!!  And I learn something new everyday!  I just had a versicolor lay an eggsac that will be duds, b/c she has never mated, LOL  Anything can happen in that room!

I have over 40 right now, and $ is the only thing holding me back, doesn't it for all of us? lol

I have had one kid show, at a local middle shcool, last month.  THAT was awesome, and just another chance to keep our future generation of kids on the spider's side!

Rock on!!


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## bugga (Jul 2, 2004)

I used to freak out when a small ordinary house spider would come out of nowhere to land on my head or share a shower with me.  One evening my husband and I were lounging around and spotted a spider on the wall. I  had to wrestle him down so he couldn't capture the spider and tryb to torture me with it. He never really ever caught the spiders but he would have some fuzz or lint in his hands that I thought was the spider. Anyways I fear real quick.I ordered several tarantulas to sell in my shop.

I currently keep at home
female goliath
female rose grey
female red slate ornamental

I may bring home a female giant whiteknee, female indian ornamental


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## DnKslr (Jul 2, 2004)

First I really had no interest in them accept when it's feeding time. I couldn't really have as many pets as i wanted due to financial reasons as well as personal reasons. Then I realized how many different kinds of Ts were available and my interest sky rocketed from there! Plus they don't need to have baths, they don't..... dig in the garden, poop on the carpet, pee on the carpet or furniture, make noise at 4 am, chew my favorite shoes, steal food from the table, shed on house guests, bite neighborhood children....   ok, well maybe they do the last two but hey, they probly a good reason.


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## Adam (Jul 2, 2004)

Like some other people in this thread, I've been afraid of creepie crawlies my whole life. Spiders, insects, anything with more than 4 legs sent me into a panic attack and gave me shivers. While in college, I bought my first snake (I always loved snakes). While at the pet shop, I saw a regular A. avicularia in a small cage. At first I was really freaked out, but I asked if I could hold it despite that fear. She was nothing like I expected and I quickly fell in love with her. After a few months and a bunch of research I bought my first two Ts (B. vagans and B. albopilosum). They got me hooked and now I have 12 eight-legged friends.

The funny thing is, I'm still kinda creaped out about house spiders, some bugs and house centepedes. I'm a little braver now, being able to gently remove them and set them loose outside, but the fear is still there. At the same time, I love watching all of my Ts walk around and kill their meals. I guess I get the same kind of rush from keeping Ts as pets as people get from roller coasters. It's definitely an addiction. Well, that's my story


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## RichardDegville (Jul 2, 2004)

For cash and subject matter for my website!!!
(just kidding LOL)


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## cricket54 (Jul 3, 2004)

When I was a little girl, I used to collect different bugs and spiders and keep them a while, then let them go. Years later one of my daughters wanted a pet tarantula and I told her if she saved up her own money she could get one. She got a "pink toe" of some kind that then molted and turned out to be a male. When he died, she was broken hearted so I bought her a B. smithi that was sold as a red leg back then. We had her for years and loved her. I think a neighbor kid hurt her because after he left, I found her ruptured and couldn't save her. Then a few yrs after that my son-in-law bought me a G. rosea for Christmas. He lived a few yrs then had his ultimate molt and died months later. So I bought another G. rosea and have had her 6 yrs or so. After that, I got a B. smithi for Christmas and my collection has grown from there. Even my husband is buying me some tarantulas sometimes, but he doesn't have much interest in them. My daughter who lives here, is very much into them and has started collecting some of her own. She is the little sister of the daughter that bought the first tarantula. So I have at least one person who shares my enthusiasim for them here. Her little girl is very interested too and I gave her one of my g. rosea slings. She likes to help feed the tarantulas with me.

Sharon


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## lta3398 (Jul 3, 2004)

*Another message*

I have already posted here as to why i keep my T's...but reading some of these others are great! My sister is DEATHLY afraid of cockroaches, but yet she will hold any of my T's. Go figure. My husband can live without them, but he keeps letting me buy them cuz I love them so much! Recently, we were looking at a sight that sells slings and he was actually commenting on how "neat" or"pretty" or "cool" these spiders were! I think we have another addict in the making!(he let me order two more right then!) He has to be getting used to them, at least...they all live in our bedroom!


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## Vampire (Jul 3, 2004)

*It all started.....*

Well, it all started a few years ago....my Grandson loved the movie Eight Legged Freaks. We talked about it & I suggested that maybe he'd like a T as a pet.....well, we jumped in the car & went T shopping & he got his first T, B Smithi he named Cooly....we've all learned a lot since then and he now has 7 of them & I'm hooked on them!


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## pitbulllady (Jul 3, 2004)

It's very odd-I got my first T way back in my college days, an adult B. Smithi from a pet shop-set me back a whopping ten bucks!  I got it mainly because I'm just not into fish, and fish were the only animals we were allowed to keep in our dorms, but I figured a spider wouldn't make any tell-tale noise and would be easy to stash away in case the Hall Assistant came in for an inspection!  It turned out to be a male of course, so I only had him a few months.

After graduating, I lost interest in spiders; in fact, I actually developed a fear of them!  I got bitten by a Brown Recluse shortly after I got my first teaching job, and perhaps my experience with that incident really caused me to begin to fear spiders.  There was actually a point at which I couldn't stand to look at the arachnids on display at reptile expos!  Two of my friends were absolutely phobic about spiders, so perhaps a bit of them was rubbing off on me!

I came to a point, though, at which I realized that my fear of spiders was irrational, and went against the grain of what I have always tried to teach people about snakes, another animal which is so widely feared and loathed, for no good reason.  I was determined to shake this fear, and began to consider getting another tarantula to help me get over it.  When one of the kindergarten teachers offered me a very large Rosehair that her son had left in her care when he ran off and got married, I accepted it.  "Honey", as her students had named this beast, wasn't exactly the best choice for helping someone get over a fear of spiders-this was one NASTY T, who would give you a defense display at the drop of hat and actually would chase my hand around her encloser while I tried to clean out her water dish!  She did succede in sparking my interest/addiction, though, and soon the tarantula population at my house began to grow by leaps and bounds!  I am now up to 13; some of them I handle, while others I leave alone except when it's absolutely necessary.  I don't see this number as being stationary, and likely it will grow as my finances allow!  Suffice it to say I got over my fear!

pitbulllady


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## ithuriel (Jul 3, 2004)

a friend at work has two rosies and he brought a book in to show me. i was curious and can be a bit impulsive so i went out and purchased an indian ornamental   and from there i went into double figures  ive let the numbers decline recently though


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## spyderguy1983 (Jul 3, 2004)

As a child I always caught bugs and kept them in jars and such. I always liked spiders the best though because i could feed them all the other bugs I would catch   . Anyways, I started wanting a T around age 12 but my mom never gave in. As soon as I moved out a I bought a G. Rosea and the rest is history.


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## Mendi (Jul 3, 2004)

Arachnophobic due to brown recluse bite about 20 years ago... Wanted to overcome that and I have always been fascinated with spiders. I didn't have any problems with them until I was bit at 19, and though I never felt "irrational fear," I sometimes would get very nervous. Still do at times  

Might never devolped this fear had bite treatment been anywhere near it is today... But I was several long months healing with a necrotic lession on my leg.   Dealing with that daily made me want to stay far far away from spiders

I feel ok now, though some OW'ers cause the feelings to surface.


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## mouse (Jul 3, 2004)

well the way i got into this was like this                                                        1.i live in an apartment .. no cats or dogs unless with doctorsnote or over 65 years old 
2. animals had to be in a cage... okay.. i bought rats... they told me i had too many... well they  kinda multiplied...lol. 
3. so when i got rid of the last one.. i needed another pet.
and since i had this fear of spiders... face your fear, cure it...so i got me a rosehair tarantula...now i want more.


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## leiurus (Jul 3, 2004)

Because I love bugs! Tarantulas aren't like other pets, they are amazing. 
They are incredable predators, they can web, they can climb on glass, they don't eat a lot, don't smell bad and they are such a wonderful animal...
Dom


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## MANSON (Jul 3, 2004)

*Fear*

  it was my fear of spiders that drove my curiosity. I never really knew anything about spiders, exept there creepy fast biting little monsters. I wanted to learn about what i was fearing before i could judge what i thought it was. I hate to fear something out of ignorance. I learned it was ignorance that i was afraid of, the thought of not knowing, which drove my curiosity. oh, and my moms allergic to fir.  

if this doesnt make sense, its because of the demonic deathmetal im listening to


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## FelixA9 (Jul 4, 2004)

I grew up afraid/facinated by spiders and would read about them whenever I could find a good book on the subject.  An unexpected closeup picture of a spider would send the book sailing across the room but still my interest kept me coming back.  Whenever I'd go into petstores I'd always check out the Ts first and think to myself "I need to get one one of these days" but never did.  Then one day my brother calls me from work to tell me he thinks a coworker's wife found a T, that they had it at work and were wondering what to do with it.  Since I'd never even heard of them living around here nor seen one around here I was skeptical but said for him to bring it by so I could look at it.  I decided to adopt it and have had it for about four years now.  When my life is actually settled to the point that I could spend the time to appreciate them I intend to get more.  a. geniculata, OBT, Trinidad Cheveron, and T.blondi are first on my list.


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## KZoo (Jul 4, 2004)

*When HAVEN'T I loved them?!*

I was the only girl-child I ever knew who loved EVERYTHIng live ... and jumping spiders were among my favorite little critters!! When I was in my late teens, tarantulas were starting to be prevalent in pet stores. Egads, all the attraction of jumping spiders in a nice BIG size!! COOL!! So I got my first one, have NO idea what it was, sort of brownish ... and named it Sebastian. Of course, being as how there was no information out there on them at the time that was any good, Sebastian made it abou 2 years ... then passed on. Next arachoincarnation was in my mid-late 20's, when I got a B. smithi, then got ... well, here we go again, have NO idea what THAT one was, either. But they lived with me for about 2 years too. Sometime in there, I tried a pink-toe, but again- not near enough known as to how to take care of them. I believe it passed on of dehydration.

Fast-forward to about 8 years ago, I again gave a go to this hobby. I scoured pet stores, and located one which had a goodly selection of spids. Ended up with about 6 of them ... and got SOME information this time, off of a site which my partener at the time printed for me off her computer. I was computer illiterate at that time - perish the thought!! Those poor spids lasted only about a year or so ... I have NO idea why. But I thought, I can't keep watching these guys die!! NO MORE FOR ME!!!

HA - well, about 3 years ago, the love of my life did a very brave thing. She gave me a pink-toe for my birthday!! No big deal, you say - EXCEPT that she is arachnophobic, and so this was truly an act of love! Sparkles lasted 3 years ... during that time, I read and read and read everything I could find on these beautiful and delicate creatures. I thought at first, "I won't get into this again ... just Sparkles will be fine, thanks!" Well, we see how long THAT lasted!!

Now, I have 31 spids, none of them duplicates of species, and several more on the way!! I think I will stop at 35 ...


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## shogun804 (Oct 28, 2004)

*how did everyone start collecting T's???*

i just wanted to share with everyone why i got into the hobby and maybe some of you all would like to share your stories...

well about 2 or 3 months ago i decided to look up common spiders to see which ones were venomous in and around VA.  well i knew very little about T's to begin with.  and on the bottom of one of the pages i looked up was a link to the swifts invertebrates website well none the less i clicked it and was amazed at all the different Ts and the colors and everything else about them.  so i started to do some research on them and could not stop thinking about them.  so a couple of days later i called some pet shops to see if anyone sold them.  and the place i called gave me a # to a place.  i called them up and when they said they had a pinktoe up there i asked how much.  they told me i took a ride up there looked at it and bought it.  i was so happy when i got it and no one in my family belived me that i bought it.  so i took them upto my room and showed them there were all in shock.  and now from me getting that one T now my brother has got one and some of his friends are thinking of doing the same..i know own 6 T's and im riddled with amazement everytime i look at them man they are awsome....


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## jeffh_x (Oct 28, 2004)

i got my Ts around 2-3 months ago when i first followed a friend to a nearby pet store to look at sugar gliders..and the Ts there just caught my attention...i cudn stop thinking about them either..2 weeks later i got my 1st pnktoe...and i progressed and now i have 4...still hunting for a smithi though..the varieties aren't much here..only on the mainland...ish...yea they are awesome to look at...


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## MrArachnid (Oct 28, 2004)

*How I Got Into Tarantulas:*

Well, I think its safe to say that I was atleast intrigued by Tarantulas and Scorpions at a very young age, and as far as what influenced me to set-aside the pre-misconception and just buy one? I'm not too sure, I had thought about it seriously for maybe two years, researching and what not, but I think I got depressed and came to the conclusion that it was just too complex for someone like me, and that given the fact that I never was good with taking care of pets, I just tried to ignore it.

However, it always seemed to come back to me, and after getting really into J.R.R. Tolkien, I learned just how significant a spider could be, and I guess I got tired of the thought of owning Tarantulas seeming so much like it was only for certain people, and maybe I just flat out wasn't cool enough, or smart enough.

Well, I still don't think I'm cool enough or smart enough but all that aside, I ended up buying an Avicularia avicularia from a pet shop, I had done what I felt was more than adequate reasearch to atleast own a pinktoe, so thats what I bought.

As far as I know, its a male and he's still thankfully alive and kicking, I'm planning on attempting to handle him pretty soon.  Anyways, I've been technically in the hobby for maybe six months or more, and at this very moment I now have five Tarantulas and one Scorpion.

Avicularia avicularia, Grammostola rosea, Aphonopelma seemanni, Haplopelma lividum, Psalmopoeus cambridgei and Pandinus imperator.

I agree, its something you just can't stop thinking about, from the moment I wake up to the very second I fall asleep, Arachnids are always on my mind.  I've even been inspired enough to take it as seriously as to start work on a documentary all about Arachnids, and I've even considered going to college to be an Arachnologist, not bad for a dreamer and a High School drop-out 'eh? I expect to be in the hobby for the rest of my life.

-Mr.Arachnid


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## Brian F. (Oct 28, 2004)

A few years ago, when my wife (girlfriend back then) was doing her student teaching, she got an A. avicularia on loan from a reptile store for some sort of science lesson/presentation she was doing.  Although she fully intended to return it after she was done, I gave her the money to just go pay for it and I kept it.  One turned into two, then five, etc. I now have eleven, with at least seven other species I can think of off the top of my head that I still want.  

Everyone asks me "Doesn't your wife say anything about you having all those creatures in the house?"  and I tell them "It's her fault!"

Unfortunately, the school she teaches at now only allows their science teachers to have fish in their classrooms.


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## aliasx (Oct 28, 2004)

About 6-7 years ago I worked at a reptile wholesaler [mostly imports :/] and grabbed a rosy.  After that I went to some shows and got a cobalt blue and
a venezualan sun tiger sling.  

I also had an OBT but was completely unaware of its nature, at that time they were imported as starburst baboons.

Fast forward to now, years later.. . I found tarcan's site :worship: and now I have the privilege of keeping some amazing species.


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## TroyMcClureOG82 (Oct 28, 2004)

I had a T or two when I was a kid. They were just local species that the guy at the fish store gave me for free. Had them for a couple of years and hadn't kept anymore Ts in a long time. Two months ago I went to a reptile show. I came there looking for a centipede and decided I wanted to have a T as well. I ended up picking up an A versicolor sling. Two months later I have 20 Ts


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## Nico (Oct 28, 2004)

Since I moved to Ireland (7 years ago) I always thoud about getting a T.
I never had any money before I moved to Ireland since I was in the Army (Military Service) and had a couple of apprentiantships (you get feck all money when you do that).
So I always wanted a T and knew the shops that sells them, but my girlfriend never agreed and so I keep thinkning about them read up on them etc.

She finished our 12 year relationship (I was bleeding 18 years old when I meet her) just a month ago, and I had to move out of my beloved appartment.

I never feelt so much pain and grief in my live before (and I have lost some very speciaql people before) but since she was more than a friend/partner/lover to me I really suffered.

So what I did was to go to City Center and fullfill my dreams (what ever you can buy with money) 

So I went in to Reptile Heaven (cheers Tony) and bought some T's there.

I have now 4 T's and buy this weekend another one  Brazilian Black weeeeee (can't wait for that baby) I will call her/he Teddy 

Still hurts but i have something to work with now and don't have time to think


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## nightbreed (Oct 28, 2004)

Well it started out as a joke for me, you see my mum is terrified of spiders so when ever there was any talk of pets in the house I would pipe up and say I wanted a tarantula, I had no intention of getting one (as I had a mild fear of spiders that I think I learned from my mum) but as a kid I found it amusing to see the look of disgust on her face   , many years pass and I now have a wife and two kids now my wife has heard all about me wanting a T as a child she's an arachnophobe herself but being the incredibly cool person that she is she decided she was gonna buy a surprise present my dream pet the one I've wanted since I was a kid    luckily I got wind of it before she bought it as I had no idea what went into keeping T's and when I get a pet I like to have as much info on their care as i can, so anyway after this close call I started thinking about T's because I've always been interested in them but didn't think I could keep a pet that I was afraid of so I started doing some research on the net, checking out all the sites I could to find out about the care of tarantulas, I start thinking they aren't scary they are kinda cute so off to the petshop we go and look at a _G. rosea_ I fell in love with him (it turned out he was a male) and he came home with me that was the start of a very slippery slope as that was about eight months ago and I now have seven T's   _G.rosea B.vagans B.smithi B.emilia G.aureostriata A.avicularia_ and _L.parahybana_  
the good news is I'm not scared of them anymore I have a healthy respect for my salmon pink but no fear  lol

P.S if your reading this thread and thinking about getting your first T be very careful as IMO you cant stop at one, T's are as addictive as crack


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## Bort (Oct 28, 2004)

When I was 3 or 4 (1983 or '84), my dad brought home an aquarium with two tarantulas in it, separated by a pane of glass (And you guessed it, the glass didn't work forever, and one did kill the other). Apparantly, the people he got it from were scared of them, and didn't want to deal with them anymore. I don't know if they were truly T. Blondis, but that's what my parents told me they were. I had no fear of them as a little kid, and I remember picking them up often, and having swollen hands due to the hairs. 

Maybe around 1990, I got my own T, which I want to say was a rose hair, but I can't remember for sure. For some reason, I was really scared of it, even though I really wanted a tarantula. I'm pretty sure I gave it back to the Pet Store owner. 

Then, earlier this year, I started working at a pet store, and we have an A. avicularia there that really fascinated me. Instead of buying that pinktoe, I bought a B. smithi, which has been one of my favorite looking tarantulas for years. That pinktoe is still there, and I am greatly considering buying it. Since that B. smithi, I've bought 7 other Ts. One more couldn't hurt. Just don't really have anymore room for it. He's a sweet one though. He's the T I take out for customers most often, mainly because he's the calmest.

I think that educating myself about tarantulas my have been why I have no fear of them now, but did when I got my rosie. I knew next to nothing about the care and behaviors of a tarantula. Before I bought the B. smithi, I read everything I could find on the net, and it helped get over the fear of not only tarantulas, but the fear of not caring for them well. I love animals, and I would hate to take poor care of an animal ignorantly, as well as intentionally of course.

-Bort


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## Catherine (Oct 28, 2004)

I started off a couple of years ago, my boyfriend, (although he wasn't at the time!) Bought a collection of about 12 adult females and was selling off the ones he already had. I bought a female B vagans off him, and that was it. 
A bit later i deceided I wanted some more and bought two G. rosea slings from the pet shop where he worked. I liked the idea of raising them.
Then, I'd get more when he ordered slings off the 'net and my collection slowly grew. Since we've got together its positively exploded!


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## Code Monkey (Oct 28, 2004)

First, some background threads (there's more, I just grabbed the first 2 I found that I had posted to ):

<deleted thread links since sheri merged them with this thread>

Second, I was 11 and into spiders and other myriad biological things. My family was vacationing at my grandmother's and we were shopping at the mall. They had a Haitian brown (P. cancerides) on sale for $10.99 and I had something like $15 to my name. I asked my mom, she said yes and even helped with the few bucks I needed to get a kritter keeper type cage and some gravel (yikes  ).

That was sometime in 1981 or 1982.

I kept tarantulas a couple at a time all to the beginning of college. When I started college I only took my B. smithi and left the what was probably a G. rosea with my brother (which died an early death at the hands of my brother's ferret pushing its cage off the desk a couple of years later). That smithi was with me through graduation and the start of my marriage, she died sometime in 1998 after 16 years in my care.

I went T-less for a few years but missed having big, hairy spiders in my life so in late 2001 I started looking around. My mother offered to help me buy another B. smithi & A. avicularia if I could find them. Pet stores weren't really cutting it for the supply side so I figured that the internet probably held the solution, and, boy, did it 

So, a bit over 2 1/2 years ago I started out with the honest intention of just getting that B. smithi and A. avicularia, and maybe a couple of others to justify the shipping cost. However, the variety out there was mind blowing to a guy who grew up in a scenario where you were lucky to get to choose between 2 wild caught adults of dubious ID in a petstore so I kept going like a stoner who got handed a bag of cheetos.

Now, I'm working on building up breeding stock of a handful of my favorite species and focusing on my old standbys of the Brachypelma, Grammostola, & Avicularia with my new faves of the Nhandu and Poecilotheria added in.


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## Wade (Oct 28, 2004)

I got my first tarantula in 1992, a G. rosea (still have her). Not my first arachnid, as I already had a Asian forest scorpion. At the time, I had a growing collection of reptiles and was just starting to get interested in invertebrates. From there, I added tarantulas here and there, and the total collection is in the hundreds if you count all the spiderlings that I need to sell  , but I have somewhere around 100 in my regular, permanent collection of which around 70 are adult or close to it. Invertebrates have pretty much taken over, and now I only maintain a few "pet" reptiles. My intrest in recent years has veered more towards insects, but I still have a healthy respect for arachnids.

Wade


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## earthgirl (Oct 28, 2004)

*there, back, and there again*

About 8 years ago a good friend gave me a praying mantis.  Fascinating.  He bought a G.rosea, and later gave her to me.  She walked on my hand and then I was hooked by her scary look but gentle demeanor.    

I proceeded to get seven more tarantulas of different sorts.   :clap: 

I kept them for a few years but when I got a puppy and moved, I found good homes for all of my Ts.    

As my puppy grew, I *really * missed having my Ts, so I bought a B.smithi (and that was going to be it).  Well, we all know what happens...now I have four Ts - G.aureostriatum, A.avicularia and C.cyanopubescens.  

And I read this forum EVERY DAY.  I can't get enough!!!!!  
 :drool:


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## Nerri1029 (Oct 28, 2004)

Had Herps... 

Got a G. rosea too .. 

Pretty standard intro to T's...

was trying to date the girl working at the petstore   

so I needed reasons to get crickets right??

Had the G. rosea for 9 years.. lost her recently .. 6 months ago.. started collecting since.. up to 5 T's and a wolf spider now..


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## Washout (Oct 28, 2004)

2 Months ago I bought my first, a G. rosea like everyone else. Then I decied I raise a couple of batches of slings. So I ordered 10 P. Murinus from Garrik and 10 b. albopilosum from Immortal_sin. Well they both had way too many apparently because I ended up with 16 usmbaras and 20 curlies. 

Once I found out how easy slings were to take care of I decided I'd like to have a bunch of different species, and well now I have close to a hundred slings running around. Currently trying to sell off my excess usmbaras and curly hairs so I can make room for more species!


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## Randolph XX() (Oct 28, 2004)

i always like collecting animals since i was young. there used to be a big grassland back home with lots of grasshoppers, mantis, snakes, and lots wolf spiders. i used to have almost evey spices of jumping spiders, place them in round film boxes and some mantis. since that day i caught my first wolf spider, i got into them. 4yaers ago, i had my first t, which is a wild caught H. schmidti black form and 9" in size. she died within a year due to the reason of parasites inside of her body that i cannot clean up. i was studying in Australia for the past 2 yaers and could only get some wild wite-tail spiders around my place. As soon as i transfer to Canada, i went to a pet shop to get some crix for my Macrothele gigas and found out i can get a lot of ts in here! then i started my collecting....


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## reverendsterlin (Oct 28, 2004)

started with the male aphonopelmas(sp?) that run all over the SW US back in the 60's
Rev


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## Brian S (Oct 28, 2004)

My 1st tarantula was a A hentzi that I caught in 1982 not far from home. I have been in and out of the hobby since then but now am in it bigger than ever. I have always been interested in bugs and keeping them. My first bugs were Mantids, Jumping Spiders and Black Widows.
It is amazing how much the hobby has grown over the years thanks in part to the internet and sites like this.


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## BakuBak (Oct 28, 2004)

i remember this as it had happend  yesterday 

i wos 12 ore 13  and  wear in love with  biology   
i  went to zoo schope and it wos realy nesty schop , i have notice a black  thing in smal conteiner  with no substrate . - it have to be mine !! 

i bot it for hmm lets say 30$  as adoultus b.albopilosa female  in few mounths i  got sceard !! my beutyfull spider  had 2 injurs and his hmm( i dont hnow eanglisch word -  legs with bulbos   )   i have took it to  better schop  and there sad me that it is a male , but they have female   and they will hehe do sweet love :]   but he wos eaten     so they give me their female   and sche is  still with me and have best  container  and best food    and at this  year sche get laid twice


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## shogun804 (Oct 28, 2004)

well it all started for me about 3 months ago id say and i was looking up spiders in VA to see which ones were venemous...anyways i saw a link on the bottom of a page for Ts it was the swifts invetebrates website i looked on there and was riddeled with amazement the colors and everything were absoluelty incredible so after some research on them and since i had never even seen a T in real life i called around to find out who sold them this guy told me he had a pinktoe at his shop went up there and bought coolest thing ive ever bought...


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## Professor T (Oct 28, 2004)

Brian S said:
			
		

> My 1st tarantula was a A hentzi that I caught in 1982 not far from home. I have been in and out of the hobby since then but now am in it bigger than ever. I have always been interested in bugs and keeping them. My first bugs were Mantids, Jumping Spiders and Black Widows.
> It is amazing how much the hobby has grown over the years thanks in part to the internet and sites like this.


My first T was also an _A. hentzi_ that I caught in a field by Winfield, KS in 1980. It was a great pet T. 

My second pet T I still own, a _G. rosea_ named "Fluffy". That was my extent of owning pet Ts until I found this message board...then my interest soared.


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## tkn0spdr (Oct 28, 2004)

Since I'm a Scorpio I figured I just _had_ to like arachnids, whether I was scared of them or not. Luckily I'm not! I've been keeping spiders and scorpions ever since '79.


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## spiderdood (Oct 28, 2004)

I've been scared of spiders my whole life, Im now 36. About 6 months ago some coworkers thought it would be funny to buy a Costa Rican Zebra and put it in my toolbox just to hear me scream like a little girl. Well, I did scream, but instead of killing it like they thought I would I caught it and brought it home. I became VERY interested in tarantulas and started buying more.....and more......and more. I CANT STOP!! Theres nothing scary about them, they are extremely fascinating. I currently have 23 T's and love taking care of them. I read this forum every night and there are alot of great people on here.


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## Raindog (Oct 28, 2004)

I've loved herps for as long as I can remember and was always the first to catch and save the odd spider at work from the idiotic few that I share office space. About a year ago I strolled into my local exotic pet store and found a tiny B. smithi in an equally tiny cage. I asked about her and Larry reached right in and pulled her out. I thought, how odd... I picked her up the next day. Two months later I went to a local herp show to buy another chondro and instead came home with seven more tarantulas. Since then, somehow I have aquired thirty three and plan to pick up a few more this weekend.


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## Brian S (Oct 28, 2004)

spiderdood said:
			
		

> I've been scared of spiders my whole life, Im now 36. About 6 months ago some coworkers thought it would be funny to buy a Costa Rican Zebra and put it in my toolbox just to hear me scream like a little girl. Well, I did scream, but instead of killing it like they thought I would I caught it and brought it home. I became VERY interested in tarantulas and started buying more.....and more......and more. I CANT STOP!! Theres nothing scary about them, they are extremely fascinating. I currently have 23 T's and love taking care of them. I read this forum every night and there are alot of great people on here.


That has to be one of the most interesting storys I've heard in awhile.  
What a way to aquire your 1st spider!!!   Thanx 4 sharing that Spiderdood


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## Vanan (Oct 28, 2004)

My passion began along the school fence since Grade 3. Back in Singapore there'd be a myriad of insects and spiders to catch. Used to be known as the bug catcher in my school. Whenever some kid spotted a spider, I would be alerted and would try trapping it. Big feat to me when I was just 9. My biggest achievement then was catching a Golden Web Spider (not sure what latin name) about 4-5" legspan. My favs used to be the Salticidae. In Singapore they came in all colours of the rainbow. 

After my childhood, I kept catching and keeping spiders (and reptiles, Calotes sp. mostly) for brief periods of time until I moved to Canada. Fall of 1999, I had some extra cash and decided it's been a while since I had a pet. Rushed to the pet store hoping to find a T but ended up coming home with a green anole. Yea yea, impulse buy!  Although that developed into my current hobby, snakes. Own about 40-50 now.

I finally ended up picking up my first T from the Schultz's at the 2001 TARAS Fall show. Marguerite's and her T's demeanor won me over and I just had to pick up one of the curlyhair slings they had for $5. Well, more like 3 of them. Then it went berserk and I found someone who dealt with CB T's and bought a bunch off of him over time. Had up to 15 T's but had to get rid of all of them prior to my move to SK.  Hence, now I'm rebuilding my T collection, starting with a G. rosea. Up to 4 T's now with 6 more on the way. And it feels goooood to be back!


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## Fred (Oct 28, 2004)

My first T I got was last spring, on day I was in the mall and I saw a tarantula belt buckle so I bought it. then like a month after that I wondered what it would be like having a real tarantula so I asked my mom(I'm 14) and she said no, the next day my auntie from quoquitlam came down and she's terrfied from spider but she talked my mom into letting me get one so the next day I got a A. seemanni. unfortunatly it was a adult male, but at that time I had no idea. so he died shortly after I got him, so I got rosie.


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## cocopuff (Oct 28, 2004)

I passed all my childhood summers cathcing bugs, spiders, butterfly. I wanted to be an entomologist (sp?).

Thought I could never be one, so I studied other things 
I ended up being a model, than a 2D-3D graphic artist, doing video games. It did not turned too bad 

Of course now my place look like an insectarium. My T's are my favorites of course.

I am studying again to turn things over. Work with T's and insects and play games as a hobby!


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## metzgerzoo (Oct 29, 2004)

*Leave it to the guys*

I got into spiders thanks to my husband and son.  Hubby has always loved spiders and inverts in general and thus, has put his 2 cents into our son's brain as early as possible.  So, when our son did something that was just super good (you know, the whole, "now you're a big boy" thing) well, we got him a T because he had been begging for a spider of his own forever.  So down to the pet store we went and found our adult female *viscious* rosie.  The reptile guy was so afraid of her he couldn't hardly get her in the box..but that's another story.  I was scared to death of spiders, especially real big ones but you know, can't let the kids know that Mom's a wuss :8o  and I didn't want our kids to grow up with the same ignorant, uneducated fear that I had so I took it upon myself to be in charge of her water dish...which of course meant sticking my hand in her tank.  
Anyway, we had her for several months before we got anymore and now I dream about spiders every night and can't even make it though my first cup of coffee in the morning without looking in on all of them.  
Oh yeah, and I've also discovered that I like tarantulas and inverts in general a LOT more than cats and dogs!


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## fleedu (Oct 29, 2004)

I wasn't really interested in spiders at all and i knew only g. rosea and people told me it's boring creature, etc. Then I decided to research some tarantula websites and read some books and got really fascinated  now I'm getting my first tarantulas  1st november, b. smithi and homoeomma sp. slings! can't wait to see em! I hope they get here alive.


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## gothmog (Oct 29, 2004)

Last year I woke up with this hanging above my bed:







I had never seen anything like it before (Even though it's a very common spider in the UK!) and it re-awakened an interest in bugs I had had as a kid, so I had to find out all about it. I posted the pic on a forum to try and get an id, which I did, but it also lead me to Lopez's thread on the overclockers.co.uk forum about keeping tarantulas, it took the best part of the day to read through it, but by the end I was totally hooked, within a month I had my first T 

-- Jon


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## NightCrawler27 (Oct 29, 2004)

well i started dating my g/f  and she had a rosie she had just got a few weeks before we started dating ...and well now im addicted to them and want 2 of every species there is...the one she aint sure about is the goliath bird eater..but i know her and she will find me 1 someday..that 1 amazes me on its size and power...but ive have alot to learn yet before gettin that bad boy


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## MilkmanWes (Oct 29, 2004)

My parents got me a set of Nat Geo kids books when I was very young and the bugs and spiders were the only things in them that I could find in the yard. I would take the spider one out like a field guide and try to identify everything I saw. Also around that time an enormous orb weaver built a web covering my entire window. It became an early morning ritual as we got up for me and my dad to check on it. I remember identifying the male in the corner of the web and eventually an egg sac and food boluses until one day it was gone.

As I got into my teen years I tried convincing my mom to let me have a tarantula, but that was a no go. Years passed and I read about them on occasion and watched them in pet stores until early this year I decided togo ahead and indulge myself and got a few starter Ts.

Now I have over a dozen including a T. blondi I got from an ad in the paper this week along with an H. lividium and just took a bunch of them to an elementary school for a short demonstration. The blondi went too and sat patiently in a kritter keeper while the kids put their hand on the underside for comparison.


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## David_F (Oct 29, 2004)

Back in '98 or '99 I got interested in some tarantulas I saw in a pet store.  After that I started reading everything I could find about Ts.  Unfortunately, I mande the worst mistake I could: I took my girlfriend (future wife)to the store with me the day I was going to buy one and she flipped out.  I agreed not to get it.  A few years and one divorce  later I decided it was time.  I got my first T, A. seemani, in 2001 and have been hooked since.


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## MysticKigh (Oct 29, 2004)

If you had asked me even 5 years ago... I would have said NO WAY... NEVER! I was bit by a brown recluse as a kid and developed a severe case of arachnophobia (I left the house if there was a spider until some kind soul removed or <Ack!> killed it for me). Then, one day in my early thirties I decided that it was time to overcome the fear. A friend runs a petstore where they carry a few Ts so I took a deep breath and asked her to take one out for me. Several weeks .. a few incidents of hyperventilation and several tears and tremors later, I started looking forward to the visits. I almost couldn't believe it myself when I decided to bring one home with me. My T's have become my favorite pets. I'm up to thirteen... and counting


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## Spider_Monkey (Oct 29, 2004)

_Was_ slightly arachnophobic.  
Found wonderful boyfriend who had 8 T's when I met him.  
Fell in love with all his T's (and boy as well) after a few months.  
First 2 slings were bought at the same time; T. gigas and P. murinus - I liked the bitey ones 
We live together now and have over 70 T's combined.


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## Tarantula-Kid (Oct 30, 2004)

The first spider I got interested in was a wolf spider on my car seat.  I was three.  I was scared but when dad killed it I got upset. I got mom to read spider books to me and finally got my parents to get me my first tarantula when I was five.  It's my G. rosea named Fluffy.


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## JJJoshua (Oct 30, 2004)

Got my first T at age 5 and have loved them ever since. I originally wanted it to be different and be like "hey I have a big scary tarantula, wanna see?" but now they're grown on me, and I'm glad I made the right choice, for the wrong reasons. My first T died when my family threw a huge party and a bunch of drunk people put hot wings in it cage, and I guess it ate a few   needless to say I found my T in the death curl the next day    "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" *sigh*


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## Pheonixx (Oct 30, 2004)

i think i already posted here...  Anyone else think we should make this a sticky?  I mean lots lof new people could use this as a way of saying hello and telling the tale of how they got into tarantulas...


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## Code Monkey (Oct 30, 2004)

Pheonixx said:
			
		

> i think i already posted here...  Anyone else think we should make this a sticky?  I mean lots lof new people could use this as a way of saying hello and telling the tale of how they got into tarantulas...


There are already way too many stickies as is and people don't read them either. If people would just 'search' there would be no need for the stickies. The mods discussed making this one a sticky and the concensus was to not do it - we can always just merge a new thread like we did this one.


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## Tarantula Lover (Oct 30, 2004)

I was really desperate for a tarantula, and i just went to petbugs, arachnopets and tarantulas.com forums to look up for some t's. Im sure some of you remember when i first wanted a t. My first one was an Avicularia avicularia around 3". Mark (u kno who) gave me it with a kritter keeper and even some substrate with some crickets! I was so grateful! Thanks again, and that really started me and this is my 2nd year with tarantulas and i still have a lot more to learn!


James


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## MountinGal (Jan 4, 2005)

*Why I got into Tarantulas*

My story started last summer when my husband was offered a job in SE Colorado. We are both native midwesterners, and when we found out that t's are native to this area I totally freaked out! I was terrified of seeing one. Then, I saw one.

I work at a daycare that regularly finds A. hentzis wandering on the playground. I have caught and then released several of these for the kids to see close up in bug boxes. Now I am completely hooked and will be getting my first t's (a B. smithi and a G. aureostriata) at the end of the month. I can't wait!

T's are perfect pets for me, as I am allergic to anything with fur and am on a limited budget. My husband is scared of them but I'm hoping to convert him, and I'm hoping our 18 month old will not grow up with the irrational fear of all spiders that I grew up with.


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## andy83 (Jan 5, 2005)

Well,
This past summer I worked as a camp counselor at a science camp. It was a blast and I really loved the job. They have a very nice nature center with a teacher that does an outstanding job. Anyway, among the wildlife that was there we had a rose hair and best of all a full grown T. blondi. I guess that's what got me going. The blondi was there in a look but dont touch manner but I really took a liking to her and ever since I really enjoy T's. My collection has grown and shrunk a lot but now I have 5 T's that I greatly enjoy.
1 T. blondi sling
1 B. vagans sling
1 C. fasciatum(female)
1 P. cancerides(female)
1 B. smithi(female)


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## galeogirl (Jan 5, 2005)

I've always been a big biology fan.  I got my first microscope when I was 7, same year I got my first reptiles (anoles).  Grew up with a veritable zoo in my parents' basement, mostly reptiles, amphibians, and inverts.

I'm fascinated with primitive animals and love having them around to observe.  Someday I'll have my walk-in vivarium.....and my shark tank.   :drool:


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## jw73 (Jan 5, 2005)

I have loved animals since I remamber and I always have kept them. When I was a child I kept mouse, rat, cat, dogs, birds, turtle, insects, fish of course not all at the same time. Even now I am animal freak. I keep two dogs, oscar fish (120 gallon tank), 15 Ts and all in small apartment (only two rooms).


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## Darryl Albers (Jan 5, 2005)

these fascinating creatures are addictive , very addictive . 
rather spiders than drugs heh ?


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## Schlyne (Jan 5, 2005)

I always thought spiders were cool, but I killed them as a child if they were in my room. I got bit fairly often in my sleep.  If I was outside, I'd look at the web, learned a bit about the different types of spiders (I was fascinated by biology) and left them alone.

I got sick of being bitten in the night.

Jump ahead to 1997.  A large T shows up in my dirty laundry basket in my room.  I think yeah, that's pretty cool.  It goes into threat pose, I think, aren't some of these "poisonous" so I kill it.  

My room becomes infested with wolf spiders, and I get mild arachnophobia after many nights of bites (which hurt). I wake up to find a scorpion hanging out on the wall above my head.  I freak out and kill the scorpion.

Jump to October of last year. I get into snakes.  I make a post about taking a free mantid (pay shipping), but make the statment but I'll never keep T's".    One of the guys on the forums posts a bunch of pictures of different species of T's.  I become fascinated, find Lpacker79's old website, and then stumble across swiftinverts.  I am amazed that there are so many species of T's, and the fact that there are blue ones, and am amazed at the color variations!  I think it's stupid that I have this fear of spiders.  I strike up a conversation with Bruce of the Theraspoid Breeding project at a reptile show about 2 weeks later.  Three weeks later, I buy my first T, a Pink Zebra Beauty.  I find arachnoboards, and begin collecting the T colors I like.  I now own 7 T's, and got down to the point where I figured out what scorpion species I would want, how the set up should go, and everything, but haven't bought it all yet.  And I have this breeding colony of roaches in a tub in my apartment...


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## MUNG!!! (Jan 5, 2005)

Haha... I love threads like this... I've been working at the same pet store since I was 9, as the reptile keeper. We had always gotten rosies and stripe knees, and I always wanted a tarantula...but something way cooler than everyone elses ( I was like 11). One day I arrived to find out that someone else had begun unpacking the reptile truck, I was miffed...but I walked through to look at all of the new arrivals. Eventually I arrived at a small kritter keeper marked "Orange flame baboon", the good old OBT, not so good as a starter. I bought the whole set up and spider for something like $20, I also bought a 5 gallon and supplies because i felt that it needed more room... when I got home I set up the 5 and placed the kritter keeper in the center with the top open... I then poked the weband watched a very upset spider bolt and throw me a threat pose...I slammed the top to the 5 gallon shut, and left the kritter keeper in the bigger cage for about a week, until it constructed a new burrow.... I was scared to death of that thing   but i was hooked


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## mimic58 (Jan 5, 2005)

Grael said:
			
		

> whats the first T. you ever got? and the story behind it?


I found some local british Crab spiders that could take full size crickets sadly i didnt know much about spiders then and my litle collony very quickly became one big fat spider, anyway after a while it died and i couldnt find another I stumbled upon a loan pinktoe sling for 4.99 and decided what the heck il buy her Its now a HMF! and iv been grabing T slings ever since.


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## druid8783 (Jan 5, 2005)

Ever since I was young I loved spiders.  When my parents found a spider in the house I was called to catch it and put it outside (I had a special tupperwear container labeled "spider catcher", I still have it).  

I've had so many pets I can't even name them all (I have notebooks on them all though!)  The rule in my house was always no snakes, and no spiders.  Well, I moved out of my house and got my first T on 12/22/04 G. aureostriata.  Since then I've aquirred (sp?) 7 more T's (8 total) and moved back into my parents house.  (LOL they still don't know about them..they are under my bed with a moonlite bulb   :}   )

My collection is 
A. seemanni (female)
A. avicularia (female)
B. vagans (1/4 in sling)
G. aureostriata (1 in sling)
and 4 G. rosea (1/4 in approx slings)


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## leo3375 (Jan 7, 2005)

For some reason I've always been fascinated by spiders my entire life. I wasn't scared of them and always welcomed them in my house, primarily because they keep even nastier critters at bay.

It was an article in _Discover_ magazine a year ago that sparked my decision to get a pet tarantula. I did three months of research before acquiring my first tarantula, a G. rosea I named Artemis Rose.

Currenlty I have 2 Ts:
G. rosea (Artemis Rose)
G. pulchra (Li'l Poe)

I had a B. smithi but it died of unknown causes.


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## Sting Crazy (Jan 7, 2005)

I've always been a big animal fan and I've never had any kind of phobias.  I find all life facinating and awesome.  I was bored wandered into the local petstore and bought a pinktoe.  I found it facinating and have since bought 3 more; A. seemanni, A. versicolor, G. rosea.

Mike


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## WolfMemnoch (Jan 8, 2005)

I'd say my interest in arthropods came about after a trip to a museum I went on in Kindergarten. Basically, you rotated around the museum and each room had a different activity to learn. One of those was a bug room and there came a moment where a guy took out this big Tarantula for us to pet. I didn't get a chance to because the other kids swarmed in. I complained about it, so the guy brought the T out just for me to touch. Love from the start. 

Since that time...many moons had passed and I had a few exotics/reps. I never really knew T's could be purchased until a few years ago when a new pet shop in the area had 4 of them. A seemani, 2 female roseas, and a male rosea. Not knowing the difference at the time I bought the docile male. I went in about a month after to pick up the female rosea and ordered a b.albopilosum sling after having picked up the T-Keepers Guide. My male rosea named ozzy passed a few months ago of old age and I have just recently picked up a juv. b.smithi. Hoping to sex her when she gives up a moult. Needless to say my interest has not dwindled and I love to read/talk about them. Looking to pick up a few more in the future.


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## Windchaser (Jan 8, 2005)

I have always been fascinated by insects and spiders. I had never really considered owning one though until after my divorce. At that point, I started to read more about them and became more interested in them. I also wanted a pet, but needed one that reauired little attention. My schedule keeps me away from the house too long to have a dog, and I am not a real big cat person. Besides, my other hobby, yacht racing, often has me away for weekends. I finally took the plunge and picked up my first T about 4.5 years ago. As everyone knows, you can't stop at just one. Besides, my kids have become very interested in them and keep requesting more.

It has been and continues to be a great experience. It gives the kids something to learn about, and provides me with an opportunity to teach other kids as well. I spend a minimum of one day a year at my kids' schools to talk about tarantulas. It has been a lots of fun.


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## BlkCat (Jan 8, 2005)

My b/f at the time got a G. rosea for free, from someone who didnt want her anymore. Eventually I got attached. She was very docile. Of course, when we broke up, he took her with him. So I got myself a A. versicolor. He never really replaced Gretchen though.


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## A.C. (Jan 8, 2005)

I volunteer in an amazon exhibit where they have a goliath birdeater and a pinktoe on display. After learning more about them and reading about tarantulas online, I thought it would be an interesting, low maintenance pet. I bought a chilean rose hair a few month ago, she made an egg sac and now I have slings. I'm trying to raise 5 of them and brought the rest back to the pet store. They had a few more types in (including a cobalt blue), and can special order one for me, so now I'm trying to figure out which type I want next. I also have a hand-fed lovebird (a mutation of peach-faced with yellow feathers instead of green). I've been looking at adding other pets for a while, especially exotic ones. Some day I hope to own a keel-billed toucan.


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## Garficro (Jan 8, 2005)

I LOVE big spider!!    
but i creep out when i see black widow  or something like that!    

I just love animals! I have 2 dogs(American staffordshire terrier, and yorkshire terrier) 2 piranhas, and one T( G rosea) !  :worship:


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## P.Murinus (Jan 9, 2005)

The first spider my bf and I got was...a G. rosea... of course... lol 
We originally wanted to get a B. smithi, but when we got to the store the next week, it was gone. We took the bus across to the other side of the city, and bought Terra, who is a G. rosea. I was complelty terrified of spiders... COMPLETELY... so my bf bugged and bugged... after getting kinda bored with Terra, we got 3 P. murinus slings from a friend for free. The cute little fireballs are about the size of a quarter right now, I named them Diablo, Squishy and Fester. They are still in jars. A while later... My bf befriends Sheri... We get an A. geniculata, named Rane. She eats like a little piggy, but lately shes webbed herself up in her pot and hasnt been eating... moulting soon maybe. About a month later, my bf buys a G. pulchra and an A. avicularia for me for christmas!!! yay... I named the pulchra Dracula (its fangs look WAY too big for its mouth since it moulted, weird) and the avicularia is named Monkey. Its cute little mouth looks like a heart! and today!!! My bf and I decided it was time for a scorpion, we took the bus across town again, big surprise, Pettraders didnt have a scorpion, back across town again, we went to Petland, talk to Kane, who seems to NEVER go home, we got a 3.5" Emperor scorpion, she is now named Baal and is getting accustomed to its habitat right now... and we saw a tiny little A. seemani, Kane said it has recently came in from being shipped and had nearly frozen, she isnt eatting and looks dehydrated and her abdomin is tinier than her carapace... we are worried and are going to put her in icu tonight, hopfully she pulls through.. there is an even tinier one still at petland in worse shape... Sheri!! rescue it!! Its at the petland on Regent Ave.  In two weeks we are getting our first pokie... for $40!!!! thats good right? I hope so... wow... thats a long post... 


Edit: the seemani is looking better, I misted her and she seems to be moving around more.


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## HaloMiles (Jan 14, 2005)

I got mine to get over my severe arachnophobia.  Funniest thing is, my very first "pet" was a spiderling.  I feared spiders very much, but I found them fascinating at the same time.  I got my little Rosie about a month ago, and since then, I've been fascinated with all kinds of spiders.


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## Faunya (Jan 14, 2005)

Bottom line, I grew up in a pet store...

From the time I could walk, I was always in the shop, taking customers by the hand and giving them a tour of the animals...ALL of the animals.  

In my one bedroom apartment, I have 17 tarantulas, 1 blue tongue skink, 1 adult male bearded dragon, 4 bettas, and a Senegal parrot...oh, and I'm not allowed to have pets!  :} 

Right now, I'm big on low maintenance animals that I can leave for a weekend without worrying too much about...with the exception of my bird, I have just that.

The Tarantulas, though...I'd had them before, and my new boyfriend fell in love with my GBB...instantly, the collection started growing again.


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## Greg Wolfe (Jan 14, 2005)

*The fever...*

Excellent topic! Kudos.
To make a long story short, my family went to the Florida Everglades National Park one sultry hot summer. Upon entering the park I saw a huge Agriope spider sitting on her 6 foot radial web. Transfixed and awed I stood there for a good 15 mintues until my father shook me from my trance and had to pull me away from her. That's when it happened.
I knew... the fever commenced.
I purchased my first tarantula in 1977, a Bracypelma smithi. I sneaked her past my mom and up into my bedroom where I let her crawl all over me.
She was my first love! Anna...
Since then I have collected, bred, etc.


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## joe8421 (Nov 9, 2005)

i've been keeping Scorpions for years in fact before go into Tarantulas ,and once i did a exchange of scorpions ,i exchange a rare scorp into a current one ,he should pay me 20 euros plus ,but that man didn't give me the money ,instead of that,he send me a Ts t.murinus


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## Waryur (Nov 9, 2005)

I worked as a security guard at the st. louis zoo for a summer. I started hanging out in the insectarium because it was air conditioned, and found the T's. I fell in love with the P. regalis and when i went back to college i told my roomate that we were getting a T. Started with a B. boehmi but he died over winter at my roomates house. I took a break from T's and now im right back in it and very happy.


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## rwfoss (Nov 9, 2005)

I've always been fascinated by things that scare me, and tarantulas have always been at the top of that list. Almost two years ago, I decided to try to get over the "heart pounding" reaction that I got when looking at a tarantula. I started looking at websites every day, looking at pictures and reading about tarantulas. It wasn't long before I wanted one. 

The problem was my wife, who was terrified of spiders - she couldn't even say the word. We got scorpions instead (as she was fine with them). After about a year, she too decided enough was enough, and decided to get over her own fear. A few weeks later, we were taking a "therapy walk" through the tarantula section of a local pet shop. 

"That's one's pretty. Oooh, that's kind of neat.  Hey, look at that one." Pretty soon, she was fixed on a *Grammostola rosea* they had. The guy took it out, we both held it, and the rest is history.

That was early July of this year. We now have 23 tarantulas, and she is quickly becoming an expert handler!

Rick


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## bugs4life (Nov 9, 2005)

I actually used to be terrified of spiders.  I started reading up on them, hoping to get over my fear by learning about them.  Then I just got fascinated!  I only have one T so far, but hopefully getting another one soon, maybe as soon as this weekend!


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## Crimsonpanther (Nov 9, 2005)

Went over to my buddies house(Matty J) and looked at his new strange pet that he had bought....A TARANTULA   ! After seeing it and standing in its awe...i started to do some massive research ..Found my new love TARANTULA's Then i fianlly came to a pet store here in Norfolk, Ontairo that had a Tarantula...Rose Hair...i looked at my girl and said im buying it......She replied"The only way you can buy it is if you hold it " 
Me having done all the research just told the pet store guys to let me hold it and so i did and everyone just stood back in amazment......i replied " what its a rose hair ?  ?"And so since then ive bought 9 more and my girl is keeping me capped at ten....  but ill sneek them in one way or another !!! Think she'll notice a colbalt blue LOL :clap:


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## FOX (Nov 9, 2005)

My 7 year old son started me off a few months ago. He has a really wiered fascination with tarantulas. Sonny (my son-yes thats his name) had been nagging me since early on in the year for a smithi, when i asked him what a 'smithi' was he said, ''oh mum, dont you know anything'' thats when he came out of his bedroom with 4 tarantula books & started realing off all these scientific names  

When i looked into thier husbandry & new he does have a gift for animals i decided to buy him one, that was our first- a rosie. Seeing that T crawl all over him & the way it acted i was just overwelmed,, that was a couple of months ago now & the rest is history, we now have 5 T's with another 2 on order & plenty more on santas wish list.

They are fabulas better than cats n dogs, in fact best animal we've ever owned & believe me i've had quite a few over my life time.
Still love my horses though. :}


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 9, 2005)

I started out with my first Tarantula a P. cancerides at eight years old. I've always loved alternative pets but I think this decision was fueled by the desire to freak my mother out. I soon followed through with a P. murinus and some G. rosea's the collection has grown since then.


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## 8 legged freak (Nov 9, 2005)

ALWAYS!! been into animals especially inverts!! it was around christmas time.. had £40, saw a chilean rose for £20, saw a tank and heater etc. for £20... asked my mum and she said yes i could have it   i now have 6.. hopefully getting another one around christmas time.. hopefully a GBB or pokie..


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## Pennywise (Nov 9, 2005)

*Probably the Last thing I would normally do.*

About 10 years ago at the the Breeders Reptile expo when my son was 7
and I was, well younger we saw a table with a guy selling tarantulas, I
think they were B Smithi. Only catch was the adult display T wasn't for
sale. He showed us the 1/2" spiderlings and told us the story on how to
raise one to be an adult. It sounded like too much of a project so we passed
on it.
We were more into instant gratification so as I remember we bought a Borneo
Blood pYthon.
Last (2004) Daytona expo we looked at adult T's but I was looking for a
male Veiled Chameleon which we bought.
In June 2005 we decided to surf on line for spiders and found lots of good
data on them. 2 weeks later I ordered 4 Juvies (not tiny slings) and we
started off. Now we are hooked but we won't go crazy because of limited
space. It's a great hobby and you get over your hangups about bugs
quickly. Another reason might be I have been feeding our chameleon
crickets for over a year so keeping T food available is easy. It is also
a collecting hobby you can get into pretty cheaply if you don't set your
sights on the pricey stuff right away.


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## Lil Red Legs (Nov 9, 2005)

Gifted with a G. aureostriata several years ago. Three inches grown together , an unbelievable 2 years past his last molt, and two breedings survived later, hes living out his retirement on a bed of crickets as the Head Spider In Charge in my home.


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## Scott C. (Nov 9, 2005)

I used to hate spiders. My first two T's were scorpion food. The second, a _G. rosea_, lost most of his legs, and I started to feel bad so I caged him. I came home one day, and there was a stunning mature male T with all it's limbs on. I was hooked from there.


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## Ishkabibble (Nov 9, 2005)

Hmmm... never noticed this thread before. Got my first T, a Rosehair, from a girlfriend for my birthday. got rid of the girlfriend, kept the T. Good choice there, never regretted it. Got a new Female friend, and now have 46 T's, a few snakes, frogs, and a spoiled Rat. Lifes not bad.


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## Anubis77 (Nov 9, 2005)

I don't know why I got into T's. But I started getting interested in them 4 years ago. But back then I couldn't manage to get one. So 4 years later and I went to the Tucson Reptile Show. Wanted to maybe pick up a royal python or kingsnake but decided to hold up on that since I saw the arachnids being sold. Krazy 8's was there. So after 3 or 4 hours of standing around and deciding on a T, I chose G. aureostriata. Never regretted it. I'm also getting a L. parahybana in a few months. This is a very addictive hobby.


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## P. Novak (Nov 9, 2005)

ive been into Ts since i was 5 or 6 years old, everytime we went camping id bring one home, they died months after must have been mature males. so about 4 months ago i decided to buy some Ts since these kept dying off(didnt know the mature male thing yet just thought they were dying off cause they were sick or old) so i bought one from a pet store which was a rosie and loved it ever since! i havent gone back camping yet but i will and ill try and find some females to take home and maybe you guys can identify on what kind it is! so now i have 7 Ts and 2 scorps! i love em all!!!!!!


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## fangsalot (Nov 9, 2005)

when i was 10 i got my 1st T(im 28 now) it was a chilean rose(pretty much the only T available in pet stores at that time)i loved it soo much,but ever since then all ive seen in pet stores is chileans and zebra legs and i wasnt diggin it.then, i got a computer and everything changed.i saw all the new and different species available! i went nuts,paypal all the way!!!i got the coolest spiders now(and a vinegaroon and a scorp)and i dont think its over~!!!! swiftinverts.com, here i come!!!!!!


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## kurisute_hasu (Nov 28, 2006)

I got my 1st T. about two months ago. A G. Rosea. I adopted her from a friend who couldn’t take her into the dorms and no one else would take her. I have always been afraid of smaller spiders, the kind that can hid in your shoes and bed and if bitten take chunks out of flesh. *shivers* I had a big case of arachnophobia. Which has become manageable. 

When I first took the Rosea home I could barely put my hand in the cage to change the water without getting a huge adrenalin surge. I still get nervous (because my rosea is a little psycho, docile by butt) but am able to do more now. And I don’t handle her too often...unless I have to.  

I got into tarantulas by accident, started doing research because I was (and still am) clueless and am very glad I did.  But people who play with wolf spiders and keep black widows, I think your nuts!


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## BasementJungle (Nov 28, 2006)

I was probably 7 years old, my dad came back from a business trip in arizona with a little hitchhiker he had found outside his hotel.  If I can remember correctly, it was a Mexican Redknee.  This was 14 years ago, and a 20 page tarantula book is all we had for reference.  It was an amazing experience for me, although far from my first invert pet.  I probably kept it alive for about 6 months.  I'm not sure why it died, probably a few reasons.


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## maarrrrr (Nov 29, 2006)

saw one a T at a petshop and i bought it. Then, i bought another one, and another one, and another one, and another one, and another one, and another one, and another one,......................


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## Joe Xavier (Nov 29, 2006)

I killed a T 6 years ago... I was young... and it was the first time I saw a tarantula... 

To make up for it, I wanna keep them now...


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## rice_smuggler (Nov 29, 2006)

I got a free sling when I bought a scorp to add to my collection and now I'm hooked on these little buggers too.


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## The Shadow (Nov 29, 2006)

up until a year or so ago i was frightened of all spiders.  i would not go into the local pet store cause they _may_ have had Ts in there.  My best bud has  a G. rosea and I forced myself to look at it in his room. interest grew, and i quit being a pu$$y.  Just a few months ago i would look at Ts online and sometimes have to look away cause they were so scary looking. Arachnophobia at its finest. Many nights of sleeplessness cause i thought a spider was in the room. I love my T, I let it crawl on me and im over my past problems. cant wait till i get a room full of these things.


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## LeilaNami (Nov 29, 2006)

I got my first T because my mother wouldn't let me have the 8-foot albino burmese python (only 300 with the cage too!) so I "settled" for my second choice, the rosehair.  I must say the T is definately better than any snake  although now I have an addiction


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## Doezsha (Nov 29, 2006)

I always had some kind of pet sense i was able to take care of them on my own mostly reptiles and amphibians, I was always attracted to inverts but didn't have much experience with them. A high School Buddy had a mature female Rose Hair and allowed me the pleasure of watching her  make a meal  out of a hopper, from that point on i was sold. I wanted a T but wanted to start with something a little smaller so I went to a local pet store The East Bay Vivarium and purcheded my first T a Avicularia avicularia named Sticky Fingers awww I miss Sticky Fingers


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## ShadowBlade (Nov 29, 2006)

Ever since I was 4 I'd hold every 'bug' I could find. I've been raising and handling spiders ever since. I raised true spiders in jelly jars and ice cream tubs in my dad's garage for years. Then I finally graduated to tarantulas, and moved everything to my room.
That's why I handle all my T's so easily, because thats what I've done my whole life.


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## Mina (Nov 29, 2006)

My addiction is my husbands fault.  I knew someone about 12 years ago that had a very old rosehair female, and I always thought it was really neat.  I thought that someday I would like to have one.  I mentioned this to my husband, and so for our anniversary he got me a female rosehair tarantula.  Now I have 31.  He likes them himself, and knows better than to complain, if he does all I have to say is, Well you started this!


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## wollywoo (Nov 29, 2006)

I have always had respect 4 spiders cause i am afraid of flys and spiders eat um, i have been rescued from horrible great buzzy things by spiders many times so I like um. I was whining cause I didnt have a Tarantula and was informed I could have one!   :razz:  so, I looked into it and got a G. rosea who is the love of my life. sorta. now i'm looking forward to my 2nd T which is gunna be a B smithi with any luck. Know someone with a very young spiderling!! yeay!!


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## Uehling (Nov 29, 2006)

we got four at once. i seen a add on a computer site, a guy in the air force was going over seas and he couldnt take his T's with him so he was giving them away. i went down and picked up......
1-Avicularia avicularia
1-Haplopelma lividum
1-Paraphysa scrofa
1-Grammostola rosea
my wife was not happy at all with me for bringing home 4 T's but after she started to understand them a little she is now into them just as much as i am!
now 5 1/2 months later we are up to 33 T's


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## PoPpiLLs (Nov 29, 2006)

ShadowBlade said:


> Ever since I was 4 I'd hold every 'bug' I could find. I've been raising and handling spiders ever since. I raised true spiders in jelly jars and ice cream tubs in my dad's garage for years. Then I finally graduated to tarantulas, and moved everything to my room.
> That's why I handle all my T's so easily, because thats what I've done my whole life.


pretty much the same story here plus I always feed all the spider around my house when I was growing up


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## Midnightrdr456 (Nov 29, 2006)

i was drunk one night at college and saw a special on animal planet on tarantulas and thought how cool they are.  I decided to get one, waited like 2 weeks to see if it was just a passing feeling, which it wasnt, and i bought a rose hair.  Then increased from there.


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## Sunar (Nov 30, 2006)

I actually started out with a scorpion. I've always wanted one...and finally had talked the wife into not freaking out about me getting one.  After reading the boards and learning more about T's though I got interested in T's...so I bought my first one *G. aureostriata* and...it's been an addiction ever since. I actually only own 2 scorpions now but 11 T's. 

~Fred


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## tarangela2 (Nov 30, 2006)

amazingly, my ex husband got me started on them, fortunately for me HE is gone but the Ts remain!  

i had a T when i met my new husband and he likes them too


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## raven89 (Nov 30, 2006)

i got into scorps first btu find them ratehr boring kepp hiding and not that fun, then i saw a fire leg and was hooked i bought him for $100 a costly peice but he look fine and very sociable , dont mind me handling him at all ha think getting a female pretty soon


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## raywells (Nov 30, 2006)

thought the rosea would be a change now i got 7 Ts an makeing a wishlist.now im addicted


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## LeilaNami (Dec 1, 2006)

Let me also just say I too have always been interested in inverts and reptiles since I was very little girl.  The thought of owning one had never really crossed my mind until the rosie.


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## Mallard (Apr 17, 2007)

I have always been fascinated with spiders.I could watch them all day, specially when they feed.
 I just purchased my first T. An avicularia avicularia. When she crawled up
my arm in the pet store I was hooked. I cant believe how much this site has taught me in just a few days
    Thanks ALL!


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## Iggy22 (Apr 26, 2007)

I have actually been afraid of spiders since I was a kid. For some reason, just not tarantulas. I don't like small arachnids.

My dad gave me a G. Rosea he had for a long time when I was 8 or 9 years old. I built up a fascination with them and started learning more about them. I think when i have kids, I am going to give them a pet T and teach them about them so they will not be afraid of them.


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## JenNJay (Apr 26, 2007)

*Mexican Redknee*

When I was a little girl, I was infatuated by spiders. I found a web with a sac in it but the mother was dead so I took the sac and put it in a pill box. A couple of weeks later, when I was checking on the sac, I noticed hundreds of tiny spiderlings. I moved them from the pill box to a glass jar and a week or so later they all blew away. 

About a year later, probably 1985-1986, I got my first T; Mexican Redknee. She was a total psycho and would threat display anytime you opened the lid of the kritter keeper. 

Grown up now... we have about 125 T's.


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## markface (Apr 26, 2007)

i've always been fasinated with spiders of any kind . as a kid i used to catch and keep jumping spiders all the time . i've also been keeping reptiles for most of my life on and off(more on than off) . about a year ago i started working part time at a large privately owned exotic petshop in the reptile department . our department also deals with all arachnids so i have had to learn more about the T's and scorps and such . well , the more i learned the more interesting they became . i finally broke down and added a couple t's to my collection of critters . at this point i keep several spicies of constrictors , i raise fancy rats , and now i have a couple(3) T's . i expect i'll end up getting more of them in the not to distant future .


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## babylon5girl (Jul 31, 2007)

I got a job summer jobat a entomology department at a university, and my job was doing paperwork and taking care of the extention inverts that we take to 4H camps and schools and stuff 2 educate kids about them nd I ended up not doing much paperwork and spending most of my time with the rose hairs and the cobalt blue that we have in the lab. I just fell in love with them and have the same job a year later


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## Needles666 (Jul 31, 2007)

I like and have had pets of all types, I tend to try to own some of the more "off beat" pets, like ferrets, snakes, T's etc...

Currently have 2 crested geckos, 1 seal point bengal cat, 1 hypo het albino red tail boa, 1 sunglow red tail boa, and 14 various T's (mainly Avics and Pokies)


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## ZooRex (Jul 31, 2007)

I've always loved animals and have always been known for my exotics. When the 5th grade science fair rolled around, I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do. My mom then said something like "Why don't you get a new pet, somthing you can teach people about, and show them theres nothing to be scared of... Maybe like a tarantula or something." I can't remember the exact cost, but I know my mom kicked in at least half of it and a week latter I had Shankar my G.rosea. Over the years as I got to understand her I also lost a bit of interest, she hardly ever ate, and only molted once a year. I was still glad I had her, but never felt I needed another T cause the one I had was sorta boring. Then last year, I finally decided to figure out what was happening with shankar, wound up on this site and the rest is history. I can't wait to add more T's to my collection, the only problem is that beacuse my job suddenly ended, I'm seriously short of funds. ~ Rex


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## kitty_b (Jul 31, 2007)

my first T was a female b. smithi. i wanted a tarantula to do some experiments with the venom (scientific, not injection or anything crazy). anyway, once i had her, i became so attached and scrapped the project in order to avoid stressing her out. then 1 turned to 2, to 4, to 9, etc.. etc... and almost 5 years later, it's over 120.


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## tweetygt (Jul 31, 2007)

my friend got on and I was so interested in it that it just got to me and I broke down and got one.  Well they got one for me.  She/He is a Mexican redrump.  (sorry still trying to learn the names of them).  Now I want another.  Geez no-one told me how addicting they are.


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## julesaussies (Jul 31, 2007)

tweetygt said:


> Geez no-one told me how addicting they are.



i know - they ought to come with a warning from the surgeon general or something!!


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## Rain_Flower (Jul 31, 2007)

As with alot of people, I've always been interested in spiders. The way they move and how they make webs and all that. I never really liked house/garden spiders that much, I was and am more interested in tarantulas.

I love the way I got my first T. I was with my boyfriend on our one month anniversary and we were just walking along eating ice cream and I told him about my love for tarantulas and he jumped up and said "let's get one, right now." So my lovely boyfriend Dustin bought my a little rosie on our one month. 

And we're still together and the collection keeps growing  Our house looks like a zoo.


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## rattler420 (Jul 31, 2007)

an E. Murinus that ive had for a few months now is my first.  got him from a reptile show in columbia south carolina.  i wanted a P. Regalis but couldnt afford one.  now ive got several species that i want hehe.  & just as soon as the wife & i are finnished with our move to NC ill start buying a few here & there   good thing about T's is that they're alot cheaper than the snakes im into lol.


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## Brian S (Jul 31, 2007)

I did this because I am a glutton for punishment LOLOL


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## ahas (Jul 31, 2007)

I' ve had small spiders before when I was a kid.  But when I saw this tv show called "The Nature of Things" (Canadian tv show) more than a month ago.  That made me wanna get some Ts.


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## TalonAWD (Aug 9, 2007)

I have always loved spiders since I could remember. Saw one when I was a kid in a petshop and it was only once. I went there the next week and it was gone. 
Alot of years went by and my love for spiders were still there just never evolved past just loving them and learning about them. Than one day (like 15 years later) I went into a pet shop. And I saw a Rosehair. I instantly fell in love and bought it. I watched it molt and grow (Filmed it) and than I just wanted a different one. Than I wanted the biggest one than the most colorful. It turned into five tarantulas and then I got married. My wife hated them (Says it makes her nautious just seeing them) and she convined me to sell 4 of the 5 I had. I held on to the Biggest one (9" Laisodora parahybana) But she would not stop complaining and begging me to get rid of it. So I broke down and sold the last one. But before I decided to sell her, I sat down with my wife and said "Tarantulas is what I love and I don't think its fair to give them up because of you. I will sell her but on one condition..." She asked and I stated  "That when we buy our first house I will again buy them" Well she said Deal.
5-6 years later I bought a home and she thought I forgot but NOPE!!! I bought a Laisodora parahybana.
Well a year later it turned out to be a male and I said to myself well I'm going to sell this one but in exchange I want two small ones. (B. boehmei and N. chromatus). Well I bought the 2 small ones and I got a freebee. (A. behlei) Now I have three and I had to have one more (Needed more color). So I'm sneaking in a forth one. (Green Bottle Blue) I now just have them in a spot where she don't see them (though she knows its there) and I'm a happy camper...  
My new plan is when I buy a bigger home I will make a room just for me and my tarantulas in the garage. That way she will never see them and I can expand my collection.


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## ricneto (Aug 9, 2007)

Always loved inverts, amazed by Cicadas, beetles, had a "black spider" when younger (sorry do not know the name :8o ) 
Spiders are just amazing. really interesting creatures.


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## ZooRex (Aug 9, 2007)

Hey, a reply I made a few days ago fits here as well...


> The entire reason I got into T's is because of the 5th grade sceince fair. The idea was to teach people about animals that most are afraid of, and show them there is no reason for there fear. My newly purchased G.rosea Shankar was the highlight of the exhibitation.


 ~ Rex


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## Aragorn (Aug 9, 2007)

My first T was a _B. smithi_.  This was way back in the late 80's and I was only 11 years old.  From what I can remember I have always been fascinated by tarantulas ever since I was a little boy.  I guess what drawn me to them is their size.  They just look beautiful in their own unique way for bugs.  Somehow a giant spider sounds attractive to me.


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## jen650s (Aug 9, 2007)

When I was young I wanted to be an entomologist.  I kept many inverts including black widows and a T that was given to me as a Goliath Birdeater (which I now doubt, but it was large and light brown and flicked hairs readily).  I had them in jars and spent most of my free time figuring out the right things to feed them.  When the black widow slings got loose in the house my mother said *"no more bugs! You can have a pet, but no more bugs."*.  So I got rid of everything and the kid I gave the T to took less than a month to kill it:wall: .  As soon as I moved out around 1984, I got a G. rosea sling which molted into a mature male and died in about 1990.  So, I got another one which also molted into a mature male about 5-6 years later.  Now I have 30+ different Ts


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## pinkytoe (Aug 9, 2007)

*How we got into t's*

My boyfriend got a rose hair for his birthday a few years ago. Unusual, yes, but we grew to love him (or her, still don't know! lol). About a month ago we were in the pet store buying feeder crickets when I saw a tiny pink toe for sale. I had to have her (it's a her simply because she's mine). I brought her home and have been happy ever since 

Our Rosehair's name is Creech and my pinktoe's name is Rosa. In case anyone cared


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## napalm (Aug 12, 2007)

ironically, scorpions got me into tarantulas, I wanted to have one so I started to research about it, in that research I started to know alot of little interesting facts about tarantulas, got curious, started researching about them, and well, they just caught me, something special about them, and it's weird because I'm one of those persons thats really scared of a spider, but not about tarantulas


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## Feathers (Aug 12, 2007)

I was totally oblivious to the fact that I had contracted this disease on the far side of the Pacific, and bringing it home, I shelved it next to my alphabetized disorders. Eventually my disorders were reshelved as the disease spread; the shelves had to be organized and reorganized. I had never witnessed a disease that held such fascination, such beauty. And it consumed me.


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## Laceface (Aug 13, 2007)

I've got pretty similar to a lot of people on here. I was a complete arachnophobe. Even a tiny house spider would freak me out. Probably because I walked through a doorway in our barn, right through a spiderweb, the entire size of the door, look up, GIANt spider. Freaked me out, that was a couple years ago. Till last december, I was terrified of every spider I saw. Ask me to kill it, and I would shake and scream, couldnt do it. Finally got sick of that, and put a little crab spider in a jar, fed it flies, was amazed, but it didnt live too long. Talked to my mom how I needed a bigger spider, jokingly, and she said it sounded like a good idea. I immediately researched, found some forums, and she got me a little rosie for christmas. 8 months later, ive got 12 ts, including an H mac, OBT and a lividum. I think Im over my fear


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## Arachnoporium (Aug 13, 2007)

I actually began selling off my reptiles in my late high school and early college years (circa 1997-2000) and began purchasing more Arthropods with and money I received for my reptiles.  I believe my answer to the dismay my friends displayed when selling my Retic morphs was "I'm tired of cleaning up poop" (although I didn't say poop), but it was actually because either I or my OCD became addicted to Arthropods.  What is more interesting to look at a monitor lizard or a Python ... or a Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens?  What takes up less space and it much easier to maintain?  You do the math.

I think one of the main reasons that Arachnids are slowly filling that 'niche' carved out by reptile enthusiasts over a decade ago, is that those with reptile large collections are quickly restrained from expanding their collections by lack of space, time and money.  Arachnid collections require minimal space, minimal time and most of all minimum cash as there are very small spiderlings available at minimal costs.  The average large collection can be fed once or twice a week with cheap bulk cricket shipments - all fed off, so it is not even necessary to keep crickets on hand (although it is useful).  In addition, the variety of feeder choices are endless with Arachnids - we can easily start a self sustaining roach colony, keep large amounts of worms for a variety of species, with little to no effort keeping them live and available for your feeding schedule.

This is another reason, on my behalf, and I'm sure other share this 'thirst for knowledge'.  New arachnid species are constantly being discovered and captive bred, making them available at affordable prices - pretty much every month or so you will see a species which has newly become available in the hobby.  Although these may be high priced at first - with captive breeding efforts you can rest assured that affordable slings will soon be available to those with a tight budget.  How often do new species of reptile and other live art become available?  Unstudied - new information is always become available we with many of these new species we are learning more every day - this this hobby will never become boring.

Maybe Scott or Debbie will chime in here - but the number of hits Arachnoboards gets (I assume) increase by vast numbers as each month passes and I cannot even begin to imagine what the number of AB members will increase to in, say, a year or two from now - although I am confident it will be mind-blowing. :}


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## zimbu (Aug 13, 2007)

There were a few reasons I got into T keeping..

I've always loved arthropods of all shapes and sizes, even as a little kid.  when I was about 8 I wanted to be a marine biologist just to study lobsters.  After that, an entomologist.

Also, I've always liked reptiles, especially snakes.  Well, my mom wouldn't let me get a snake, so when I was about 10 or 11 I got a leopard gecko at this really well run exotic pet store in Toronto (it's the only pet store I've ever been to where I would buy an exotic animal.  They not only sell haealthy animals and know how to take care of them, but they also rehabilitate sick ones that get left in boxes on their porch).

I've been going back to that store ever since and purchased several more reptiles (including a snake, which my mom now thinks is cute...), and know some of the staff pretty well, one of whom owns quite a few inverts.  I expressed an interest, he gave me 2 rosies at the beginning of the summer, and well, one thing led to another...


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## jenniferinny (Aug 13, 2007)

I just always loved the creepy crawlies. I always had an assortment of bugs in my room that I caught out in our yard. I grew up in Florida, so there was no shortage of bugs. I caught and raised different roaches and beetles and those little pill bug type things. I remember one time I read somewhere that cockroaches would even survive being frozen for a short amount of time. I filled a cool whip container full of them to find out. Needless to say, my mom was quite surprised that there wasn't cool whip in the container. I wanted either a tarantula or a scorpion since I first saw them in a pet store about 12 years ago. 
Finally got one a couple years ago after I first got married. My husband was afraid of spiders, so we got a little rosie till he could get over it. He used to wake up several times during the night convinced that it had escaped.  
He still doesn't really handle them, but he can move them from one cage to another now without squealing like a little girl.. lol..

The other thing I love about them is how easy they really are to maintain. I have a dog with chronic health problems that costs me a couple grand a year. It's nice knowing that you could buy the best possible setup for just about any tarantula for less then $100. That's less then my dogs will cost me for just 3 months of food.


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## harveythefly (Aug 14, 2007)

ever since i can remember i have been into insects...when i was little i even had a small aquarium with a Giant Water Bug (Lethocerus americanus) who i used to feed goldfish hehe...but i was always extremely arachnophobic, as far back as i can remember...i mean to the point of paralysis if a spider so much as touched me lol...but at the same time i was always interested by them...so one day i decided enough is enough, i was going to get over this irrational fear of mine...so i started reading everything i could find about spiders and other arachnids and just filling up on information...after a while of that i decided it was time to confront the fear head on...and that's when i bought my first G. rosea...that was when i was 15 and i've been hooked ever since...that first little rose hair completely changed my life and now i can't even remember what it felt like to be afraid of spiders


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## tmanjim (Aug 14, 2007)

I am in the pest control field, what else would I collect. My first was a B. Smithi. After I started doing a little reading and research findind out about all the different species, I was hooked. At one point I had 35. May not sound like many to some, but with a wife and kids in a small house welll!!!!!!!!!. I am down to 21 of the most wanted on my list and happy as hell. Have a few adults male and female as well as a couple slings. The collection is not over by a long shot with trading, breeding loans etc. There are too many positives to list about the hobby as most of you can probably attest.


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## cheetah13mo (Aug 14, 2007)

My wife and I decided not to have kids so I started to focus my efforts on pets. T's were the best option aside of the dog and cat that I could come up with. I'm planning on building a T barn in the future, once I can afford some property with a little space.


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## Snakefox (Aug 14, 2007)

My sister was really into T's I am into chamelions and snakes. Not that I didn't like them they are cool.
She begged me to come with her to the 1st arachnocon, so I went with her I was enchanted buy the prettiest red knee I had ever seen. I bought her from SSW and I have been hooked ever since.


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## cabey0201 (Dec 18, 2007)

I had been into reptiles for quite a few years.  I was always fascinated by the "weird" things in life.  I had venomous snakes, a handful of scorpions and some various exotic mammals.  Due to my interests, I had a G. rosea and a B. albopilosum "donated" to me at different points.  I tried to find someone to adopt them because I wasn't into big "ugly" spiders.  Never enjoyed them, never was interested.  Years later I was at a reptile expo chatting with a guy, who was selling inverts, about tattoos (another "weird" obsession of mine).  I mentioned in passing that I had had a few tarantulas in the past, but they weren't my thing. _ I_ liked color, beauty and interaction.  He proceeds to tell me that he knows just what I need.  Pops open a little vial and out crawls the most stunning little blue spider I've ever seen (A. versicolor sling).  I bought it right then and there.  I've been hooked ever since.  I realized after some internet research that I had never s_een_ color, beauty and interaction before.  I still like my reptiles.  I have a bunch of beautiful cresties.  But my obsession has definitely moved to my little eight legged friends.  It's funny the things I see as cute or sweet now.  Even the people that could _somewhat_ understand how I saw something cold and scaley as being "cute" are stunned when I light up about something cute that one of my T's is doing.  Or how an obvious "I want you to die where you stand" threat display makes me giggle with joy.  What a sick obsession.


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## omni (Dec 19, 2007)

wow, such a long and old thread  have visited this a few times, _still_ only have read half of the replies. Should be a requirement for new members to post here, hehe. Maybe it should be be stickied above the T Discussion section...

I've always loved tarantulas since a boy, watching every nature show I could about them. 
In 2001, my sister and a friend bought one at a pet store impulsively for a Xmas gift for me. It was a 3" PZB (E. Campestratus). Very uncommon to find in a petshop. Very fascinating creature. I really never thought of buying one back then since what I would see in the store was always just small Pinktoes and G. rosea's which weren't too impressive I thought, and I was into insects, small lizards and snakes at the time. 
But by this year, having tapped out local petstores for variety of reptiles, I decided to use the internet to search for exotics for sale and stumbled on a site(Kelly Swift's) that also sold T's. *I was amazed you could pick from a huge list of different T's and with just a few clicks, wait for the delivery truck and have almost any kind of T you could ever want.* From there I found this site where I could ask and learn everything about them. 
 POW! The addiction had me.


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## Sabatta (Dec 19, 2007)

I've been chasing spiders around since I could walk.  It's not a choice I consciously made.  Spiders captivate me and I have always had them as pets or for observation, depending.


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## smof (Dec 19, 2007)

I used to be arachnophobic and developed a kind of morbid fascination with spiders because of it. Got my mind set on getting a T after visiting this board and seeing photos of _G. pulchra_. My first was a 2.5" _B. smithi_, and a 4" _G. aureostriata_ followed less than a month later. That was 2 years ago, both of them have turned out male (bloody typical, lol) and I now have 5 others including the dream _pulchra_ that triggered the whole thing


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## josh_cloud (Dec 19, 2007)

i had always wanted a t, being an avid reader of nature books and national geographic. i asked my parents, but they said no. but, i had an ace up my sleeve...... an aunt who wasn't scared of anything. she brought me home an A. hentzi when i was 9, and convinced my parents for me. this was in 1981. my mom rigged this 10 gallon aquarium for me that the guy would always get out of. i don't know how many times i was woken in the middle of the night to catch it and put it up! i get reminded at just about every family gathering now. i've kept them off and on thru the years, but now fast forward to the late 90's. i have a curious kid of my own now and he finds them online... i think espiderworld.. i tell him wait a few years. anyway, he won't leave me alone about it so i get him a rosie a few years ago. fast forward again...... earlier this year he finds all the big t sites online and comes runnin' all googeley eyed at me wanting all of them like they're pokemon! he comes to me wanting to adopt an OBT!!!! i guess my sister was trying to get me back for something... so i say, slow down, you're scared of your rosehair! talk about persistence, he musters up the courage to handle that sweet lil' rosie of his, wins the bet, and i'm off to go get the OBT. while we're at the pet rescue place, he tells us about botar by 8's. we get home and hunt down the site and are amazed by the availability of the t's. espiderworld was expensive, these were affordable. we then find the ATS and later stumble on here. to make a long story short, 2006, 1 t. 2007, 50+ t's and still crawling. 
i just want to say thanks to all who we have met upon this board. i read the forum almost everyday and look forward to learning more!


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## arachnofein909 (Dec 19, 2007)

can't really explain it but all i can say is i'm addicted and i can't stop collecting and it all started with my first a A.geniculata female thats still in my collection yeah i'm not stopping anytime soon.


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## Nich (Dec 20, 2007)

*how did I miss this theread....?*

I'm a LIFETIME critter freak, but T's grabbed mid stage when I saw some labled (S. american bird eaters) in 02' on one of our vendor lists while working at a SW reef shop. It has spiraled and peak several times now...lol....but always captures my interest and passion. Nothing like the satisfaction a fresh batch of 2nd instars or an action packed feeding.


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## johnharper (Dec 20, 2007)

I have always loved animals over time I started collecting local spiders like wolf spiders , jumping spiders and on a couple of occasions a couple of widows. Over time my interest began in the larger species my first was a g. rosea must have been mid 1980s. Some day I will have a spider room packed full of them and reptiles.


John


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## ballpython2 (Dec 20, 2007)

the first T I ever got was a rose hair  and that rose hair was the firsr and the only one i ever gave away. i have patients but you need super patients to see a rose hair  go through  its like from sling to adult. its like rosies eat like models (every now and then....Months wise) just minus the binge and purging lol... what got me into Ts was the fact I was tired of  havin snakes. but I am going to get back into snakes and get me a jungle carpet python maybe two such beautiful creatures.


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## Zeus9699 (Mar 29, 2008)

The first tarantulas I got was a Brachypelma smithi back in 1975. Since that day my "hobby" has escalated and I now own over 1000 tarantulas!!!!


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## ChainsawMonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I got my first T when I was 14, and the only reason I even got it was to cure my arachnophobia. Little did I know that they're like Lays Potato Chips, you can't stop at one.


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## hairmetalspider (Mar 29, 2008)

World domination.


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## tarantellajen (Mar 29, 2008)

*Rosie*

I liked Tarantulas ever since I was probably 6 or 7.  I remember going to a Rep.Show and getting to pet one that was on display.  So a couple years ago my friend got me an adult female Rosie from Petco cause she knew I wanted one.  A very nice thing to do since she is scared of spiders and said it touched her with it's toes a couple of times through the air holes on the way to my house, lol.


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## seethesvt (Mar 29, 2008)

*how i got in to T's*

i bought a brazilian black and white from my snake store im a regular at. i brought it home and i thought it was the dumbest pet ever, i cant even hold it!! didnt want to persue the hobby. then i bought the tarantula keepers guide, read it and that was the turning point for me. now i gave 7 T's. theyre so mysterious and really interesting. i cant get enough.


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## ballpython2 (Mar 29, 2008)

I got into spiders because  I was losing my interest in snakes. however my interest is back in snakes (always will be in tarantulas) but only boa constrictors and  carpet pythons.


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## CharlaineC (Apr 4, 2008)

we being an army brat and the twin sister of a bug loveing dirt wallowing brother I kind of fell natueraly into the love of spiders. As i thing it had to do with me always hateing to see other girls cry and whine when they saw bugs. then when I was stationed in Iraq with the army I mkept finding scorps in my bed. first I just tossed them to the wild then I started to fill a shipping crate with them. when I came home i swore i would get myself a scorp again. I ended up rescuing one and the next thing i know I want a T' two weks later I have this poorly underfed meaner then a rattlesnake rosie. You all told me how she was in the wrong enclouser so i re housed her. fattened her up and got her healthly. now she is like my best friend I open her cage set my hand down and up my arm she goes into my hair and sits their. always goes with me to the pet store. and now I rescue all pet inverts in my state. I love them mean or not their great.


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## Emilyloulou (Apr 4, 2008)

I got one because my mum said i couldnt  Managed to keep it hidden for 1 1/2 years until i had to go to uni. I had so many tanks of bugs in my room she didnt notice when i got another one. I now have 22. I told her last week because she was coming up to visit me, so i thought i would warn her. she only went a bit mad "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 22?! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH 22 TARANTULAS?!" etc


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## WitchyGirl (Apr 4, 2008)

I was at my school's "health Fair" and there was a board on Arachnophobia, and there was a Rosie "to help conquer fears"

Tell me this doesn't already sound like a bad idea... Well, I was standing in the crowd, and someone threw her because they were scared, and I got really pissed, took the spider off of the floor, put her in the cage, and told them that it was stupid, people were going to hurt it, and I wanted to see the owner that let it come to the health fair. 

Surely enough, there was no owner, they rented it from an exotic pet shop, I called them, and they didn't care about how the spider was being treated, so I went down to the shop, and bought it.

They had her on wood chips, drinking from a sponge, and they had the *ROSIE* under a mist, with a heating pad under her, and a lamp above her!

I bought her, had her for about a year, she just passed this week, bad molt.


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## drasar (Apr 5, 2008)

*Creepy Crawlers*

I got the Creepy Crawlers bug maker for Christmas from my Mom..was actually a joke but I loved making the bugs and joined a forum and one of the guys on there was into Real bugs and we started talking and was looking for a pet and it kinda just went from there..just got my first Tarantula "Mya" a 3.5"-4" G. rosa female today and she is getting used to her new home right now.  Can't wait to feed her.


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## hairmetalspider (Apr 5, 2008)

drasar said:


> I got the Creepy Crawlers bug maker for Christmas from my Mom..was actually a joke but I loved making the bugs and joined a forum and one of the guys on there was into Real bugs and we started talking and was looking for a pet and it kinda just went from there..just got my first Tarantula "Mya" a 3.5"-4" G. rosa female today and she is getting used to her new home right now.  Can't wait to feed her.


Oh.My.God.

I LOVED those! First one I ever got was a little black widow my friend (Who was maybe 5 at the time) made me.

What happened to those? Did too many kids permanently brand a T on their hand?


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## drasar (Apr 5, 2008)

*Creepy crawlers Link*

Here's a link To the Creepy Crawlers Forum if you want to check it out
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/retrohobbies


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## B-fish (Apr 5, 2008)

When i was 11 i had this turtle and his cage would get so dirty i would have to clean his cage everyday. My mom was sick of the smell of the turtle. My moms friend at work had a tarantula and he told my mom that there cages only need to be cleaned overy other months or so, so my mom asked me if i would get rid of my turtle for a tarantula and ever since i was 11 my love for tarantulas has grown alot.


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## vbrooke (Apr 5, 2008)

Well, I kinda stumbled into the world of tarantulas by chance. Saw many wild t's  as a kid and my dad kept a few, but it wasn't my thing. Then last summer we had a wild T wander into the kitchen. My husband caught it in a plastic container, and a few days later, it was being held constantly. Not the prettiest T you ever saw, but very cool!!





 Now I have an A. Versi, L. Parahybana, MM & MF OBT's (hopefully a sac on the way), and will have in a couple days... 2 A. Geniculata, B. Angustum, C. Faciatum and a H. Maculata. And yes I have caught the T bug


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## Rick McJimsey (Apr 5, 2008)

I was forced into them by the Mafia.

-Rick


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## vbrooke (Apr 5, 2008)

hairmetalspider said:


> Oh.My.God.
> 
> I LOVED those! First one I ever got was a little black widow my friend (Who was maybe 5 at the time) made me.
> 
> What happened to those? Did too many kids permanently brand a T on their hand?


I'm confused   The creepy crawlers that I had as a child, were like little rubber spiders made out of a mold. Was there a different kind that was like a tattoo?


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## Skater_dude123 (Apr 5, 2008)

i got into them by drawing them as a kid. id always draw them during class in elementry school.


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## drasar (Apr 5, 2008)

Think the T branding refered to burning yourself on the molds and oven Vbrooke.
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/retrohobbies


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## vbrooke (Apr 5, 2008)

Ouch!! Didn't remember that part, it's been a long time since i was a child


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## hairmetalspider (Apr 5, 2008)

drasar said:


> Think the T branding refered to burning yourself on the molds and oven Vbrooke.
> http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/retrohobbies


Indeed 

Im sure some dumb kid stuck they're hand inside the oven part at some point.


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## TalonArana (Apr 11, 2008)

I have a really long story :3

When I was 12, I caught a little house spider (His name was bob) , then tried to take care of it. I kept it for 2 days,brought it to school with me, ect...then I went to a music store, and tried to wow them with my pet, barely a pin head sized spider. 
They told me " You think that's big? You should see this monster we have outside." They took my out to see this wonderful, orange spider. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a gravid, adult cross spider ( Her name was Anna). I grabbed it, and put it in with him in his jar ( I now know it was a bad thing to have carried them with me and stressed them out :C Stupid kid.) Bob was a thumbtack head sized spider, Anna was the size of my thumbpad. 

I took her to my pet store, and tried to figure out how to keep her, ended up buying a terrium, a mesh top, and made a friend at the pet store, his name was Frank.

Caught lots of grasshoppers, and cause another, smaller, black cross spider (the kids in the neighbourhood had pointed it out, and I promptly went to go find the "huge, gigantic, monster spider" by the trees... (If you wanted to know, it wasn't much bigger than bob, just half the size of Anna.)

Then, when I went on the internet to try and find approppraite food (as obviously, she wouldn't eat the huge grasshoppers). And I came accross a spiderling care journal for some rosies and curly hairs--

I tried to fight it, but I couldn't and learned all about tarantulas over the web (at least, to start off with) and joined lots of websites D8.
Promptly after begging my father, frequent trips to the pet store to bug my new friend Frank into letting me see the tarantulas up close, and releasing the three spiders, and various (not-stop-breeding) grass hoppers, I bought my first tarantula.

My first, supposed-to-be a juvinille, *Female*, G. Rosea, but was an _ADULT MALE_ Paraphysa Scrofa. >:C How could an experienced tarantulas enthusiast miss a pair of tibial hooks?

XD But yes.

[ Note: What did I do with my adult male? I loved him so, and searched endlessly for a girl for him. I found two and got him to them. He mated them both, ate one, and the other ate him XD. No eggsac though, as expected )


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## TalonArana (Apr 11, 2008)

WitchyGirl said:


> I was at my school's "health Fair" and there was a board on Arachnophobia, and there was a Rosie "to help conquer fears"
> 
> Tell me this doesn't already sound like a bad idea... Well, I was standing in the crowd, and someone threw her because they were scared, and I got really pissed, took the spider off of the floor, put her in the cage, and told them that it was stupid, people were going to hurt it, and I wanted to see the owner that let it come to the health fair.
> 
> ...


Wow, neglectful people >:C. I'm glad you bought her, it sounds horrible how people were treating her. She could have died if she dropped too far! Thanks for buying her, it was a nice thing of you to do to go so far.
I'm sorry to hear your loss, by the way :C


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## desertdweller (Apr 13, 2008)

I was forced into it by a hurt T on my doorstep.  He recovered and must have called all his distant cousins because now I have them from all over the world.  Still have my original too, he's under the covers with me right now.  Cozy little guy.


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## Tropical T's (Apr 13, 2008)

I was petrified of spiders and found out these big hairy spiders that kept getting into my house were Tarantulas and people kept them for pets. Thought they were crazy and I would keep the next one that I caught in my bathroom to find out why someone would want one as a pet.
That was 5 years ago I now breed them have found several new species and am the president of the Australian Tarantula Association. Still haven't worked out why someone would be crazy enough to keep them, maybe if I collect a few more I will work it out :? :? :?


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## mrsd (Apr 13, 2008)

My daughter brought a rose hair home about a year ago. Thats when I found the boards and read up on taking care of them and now I have about 24 t's.


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## GrammostolaGuy (Apr 13, 2008)

I started off caring for a G. rosea in my 7th grade science classroom, who was then gifted to me at the end of the school year. since then my interest has grown rapidly. I was always the wierd one who like unusual animals, and I didn't have a vast amount of space to house all of the snake species I'm interested in, just a select few. Tarantulas fit the bill perfectly for maintenance, space, and overall coolness. Now I have a A. avic, B. smithi, and B. albopilosum, and more are soon going to come.


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## mattnsariah (Apr 23, 2008)

Okay.... well............ how do i say this! lol

We went to a reptile show in sacromento, ca.  Where we met Ken the bug guy there!  My husband was fixed on wanting a spider. .... now i am not into them so much, they are beautiful animals, but eight legs kinda gave me the creeps.  I have always been a four legged person, lizards, dogs, cats and oh my snakes!

BUt...........my husband wouldn't ever let me get a snake in the house due to him being highly afraid of them.  So ......... I made a wager with him.....and told him.......that if he got the spider of his choice,........i get a snake!  So by the end of the day..........yeah..........he had made his choice to leave with a mexican red-knee smithi.  beautiful!  and small!!!!!  I left with a rootbeer corn snake and the boys got two madagascar hissing cockroaches!  now those i don't like!  boris the red-knee has grown on me and we have got more since then!!


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## sylverbullit (Apr 23, 2008)

I was already into snakes and lizzards when I met this girl that had a G.rosea. I didn't see it but she was telling me about hers and it's behavoir which got me interested. I stared doing some research and fell in love with them. when m fiance bought me one for my b-day I was hooked!!!I need more!


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## Cuttszo (May 7, 2008)

Charlotte's Web.  ;P


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## Aurelia (May 7, 2008)

I cried watching Charlotte's Web.


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## Truff135 (May 7, 2008)

I have always loved spiders of all kinds.  Any time one was found in our home, I would jump up, grab a Dixie cup and rescue it (because my mother and brother were not far behind me with a shoe  ).  Wolf spiders, daddy longlegs, common little garden-variety spiders, you name it.  My dad actually caught and kept a black widow female one time until she got so big he let her go and squashed her  .
Back to my story...I met a friend of a boyfriend I had long ago that actually had tarantulas.  With my already unusual love for spiders, I was the first in line to hold her, a g.rosea.  I was hooked after that.  It took me a few years to actually get one of my own, as I wanted to do tons of research first.
I finally went to a reptile/invert show locally where someone had a little g.aureostriata female for sale for only $35!  Such a good deal like that and as cute as she was, I just couldn't pass her up.  Fast forward a few months, and I have 12 tarantulas.  I just love everything about spiders and always have, and most likely always will!


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## betuana (May 7, 2008)

*Still new, but fascinated and hooked!*

So I, like several people I was surprised to read, grew up somewhat phobic of spiders. Didn't matter what they were, daddy long legs or otherwise, they were scary and creepy. I could kind of deal with them if they stayed in a corner far away from where I was, and not in my room, but I was always terrified of them (or any bug really) being in my clothes when I tried to put them on, or in the sheets, etc. Used to regularly strip down my bed before I'd go to sleep to make sure no creepy things were hiding in it, and always shook out my clothes before putting them on....just wigged out by the idea (never found anything, but I think I saw too many movies as a kid where people would put some sort of deadly insect into someone's bed or something.  

Once I got a bit older I stopped being quite so OCD about bugs - I even was able to see some of the fascination with some, such as Praying Mantis - I still think those are great! I'd even pick those up when I'd find them. Spiders were still creepy, but I could generally deal with them as long as they didn't get too close - this is my space, that is their space, all good. I even knew someone who had a HUGE orb weaver that settled in by their back door, we used to have fun sitting outside and watching her - if we could catch little bugs (mosquitos the size of house flies frequented the area, so they were and easy catch, and sometimes other critters) we'd flick them into the web and watch her scurry over to wrap them up. It still seemed a bit creepy, but was tons of fun!

Up until about...9 months or so ago I'd have said that people who keep things like tarantulas were crazy - wild orb weaver outside was one thing, but a giant spider living in your house?! But the same friend knew someone with a little rosey (3-4") who she was making into an ambassador for T's everywhere - super laid back little T, and the person welcomed people to come over and look at her, or even hold her (with their hand flat on a surface so there was no room to fall.) People talked about this T all summer, some scared of her, some brave enough to hold her, and told me I needed to go see her. I finally wandered over to see what the fuss was about, and she pulled her out for me as I walked up. I decided that if that many people had safely held her it was ok, and before I could talk myself out of it I held out my hand and suddenly had a little T walking along it. It was strange, but at the same time totally AWESOME! I found myself grinning while I watched her walk around - didn't feel at all like what I expected (not even sure what I expected).

Well, I checked that off as an interesting experience, time to move on...but a month or so later had someone mention how crazy they thought it was that people kept Ts - and remembering how cool little Rose was (such a creative name, eh?) I started web surfing, looking up stuff etc. I've always been interested in animals, grew up with dogs, parakeets, finches, hamsters, rats, fish, turtles, hermit crabs, etc in our house, and currently own cats, rats, fish and snakes, but I'd never even considered them. I felt somewhat lacking, since I've researched and learned all I could about ALOT of critters, even ones I can never have (like Rabbits - I'm HORRIBLY allergic to them), since I worked at a shelter and was (and a year after not being there still am sometimes) the person they called for help with anything 'exotic.' So I read about Shultz and Shultz's book, A Tarantula Keepers Guide, as being one of the best ones, and bought it. Read it cover to cover, though after a few chapters I began to think I needed a tarantula. And then got more books. Now several months later I've found this board, spent long periods of time watching the Ts at our LPS, read even more, and ordered a large terrestrial cage from the tarantulacages.com place. I think I'm probably only weeks off from getting my first T....and already planning the next 4 after that!!!! I think its safe to say that I'm already hooked  before the first one has come through the door! They are just so cool!  

Anyways, that was long, but in many ways I'm still amused that I've not only gone from phobic to tolerant, but all the way to wanting not just one, but several Ts (and those are just the ones that I know of so far!) I think I may have something of an addictive personality, but it tends towards animals rather than drugs or gambling, and I take my pets VERY seriously (I won't get them if I can't provide the best possible care for them!) So I guess its ok that I'm addicted since I'm careful not to overdo it!

Having lots of fun reading all these stories - and all the other posts. Quizzing myself too with ID posts, etc! This site is great!


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## Truff135 (May 7, 2008)

betuana, I think the arachnid community will benefit from having you here.  You sound like the perfect type of person to be in this hobby.  A great big welcome to you!!!  :clap: 
Oh and btw, 4 tarantulas is just the beginning...you've been forewarned...


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## unitard311 (May 7, 2008)

I was at a bbq last summer and some people started yelling "kill it" so I ran out to see what "it" was. It was a native Utah T and I said "No!" so I got a cup and scooped it up and took it home. Turned out to be a MM so it passed shortly after. I went and got a rosea after and now have three Ts. I want more. They are beautiful and graceful and wonderful to observe.


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## SynSpyder (May 7, 2008)

I used to feed the garden spiders in our back yard in the summer when I was little. One year there ended up being 20 webs I dropped flies into and each spider had a name. I think it started out as a facination with their webs more than anything... but then I started rescuing the ones that got into the house. It was the big fuzzy ones that crawled out of the pipes that interested me the most, probably because they were big enough to look at in detail without having to squint. All of my friends were terrified of spiders, which I really didn't understand, because none up here have the power to do more than produce a small bump. I know my uncle had a G. rosea for a while, but it was always hiding and I don't think he took very good care of it.

It was only a couple years ago that I seriously thought about buying a T. I had a fish, two lizards a snake and a rabbit (which was eventually given away) I spent a good long time researching, talking to previous owners and several times when I thought I wanted one, I decided that I wasn't quite ready yet.Finally this year my fish died and freed up some space for a new pet. I had my eart set on a B. smithi, but found a G. rosea for practically free and got her instead.

I still want my B. smithi but... if it's found out I even have her there could be trouble so... we're taking it slow.


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## AubZ (May 7, 2008)

Always loved spiders since I was a kid.    Started with a C crawshayi, H hercules sp & N chromatus.   Still got all of em with me.

Started with those 3 just over a year ago and now have over 100.


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## T_ROY (May 7, 2008)

Well ever since i can remember ive been an animal lover. I had lizards and snakes as pets when i was a kid and  tried to catch whatever creature that i could. I remember digging a skink out of it hole and finding a clutch of eggs.
I took the eggs home put them in a jar of sand under a heat light. A few weeks later they hatched.  I was amazed at this.  Anything that dealt with biology i was amazed by it.  I later got into fish and have been keeping fish for the last 14 years with marine fish and inverts being the last 9 years.  I started working at a LPS 3 years ago. Well i try to make this short.
I had to feed and clean T cages which i wasnt to fond of. I was pretty scared of  them at the time.  Well i got used to them a little and i loved watching them eat.  
Working at the pet shop i got to go to the local reptile swap in near chicago. 
This is when i ran into Botarby8s and seen my first A. Versicolor.
I never seen a blue spider before and had to have one. Thats when i started researching T's. Its grown to b and addiction and i cant stop! 
I now have 15 T's and its growing.   YIKES!

I grow my own super worms and my own turkistan roaches now too.


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## tigger_my_T. (May 7, 2008)

My friend had just got a Rose hair sling and I went over to check it out. Fell in love with the little guy emediately. Then I found there was a bug show coming to my area so I looked at every tarantula site I could find. I was pretty set on  a Rose hair but walked out with a chaco golden knee, best choice ever


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## josh_r (May 7, 2008)

i have been into insects since i was oh... 4 years old. at the age of 6, i caught a black widow, carried it home restrained by its legs so it couldnt bite me and let it go under the shingles near the front porch of the house. my parents knew and let me keep it there. i would always catch bugs and throw it in her web. well, time went on and at the age of 9, moved to washington state from california and with me came a male aphonopelma from the oakland hills. my brother killed it and i was so upset. well a few years later, my mom went to arkansas to visit family, she brought back a 3 toed box turtle and an aphonopelma hentzi female. from then on, it was all about tarantulas....lots of tarantulas.... and giant centipedes. i once got a scolopendra gigantea from the hillsboro oregon show for $50!!! was an 8 inch animal! ive since found a love for dwarf aphonopelma and cyriocosmus dwarfs. that is my focus now.

-josh


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## OldHag (May 7, 2008)

I bought a gecko from Kelli Hammack and she sent me two pink toes.  It was a greased pole to... T heaven


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## Brianhogs (May 7, 2008)

Youtube


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## stevecooper (Jun 26, 2008)

My Partner owned 3 Tarantula back when he lived in Indiana, and when he moved out to San Diego, he got rid of them.  One day, while browsing craigslist, there was someone posting for free tarantula.  I then told my hubby about and he said let's go get it.  So that was the first, and from there I became more interested in them.  So now here we are.  18 and still counting.  Steve


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## johnharper (Jun 27, 2008)

For it was simple fascination with them that turned into an obsession. One of the first tarantulas I ever saw was a b.smithi in a book after that I knew I had to have some someday. But my first tarantula was not a smithi it was a g.rosea. I love tarantulas.

John Campbell


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## hairmetalspider (Jun 27, 2008)

josh_r said:


> i have been into insects since i was oh... 4 years old. at the age of 6, i caught a black widow, carried it home restrained by its legs so it couldnt bite me
> 
> -josh


You sir, have some nerves of steel.

Props to you.


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## queenandimarie (Jun 30, 2008)

My first T was an Lasiodora parahybana sling. My b/f bought a H. Lividum form Swift's and he sent a freebie!


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## Necrosis (Jun 30, 2008)

i was soooooo scared of spiders   So when i got married to my husband ni 2001 , i found out that he had a rose t at one time and his ex girlfriend killed it because he broke up with her wile he was at work , she filed the tank with h2o all the way to the top , so being scared of them , but love my husband the most i bought him one for v -day it was a mexican red leg 
with 6 locks on the cage. and time i began to learn alot about them and then after 4 years i wanted one , so for mothersday i got a ( gray smoke ) 
she is a trip love her to death , she loves to be held , we now have 3 t in the house


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## GootySapphire (Jun 30, 2008)

I was pretty frightened of spiders because all I knew about them is what they show you on movies, and that made me freaked out, haha. My buddy ending up buying a A. Avic which almost looked black and I went to his house to check it out well he decided it would be funny to bust it out of its cage and put it on my shoulder when I didnt know and so I could do nothing but eventually have to grab it. Realized it wasn't that bad and became instantly obssessed.


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## JayzunBoget (Jul 1, 2008)

Necrosis, that was not a Mexican Red Leg you had. There are like many Brachy species that are easy to confuse, but you had my favorite, Brachypelma boehmi or Mexican Fire Leg.
He was an amazing Tarantula. Not only is he the one that got me to forever give up guessing gender based on abdomen (by having the biggest bootay* I have ever seen on any male tarantula), but he got me back into T keeping by being one of the most beautiful Ts I had ever seen.
After getting to know "Gluttony", I knew that I had to have a boehmi of my own. Then one thing led to another, and thus I find myself in  my current, hopelessly addicted state.

* when there is _*that*_ much junk in the trunk, it is not "booty" but has graduated to "bootay"


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## presurcukr (Jul 2, 2008)

My first T's were B.smithi and A.avic.got them at the same time that was 25years ago. If I only knew of the addiction that Attilla and Charlotte would start. Just have to have more and more and more !!!!!!!:drool:


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## Kamikaze (Jul 25, 2008)

It's probably a fascination of these misunderstood creatures that got me into the hobby.


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## 5thPhantom (Jul 25, 2008)

I'd always wanted a pet spider since I was a young child. I had to small house spiders that frequented a corner of my bedroom in my early teens, and that was the closest I could come to owning a spider whilst I lived at home!

Several relationships later, I have finally found a gem of a man who, amongst many other wonderful things, shares my love of all things 8-legged. He bought me a G. rosea for my birthday, and it was the start of a very very slippery slope ...!!!


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## Buckshot (Jul 25, 2008)

I´ve had aquariums for many years, and wanted something diferent.
I thought of several animals including snakes and lizards, but the low maintance, small space and exclusivity made me decide for spiders.  
Also, i had to renovate my apartment and a 2,35 m aquarium is not easy to move around.:razz:


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## crpy (Jul 25, 2008)

Buckshot said:


> I´ve had aquariums for many years, and wanted something diferent.
> I thought of several animals including snakes and lizards, but the low maintance, small space and exclusivity made me decide for spiders.
> Also, i had to renovate my apartment and a 2,35 m aquarium is not easy to move around.:razz:


You could fabricate a cool little jungle in that


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## D-back (Jul 25, 2008)

I bought my first T because I wanted to treat my arachnophobia....The treatment was a success!!..  Do you think I'm healthy now?...Nope!....I'm an arachnoholic....


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## Twitch Boy (Jul 25, 2008)

I met a friend in college who had a ball python.  I wanted a cool and unique pet as well, but there was no way I had the space, money or resources to handle a python or other snake.  Then one day I happened across the infamous "clock spider" picture...THAT'S IT!  A tarantula!

I did some quick research online and found that most were inexpensive, required very little in the way of resources and were extremely low maintenance.  I lurked forums and Googled all the info I could find for a few months just to make sure I was ready, then in summer of 2007 I welcomed Quinne into my home.


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## Tarantula_man94 (Jul 25, 2008)

last year for my science fair project
wanted to do it on something exotic
parents wouldnt let me do snakes 
thought bout tarantulas and got my first G. rosea


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## ttula (Jul 25, 2008)

I used to be a bank teller and across from the bank there was this pet store, and one day when I was on break I went in and they had this lovely big a. mod there. I'd never seen a tarantula before in my life, but I thought she was  beautiful and wanted to learn all about them. I ended up getting her a few weeks later and they delivered her to me right at my teller window.


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## JDeRosa (Jul 31, 2008)

I was always interested in them but growing up in NYC had never seen any...except on TV. So when I moved I saw a Rosehair in a pet shop. The kid that worked there put it in my hand and I was nervous, which she sensed so she took off up my arm. I screamed and cursed and the kid grabbed her off me. I was hooked.


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## johnnyb9999 (Aug 1, 2008)

I was 10 when I got my first T like most people it was a G. rosea which I named Harry. I started with herps (cool parents) but then kinda fell more and more into T's and now only own T's


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## gvfarns (Aug 1, 2008)

I had several chances to hold tarantulas growing up but I had always been too much of a sissy to do it.  Then my girlfriend (now my wife) goes on a trip and takes some pictures of her holding a friend's tarantula, which makes me realize just how much of a weenie I had been and i wanted a chance to hold one.  I lived in a small apartment alone and wanted a pet and realized a tarantula would be perfect.  Did a bit of research to figure out what kind was best and bought myself a G aureo. 

Well, the research and subsequent efforts to be a good owner were so fascinating that I have been reading up on tarantulas and tarantula keeping ever since.  I like keeping them, but I'd be fine without them if I had to. Reading about them online is probably even better for me.


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## ThistleWind (Aug 1, 2008)

I was terrified of spiders growing up. The movie Arachnophobia gave me INTENSE insomnia and "itchy" feelings all night after a viewing. Even when I went into pet stores and saw tarantulas, I felt like they were NUTS for having those things in their stores (G. rosea) and I swore I felt it get out of its cage and climb on my back in the store. lol.

Well... after a while, I realized that every time I went into the store I went straight for the T. I then decided to get one.. after much debating with myself. I can't be happier with T's... they are the perfect companions.. and terrifically fascinating!


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## Shrike (Sep 4, 2008)

At the University of Illinois I took an entomology course (GREAT class) that also covered arachnids in the curriculum.  One of the course requirements was that we participate in a rearing project and keep a journal of our observations.  Most of the students opted for caterpillars, roaches, etc, but went for a T.  I've had my G. rosea ever since.  She's a beaut!


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## gecko_keeper/KBfauna (Sep 4, 2008)

My 13 yrs old son, wanted one. My wife and I were less than thrilled, cause neither of us care for spiders. Well, needless to say, we started with a female G. rosea and now we have almost 50. Love the little buggers, and my wife has come around with them too. She owns 4 herself.

GK


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## FishermanSteve (Sep 4, 2008)

I was dating a girl and while we were dating i became good friends with her brother... he has about 20 or so t's and i was fascinated and awed. Long story short we broke up but my love for tarantulas continued and its been four months and i have five t's and 1 scorp but i definately plan on getting more soon.


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## Kris-wIth-a-K (Sep 4, 2008)

*hmm*

I just wanted to piss off my step mother..  lol..

No but really,  I had one when I was younger.  A HUGE 5" Female G. Rosea
named mortisha.  My dad buried her when I was away from school one day.  I don't know exactly what happened but he said he walked in and she was on her back and wasn't moving.................  Speaks for itself.  So naturally I went out to dig her back up, she molted out beautifully and was very big, but she was dead...........


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## arachnoid (Sep 15, 2008)

My 1st T was a B. smithi that was mislabeled and (lucky for me) priced as a $19 G. rosea.  Don't really remember what came after that but it included an H. lividum, P. murinus, A. versicolor, G. rosea, and another P. murinus.
All of these in one way or another have passed on so I've been itching to get at least another one.  My favorite (the smithi) and the OBT were just recently 'released' by the damn cat.  I can only hope I will eventually find them but I doubt it.  This afternoon I just placed an order for a 2" L parahybana from Swift's.  Man I love that size and (relative) docile attitude.


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## halfwaynowhere (Sep 15, 2008)

i have always been interested in spiders, but was very afraid of them at the same time (like a car accident- you know its going to be gruesome, but you still have to look when you drive by). 
On another forum, I read about someone who kept a few daddy long leg spiders in jars around the house, and would catch bugs and feed them to them. So I asked her for more details, and ended up catching my own. Still have Spidey. I loved observing her, and loved watching her wrap up her prey. This was back in January, part of my whole new year, new me kick. The icing on the cake was when I caught a moth in the house, and fed it to her. I'm severely lepidoptheraphobic (silly, I know, I laugh at myself for it all the time, but it doesn't make them any less scary). Even catching the moth was a huge step for me, as I have a tendency to scream, start shaking uncontrollably, and cry at the sight of a moth or butterfly. Seeing the spider eat my enemy really helped me realize that they are good.
So then I started looking at pictures of other spiders, and thinking about tarantulas. So I stumbled across AB, and lurked for a week or two. I loved looking through the photo gallery. I decided I wanted to start off with a B. smithi sling. Well, a kind member here offered to send me one, and then he sent two! 
Now I have seven Ts. Five slings and two adults. I absolutely love them, and would live to have even more. As my slings are outgrowing their vials or deli cups, and moving into bigger enclosures, I'm starting to think twice about adding any more to the collection for now, I'm still trying to figure out where I'm going to keep the ones I have when they outgrow their new "juvie" enclosures. of course, once I figure that out, I should have plenty of room for more new ones, lol.


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## Shagrath666 (Oct 2, 2008)

I got a tarantula for my dads birthday, it was something he had always wanted and i finally wore my mom down, and got him a 10 gallon setup. i did my research on which one he could hold and not get bit, i decided on a pink toe. it lasted a week, poor little guy. i didnt know about humidity requirements (havnt had one die that way since) and it dehydrated. so we got a G. rosea, and it turned out to be the most evil female ever. To date it has bitten me once, and my dad 3 times, and it has never been handled. It simply mauls anything that goes near its burrow, which happens to be me or my dad doing maintenance. So because i wanted a handleable T, and worked at a pet store, i got a male G. rosea and he is sweet (when he wants to be) and since have gotten 4 slings (L. parahybana, B. smithi, B. albopilosum, and G. aureostriata). Also i got too full on fish and reptiles and needed a new obsession, arachnids were the natural progression.


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## DDaake (Oct 2, 2008)

*G.Rosea*

I was 15 my uncle got me a rosey. I had it about six months and found it laying on it' back. Dead?-Of course, so I buried it. Since then I've learned. Good thing, otherwise I would've buried alot of t's by now. Thinking back, I hope she got out of that being buried alive. 

What did it for me?
    I saw a B. Smithi in a pet store my mother and I frequented. It was never for sale and they never offered them for sale.  I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. About 8 yrs ago I was talking to a guy about ordering some t's to add to my collection. Through discussions I found out he was the previous owner of the store I saw the Smithi in. I asked about the Smithi and he told me she'd died just 2 yrs ago. She was 31 The sight of such a beautiful T and the thought of a spider living so long was incredibley interesting to me. And now here we are with a selection beyond anything I thought It'd ever be. Thanks everyone who's contributed there time in such a fascinating hobby-The rest of the world is missin' out!;P


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## Dreamslave (Oct 3, 2008)

Many years ago as a kid i got interested in entomology and started to read books about insects and also started a small collection. Even though i loved insects, i was kinda scared of spiders and couldn't understand why. Now 20 years later i decided to start reading about spiders in general to understand them and stop fearing them. Well after reading like crazy i got my first T, a GBB sling. Now i have 3 more: rosie, t.ockerti and a p.cambridgei! 

I now perceive spiders very differently and respect them a lot. 

Soon to get a b.albopilosum and a a.hentzi!


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## Duc de Blangis (Oct 4, 2008)

After being incarcerated numerous times for committing violent felonies my parole officer recommended i take up a hobby.


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## quinquestriatus (Oct 4, 2008)

I was born in AZ so my fascination with arachnids came about pretty much as soon as I could understand what they were. The first tarantula I ever bought was a Poecilotheria Fasciata.


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## Scolopendra777 (Oct 4, 2008)

Well my mental illness got me into it , I was nine years old and the pet store would not let me have one so i waited till i was 13 then i whent to an exotic spider dealer and got my frist tarantula a Salmon Pink Goliath(Lasiodora parahybana) iv got 27 t,s at the moment and will get more soon  , The Salmon Pink Goliath(Lasiodora parahybana) i bought they said it was a female , but no it could not stay a female and dicided to turn into a male ugly little thing but its still my frist tarantula.


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## Strix (Oct 4, 2008)

I've never really liked spiders... at all.  My friend Joe (xhexdx) I knew was into collecting them for a lot of his life and invited me and another friend over one day about a year or two ago to watch them breed some T's.

Watched a few breed, held I believe it was a B. smithi then decided I wanted to join the hobby and learn about T's.  I ended up picking up The Tarantula Keepers Guide by Stanley A. Schultz and directed to read topics here on Joe's suggestion.  After a few days and nights reading up back to back I got my first T...  A mature female G. rosea.

Still have her and I'm up to about 12-14 T's, 3 rats, 4 cats, 3 scorps, 1 millipede, 4 day geckos, a B. dubia colony, a cuban treefrog and hopefully soon a bearded dragon and some more T's


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## Laba-Laba (Oct 4, 2008)

To face the fear!


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## Euronymous (Oct 29, 2008)

I was dealing reptiles, but was dead afraid of spiders. When I went to shows I would have to walk by the arachnid tables. I decided the anxiety was too much to bear, so I  bought ten misc species and put around my bed. When I woke up in the morning I was surrounded by T's. It was hell the first week, but by the second week I handling my B. Smithi, and setting up cages for pokies. Now I cant get enough. My land lord wont let me have any herps, so I'm all spider now. Take that Dr Phil;P


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## Entomo-logic (Oct 29, 2008)

*Fate*

My first T's were _Lasiodora parahybana_ spiderlings. These 7 spiders were given to me by a coworker at the Insectarium that I work at on my first second week. We have alot of Ts and I was to say the least a little over cautious in working with spiders so he brought some in and said "Take these spiders and raise them on your own, and quit being such a *baby*" (*thats not quite hte quote but I don't think I can post with what he actually told me not to be). Long story short I took those babies home and fell in love. I now have a collection of 14+ and looking to add every chance I can get. I now make it my mission to expose people to my new pets and show they are really interesting and that they are not the vicious killing machines that many take them to be. And now alot of my friends have Ts and they are just as crazy about them as I am.


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## Sunset (Jul 22, 2009)

the very first T I ever got was when i saved it from my pool. so i caught it and picked it up and it wouldn't leave my hand so i kept it and it lived for a good ten years before it past away after that i just started buying T's at reptile shows.


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## sean-820 (Jul 22, 2009)

Well ive had various fresh and a salt water aquarium for years and my largest tanks now are 125g and 65g. I also have a bearded dragon. Because of this, i was at a expo looking around. I was never to comfortable with t's, but not really afraid so i was thinking of getting one at the expo. i already read up on basic things, but nothing to species specific as i didnt even know there were that many t's around.  All ive seen prior to collecting were smithis and rosies. So at the expo i was at TCanadas table and i got myself my first t, a versi (who is now 4"). Just over a year later i have 5 t's and plan  on getting 1-2 more (pulchras). Compared to fish and lizards you cant really go wrong with t's. They take up much less space and time. You barly even have to clean the tanks as opposed to fish where you need weekly water changes.


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## The_Sandman (Jul 22, 2009)

my nephew wanted one for his birthday, so i did some research , got him a mexican red rump , i was fasinated by it so much i did more research and fell for the T blondi, after doing more research i found this place and purchased one from one of the members here. so far i got a T blondi and an emprior scorpion with i really like . im trying to stay at a minimum but something tells me that im going to have a collection before i know it.


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## Ballam (Sep 28, 2009)

This is a great thread !

I loved spiders as a kid but I never really had an interest to ever own a tarantula myself. I saw one in a local online classifieds for sale one day and my imagination ran wild. The pictures of the spider were gorgeous and I couldn't resist. I then owned my first T "Lucy". She is an A. Geniculata and I've had her for about 6-7 months now and she is about 2-3 months out of molt now and I'd say roughly 5-6" legspan. She is awesome and eats like a dog, have to be careful not to feed her too much  

I was so ignorant when I first bought her, but I did tons of research and I am now truly "bitten". After acquring the A. Geniculata I went out and got myself a G. Rosea so I could have a more personal relationship. The rosie is great and very docile and a great spider for helping other people get over their fears. She can be moody as well however and I always make sure she has been fed before I attempt to handle.

I've got my eyes set on a 6" L. Parahybanha which I also found in the local classifieds. I've made a habit of looking around when I get the itch to see if anyone is locally selling T's. I seem to find people who acquired T's in strange ways and aren't very knowledgable about the hobby. I feel like I do a good thing by giving these spiders surely better homes.


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## Daehon (Sep 28, 2009)

When me and my wife got together, she came with three girls, one dog and a G.rosea, which at the time was 12 years old. Her name was Rosie (ya I know not to original), but she was the coolest T I had ever seen, and she hated my wife, but loved the girls. The girls could hold her without any problem, when my wife would go in the cage to clean it Rosie would go into threat mode. I could go in the cage and she would crawl up my hand and just sit there. This is where I fell in love with Tarantulas and have been learning ever since and that was 6 years ago. Since then Rosie has passed away, and we have added 6 more to our collection.


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## Exo (Sep 28, 2009)

I always thought scorps were cool, but didn't know that people kept them as pets. When I found out where to get one, I ended up geting two desert hairies. As I was doing reserch on my new pets I came across a lot of T stuff, and ended up falling in love with them. Now I like Ts more than scorps.


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## jayefbe (Sep 28, 2009)

I was always interested in bugs at a young age.  My kindergarten teacher once told my mom that she wouldn't be surprised if I became an entomologist.  She wasn't too far off.  I'm applying to grad school this fall to study plant evolution.

In the past I've kept dozens of pythons, boas, dart frogs, and crested geckos.  My first T was a rosea that I purchased online, and it was in every sense of the term a pet rock.  It simply bored me to tears.  If I only knew then that not all tarantulas were like that.

My interest in tarantulas has been reignited, and I'm working up to getting that pokie I've always wanted.  At this rate, I'll be setting up a communal pokie sling setup in a couple weeks!


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## Mack&Cass (Sep 29, 2009)

Well, I was working at an LPS and they'd get the occasional tarantula in. I thought they were fascinating so I bought a book, read it, did some more research. Then I bought my first T, a G. rosea who is now a MF.
Fast forward about 2.5 years later (Jan 2009) and I'm up to 5 T's. I move in with my fiancee. She gets insanely attached to the B. albopilosum. Then she becomes addicted to this site, reading up on anything and everything. In April of '09, she makes her first order, a G. pulchra sling and a C. darlingi sling. After that it all just kept snowballing and now we have 52 with 6 more coming on Wednesday.  
As far as why we keep T's aside from mammals is because we discovered through the purchase of an innocent little hamster that we're not mammal people. We have a dog, but that's it. We actually ended up getting rid of the hamster because he was pretty noisy at night and my fiancee kept threatening to feed him to our ball python, so we gave him away before her threat became reality.


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## Stopdroproll (Sep 29, 2009)

I was pretty in to snakes when I was younger, but never got one because my parents would not approve (possibly superstitious). My friend had snakes, and he also got a tarantula (G. rosea), but I was never really in to it. I was on some forum awhile ago and someone posted that they got a tarantula and I think it was an A. geniculata and I never knew tarantulas had awesome designs and patterns. I found this forum and learned more about them and it re-sparked my interest. Learned how to care for them and what not because I didn't have success with a red-eared slider I had. :8o RobC's awesome videos helped a lot too haha.


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## iluvcreepystuff (Sep 29, 2009)

I am only 12 but ever since since i was born i have lived in Kentucky so i am surrounded by nature. When i got to about age 4 i started finding frogs and turtles and snakes and all the other creepy crawlies around here terrifying my mom to death. Well after about 5 more years it became a hobby and my mom was well used to it by then. The first captive bred animal i purchased was a baby ball python wich died because it wouldnt eat and the same happened to a baby corn snake i got for my 10th birthday. Then came two rats we had to get rid of because the ppl at the pet shop told us they were both boys when it turned out we had 11 tiny little rats. One day we went to the nearest pet shop we new of and my mom got my sis a guinea pig. While we were there i went to the reptiles first as usual and then saw a g.rosea for $25. I begged and begged for it but she said no because my dad would throw a fit. When we got home i hopped on the computer and studied tarantulas. I continued my research on t's as pets for weeks and decided i wanted a b.albopilosum i gained as much knowledge as i could over t's and every time i asked i got the same answer, no money:wall:  until I almost gave up. I stopped bugging my parents about getting a t and then my 12th birthday arrived. I got off the bus at my aunts and saw a plastic dollar store tub full of substrate with fake plants and a hide. I peeked into the hide and saw a 1 inch b.albopilosum staring at me!:razz: 
But the reason i got a t is because i had already owned almost all the other creepy crawlies and wanted to try out wat is now in my opinion the best hobby ever!

I still have my b.albopilosum and it is now about 2.5 in. long and just had its first molt in my care about 2 weeks ago!

If i hadn't have stumbled onto this sight i may not have ever got a t so to all of ARACHNOBOARDS THANK YOU!


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## night4now (Sep 29, 2009)

*Husbands...*

My husband took our boys out to the desert to shoot skeet. When he came home late he called me into the room and said look at this! and pulled the top off a tote and there was a wild caught T. It was amazingly active, scrabbling around, and beautiful. 
I went to the internet to try to figure out what kind it was, care and etc, and when I started reading about T's (where I came across this site) I found they were incredible. I was fascinated and would have loved to have kept him, but the spurs were very evident, and we felt it best to take him back out and let him do his thing, if males only survive a short time, and god knows people are endangering habitat everywhere, and they dont need me hauling off with MM just to keep a short time as a pet.
I went and bought a G rosea, and found that one wasnt enough (especially a pet rock). I have since dived right in to being a T owner, agreeing whole heartedly that this is addicting. I would honestly love to have one of each, but the same husband that 'brought home a spider to scare me' now says I cant have more than 50. 
We'll see though, wont we? ;P


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## sharpfang (Sep 29, 2009)

*1st Fascination w/ Tarantulas*

I started working at Petco in 1999 on and off for 3 years and found that ya cant sell scorp's and T's if ya scared to show'em 2 somebody!..................
I was lucky enough to meet Henry Elfstrom - Tomales , CA. long time breeder
and he was willing to educate me in the way of the spider.... I soon became
a leading sales dept. in our region and my success contributed to a store nominee for best run in company{1 of 5 out of 500+ stores}........................
I pick-up spiders and scorps almost every day now... And T's that my esteamed T buddy bred Im starting to get sax from!......Versicolor molted
MM this mornin! Im almost there......patience and persistance!  Peace...........Jason


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## paul fleming (Sep 29, 2009)

Seemed a logical step after keeping snakes,scorps and frogs... 
which I still have


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## Placeboani2 (Sep 29, 2009)

I got into Spiders by watching a documentory on jumping spiders on discovery, I was watching it completely amazed. I read more and more into spiders, and then started reading into T's, i googled pictures of them, read books and completely fell in love!
After that i wanted one for myself and bought a G.Rosea from the local pet shop. I then bought an A.Avic and now im looking to buy more!
I can't get enough!


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## WARPIG (Sep 29, 2009)

I got into spiders cause I was afraid of alligators!!! 

PIG-


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## Ether Imp (Sep 29, 2009)

I got into T's to pick up chicks.

...It's not working.


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## kman (Sep 29, 2009)

I had a fear of spiders and a Psychology degree. The only logical choice was to get Ts and overcome my fear. Up to 40 or so now.


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## violentblossom (Sep 29, 2009)

I got into them when someone posted a thread on a Tomb Raider forum (of all places) talking about how they wanted either an Cobalt Blue or an Indian Ornamental as a pet. The more that people gave their input about Ts and spiders in general, the more interested I became, seeing how low maintenance they were and how they didn't smell.

I did some research and fell in love with B. smithis. A month or so later, I had my beloved smithi Pamela, special ordered from Petco, and the rest is history.

I now have 3 Ts (after losing my Boehmei sling ) and I intend to snag a P. metallica by the end of the year.


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## bdprice1968 (Sep 29, 2009)

My first T was a B. smithi over twenty years ago, and now we have two        G. rosea MF and MM which we've had together a couple of times, still waiting. We also have a  B. smithi sling and an A. versi sling.
My son now has a B. smithi sling, so I guess my addiction is spreading cuz my wife wanted the A. versi.


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## Abby (Sep 29, 2009)

I wanted a Tarantula since I was about 6 years old but my mom wouldn't let me since there was a lot of ignorance as to how "dangerous" T's are.  I always had that desire to have a tarantula, so a few months ago I met someone who had one at our vet's office.

After a chat with this vet technician about her G. rosea I realized that I've always wanted one and now there was no one to stop me from getting it!  I told my hubby I wanted one for my birthday and voila!  I now have a G. rosea and I love her.
I did call my mom to tell her I was getting my T, and she said "no".  I then proceeded to tell her my T will be in my house and that I was getting her, and that was that.


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## DooM_ShrooM (Nov 19, 2009)

at first i thought spiders are just spiders....i was always an animal lover since im a child but spiders arent my thing it was dogs,turtles and mice......then when i started growing up i started feeling freaky things about exotic animals..like i need to get one of all of them then i saw this show that shows Ts then i said to my self "this where i will start my dream of getting one of all of them"......then now i have 2Ts,1 snake,2rhino beatles(they died sometime ago due too age),1 hermit crab(died a month ago due to age too) and a water dragon.......but Ts are my favorite..they got freakingly awesome body and hunting skills....   i like how they devour their food alive....drinking,yummy juice and insides


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## Totty (Dec 27, 2009)

I am fascinated of tarantulas


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## paul fleming (Dec 27, 2009)

Snakes first and then scorps.....then T's.
Seemed the natural progression


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## TheTsupreme (Dec 27, 2009)

paul fleming said:


> Snakes first and then scorps.....then T's.
> Seemed the natural progression


Almost the same thing with me. Started with snakes now T's maybe later Scorps.


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## NateTheGreat (Dec 27, 2009)

Was really scared of them.  Then started researching T's and go really fascinated by them and lost my fear in the process.  Just recently got into the hobby.


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## paul fleming (Dec 27, 2009)

TheTsupreme said:


> Almost the same thing with me. Started with snakes now T's maybe later Scorps.


You are really missing out if you don't get into scorps too.
They are so different and amazing creatures.
Paul


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## TheTsupreme (Dec 27, 2009)

paul fleming said:


> You are really missing out if you don't get into scorps too.
> They are so different and amazing creatures.
> Paul


Yea im getting more and more fascinated by them but still, my mom is scared to death of em, even if i told her the imperator poison isnt that dangerous.


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## Inguan (Dec 27, 2009)

whe i was kid i liked spiders and inset and from there is my love to this one


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## Avicularia Man (Dec 27, 2009)

I got into spiders to break my fear of them. I got my first 5 Tarantulas on 12-17-09. I have been into reptiles for 24 years now. I don't have any now, but when I finally move, I plan on starting my snake collection back up. I also like lizards, but not as much as I like snakes. I mainly only like owning monitors when it comes to lizards, but I think I may get into geckos this time around as well. I want to get back into breeding snakes and would also like to get into breeding T's as well. But the whole breeding thing won't be for a few years. Especially with T's. Right now I just want to make sure I can raise the 5 slings I have now. I know slings are harder to care for than adults, so if I can raise these 5 little ones, then I will feel I can breed. After all, not point in breeding if I can't keep the slings alive.


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## kagols (May 27, 2010)

I used to love the outdoors. when i was young i used to spend the large part of my summer vacation days out in the mountains here in the philippines looking for spiders so i can make them pets. I literally came home covered in mud with cuts and bruises, that all changed when i got to high school... i saw Nephilas making webs around the woods outside my school. 
They were massive, one i saw had a body of 12 inches i think.. after that i got scared of spiders  .. i love animals and i miss that feeling so now i'm planning to get a spider for a pet....preferably a nephila....which species do you think would be best?


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## Clement (May 27, 2010)

NateTheGreat said:


> Was really scared of them.  Then started researching T's and go really fascinated by them and lost my fear in the process.


same thing here, i was terrified by them, now i'm addicted


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## Kirsten (May 27, 2010)

DooM_ShrooM said:


> at first i thought spiders are just spiders....i was always an animal lover since im a child but spiders arent my thing it was dogs,turtles and mice......then when i started growing up i started feeling freaky things about exotic animals..like i need to get one of all of them then i saw this show that shows Ts then i said to my self "this where i will start my dream of getting one of all of them"......then now i have 2Ts,1 snake,2rhino beatles(they died sometime ago due too age),1 hermit crab(died a month ago due to age too) and a water dragon.......but Ts are my favorite..they got freakingly awesome body and hunting skills....   i like how they devour their food alive....drinking,yummy juice and insides


I was like that too, except I didn't want one of *all* of them, just the ones that interested me the most.
You must have had that hermit crab a loooong time.  They can live to +/- 30 years


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## Kaleb (May 28, 2010)

Have been terrified of spiders my whole life, but my GF really wanted one. She was terrified of snakes when we started dating and I had 10 of those, and she learnt to deal and eventually got some herself. So I thought it would be fair to let her get one(B.smithi), after 2 weeks I bought her 2 G.Pulchra slings. I got more and more fascinated by the little critters, and then I thought, what the hell. So I got a couple of A.Versicolor, and now I have 16 Ts and several incoming. Highly addictive hobby and somewhat cheaper than the boa and ball python morphs I was into before 

Thats my little story

-Kaleb


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## Autonerd (May 29, 2010)

My wife responded to an ad for a dog that was looking for a home. My wife went to meet the dog, the folks really liked her, and in the course of the conversation they asked my wife if we wanted a tarantula, too. "Sure!" My wife figured I did well with the two goldfish our kids won at a school carnival (4 years and several hundred dollars later, they're still thriving) so I could figure out a spider. She called me and said "Start reading up on tarantulas!" When we went to pick up the dog, Fifi the Rose-hair came with her. So far as I know, the dog and the spider still aren't aware of each other's existence.

A few months ago we added a gecko -- friend's aunt was dying and she needed to find a home for several poorly-cared-for animals. That's how Frankie Four Fingers joined the family. Thank goodness my wife took a pass on the 18' boa constrictor.

Aaron


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## Toirtis (May 29, 2010)

When I was but 5, I had a consuming fascination for bugs of all kinds...my best friend and I hunted down all we could, and kept many as long as we were permitted (not terribly long, as my mother was fine with just about everything except bugs, which she was none too fond of, for  the most part). My first spider memories were when I was 2-5, and came from the huge, black ugly house spiders that had a habit of ending up in the bathtub with you when you were having a nice soak. Then there was a couple of incidents when I was 6, and some older neighbour kids dared me to eat a spider that was residing on a windowsill outside...I did...twice, actually. Long story short, I grew up keeping virtually everything under the sun (snakes, lizards, turtles, rodents, birds, beetles, slugs, snails, fish)...but spiders. Then, as a complete surprise on my birthday in 1979, my parents gifted me with a huge female B. smithi (they were relatively inexpensive and plentiful back then)...apart from a brief break from keeping Ts (2001-2010), I have never looked back.


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## Evil Seedlet (May 29, 2010)

Right so, every few months my boyfriend and I for whatever reason end up looking up pictures of huge spiders online (usually true spiders) just to freak ourselves out. One of the last few times we started looking at tarantulas too and even though thery still kind of make my hair stand on end, i just really, really wanted one. So many of them are just beautiful and amazing to look at, I love the way they walk and clean themselves.. I never had any life long love affair with bugs or spiders, it just kind of hit me one day when looking at pictures and video of them.

True spiders still kind of freak me out, I'm not deathly afraid or anything and if I see one in a web inside I'll leave it alone, but the ones that like to wander and float through the air get tossed outside. Unless maybe it was a brown recluse, I've never actually seen one but if I did I think I'd kill it. Just not worth the risk, heh.


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## MichiganReptiles (May 30, 2010)

*My Story*

I started looking at YouTube videos to see how people kept their Dubia roaches because I needed them for my reptiles. I came across Robc's video, started going through some of his other videos, became completely addicted, three hours later.. went to bed. Woke the next morning wanting to watch more. Found this board from him talking about it. Now I have two T's (G. Pulchra, A. Genic) even though only 2 months ago at a local reptile show I walked right by a T table and even shivered as I quickly scurried past. I believe I even told my 12 year old son that he would NEVER have to worry about having one in our house! I'm thankful to robc for changing my outlook and happy to be a part of the hobby! (although now I'm completely addicted and talking to my husband about building shelves in our 6 foot bedroom closet to make space for all the T's I plan to get).


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## mikkwa (May 31, 2010)

Like a few people here I never imagined I would ever bring a spider into my home on purpose. I've been bitten by brown recluses & stung by scorpions from accidental encounters with them. I believe in letting them be in their enviorement, but come into my home...gone! As a child I chased & caught everything that moved. Mom would make me turn them loose. I still left the arachnids alone. I live at a lake in Texas & we have these fat, round spiders outside that make new webs every night. I work at night & one decided my V.W.'s mirror was the place for her web sessions. In the mornings when I started home I would have to slow down so she could hide in the mirror before the wind force blew her away.On my last night of work this week, I caught a roach & a moth for her. She had only mosquitos caught in the web. It was really fun watching her prepare the treats then eat. I decided right then I wantd a tarantula. Went to my local pet shop & bought the only one they had, a sub-adult female Chilean Rose Hair. I didn't have any info' on that species in my reptile books ( I mainly keep snakes) so I went to the web and found Tarantulas.com. They had lots of good info' & suggested 2 books (I ordered both today) and suggested this forum for more help. While in their site I saw the next T I want to get. Never say never as they say, People change!! Her name is Tessa Tarantula & she is right next to my laptop where I can get used to her. Funny thing, since I got her yesterday she seems to like staying in the corner closest to me. That is endearing even if it is really a one sided love affair.


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## poppaJT (Aug 26, 2010)

I got into it cause they are big and fluffy and are fascinating to keep


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## TarantulaTeen (Oct 2, 2010)

*How i got to the tarantula hobby*

Well ever since I could remember I have always loved spiders and tried to protect and hold them. When I was 5 I saw a rose hair in a pet shop i got my mind blow away by how huge and cool looking there were. When it was my 6th bday i got a rose hair. Today im 14 and i got a obt and a chaco golden knee. Now trying to get a red cameroon tarantula.


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## nolan (Oct 2, 2010)

It started when my 10 year old son wanted a t for his birthday so we took him to a local pet store that sells exotic pets and we talked to one of the employees that had t's of his own we got the info and bought a g.rosea and everything needed after a week my son lost all interest of course so i started caring for it and became infatuated with them so i found another pet store with a large variety of t's and bought a big salmon pink and once more experiance is gained i plan on having many more lol


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## desireewolfgang (Nov 4, 2010)

You know, I really have no clue what got me interested in them. It's like I just decided one day when I was like 17/18 that I wanted one, did a lot of research, went for it, and then I just fell in love with them. And that's the whole story.


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## Dravensmom (Nov 7, 2010)

My mother had a rosea while I was growing up so I always loved tarantulas. About a month ago I went to rodent fest to get a yellow mouse and there was a little girl maybe 11 or 12 who hatched her own rosea slings. They were $5 a piece so I asked her if she would do 3 for $10(I figured they would not live I just wanted someone to buy them from her because I thought it was pretty cool that she did it all by herself). I gave one to my brother, one to my bf and i had one. My mother was upset that I did not get her one so while looking online for a store in my area that sells tarantulas I found paul. I never knew there was anything other than brown.. or that they could be sent through the mail. I bought every family member that likes tarantulas a cool one. now my family and I just cant seem to stop ourselves:8o Now I have a rosea, tiger rump, 3 Lps and 5 OBTs on the way from Cbarr. My mother has a new river  my brothers gf bought her and versicolor and lp I gave her. My brother has a rosea and aviculara amazicona(sp?) from his gf and his Gf has a greenbottle blue she bought and the curley I got her and my bf has the rosea and an Lp I gave him. All these were bought within the last month so I am pretty worried the tarantulas will take over soon..


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## Vespula (Nov 7, 2010)

My entire life, I've been into insects and spiders. I'd talk about them endlessly. I read every book I could from the time I could read about them. When I was about 7, one of my teachers brought a G. rosea to a halloween carnival our school was hosting. I stared at it for a long time, then started asking my parents for one. They said "NO". so my young heart was broken. But i was a stubborn kid, and kept asking for the next 10 years. 

    My efforts paid off when I was a senior in Highschool, earlier this year. I told my mom that a tarantula would be a great companion when i moved to college in the fall. I told her that it would "keep me company during the long nights of studying, when I wouldn't have an animal friend to spend time with." She actually said OK this time! I was thrilled. Before she could change her mind, I was on the Computer ordering a B. smithi sling from KenTheBugGuy. I got my Catastrophe a week later, and the addiction began. That was in march. In May, for my birthday/graduation present, I got a B. vagans. Right before the fall semester of  college started, I was able to order a G. rosea. Right after I ordered her, I found another one in a pet store that needed rescuing. I bought him, as well. Now, just last week, I got an OBT and two B. vagans slings! It's become an addiction!


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## clam1991 (Nov 7, 2010)

desireewolfgang said:


> You know, I really have no clue what got me interested in them. It's like I just decided one day when I was like 17/18 that I wanted one, did a lot of research, went for it, and then I just fell in love with them. And that's the whole story.


so awkward but ditto  down to the period


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## whitewolf (Nov 7, 2010)

I posted mine when I first joined the forum a few years back. I've always loved spiders since I was little. Picking them up playing with them and turning them back lose outside.

My first T was a G Rosea, cleverly named Rosie, my mom got us when I was somewhere between 6 and 8. She was actually my brothers but he always let me help him. We had her a very long time, almost 20 years. I recently found an old molt when I helped my brother move and opened it up to find Rosie was in fact a her, even though every one told me she was most likely female. I've always had G Rosea's at some point and naturally had to have another after a few years without one. Found this forum after doing some searches to find many more T's I just had to have.


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## Suidakkra (Jan 7, 2011)

I got into by watching a few of Robc's and Jon3800 vids on Youtube. Like many noobs, shortly after I went and purchased a LPS G.rosea, then 6 months later I have 30 T's in my house, including a face eating L.difficilis from South of Heaven, i actually would handle my OBT first , lol.....

And to think I use to be an arachnophobe...


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## malevolentrobot (Jan 8, 2011)

i thought i posted in this thread way back when :?

i bought one almost exactly a year ago because of my boyfriend at the time. he said he was going to get one of our wild Aphonopelmas and smuggle it into our house just to scare me. that joke sparked a quest i had no idea i'd be on, countless hours online learning about the "enemy" led me to some beautiful pictures, and i was hesitant, but nevertheless still somehow strangely hooked. 

my search started at my very own work who did not have a rosea (at the time, although we had mean ones in the past that did no favours to how i felt about tarantulas), all the way across town and back, holding anything the stores would let me put my nervous hands on (or under, rather). in the end, i still ended up with a G. rosea though (of course). 

i still find it funny how that G. rosea is with me, while he is not. my interest in the hobby lasted longer than my interest in him! and my interest in my rosea lasted about as long as the newest T i could get my hands on, stinking pet rocks! (i still love malificent, my grumpy first T though.) 

now i have 23. good grief...


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## Johnny1320 (Jan 8, 2011)

I was offered a free sling by a member of another forum.  Then while waiting I started creepin' around and then couldnt wait to get one.  Says my join date on here is 11/22/10, and I believe at that point we only had our G.pulchripes.  Now we are up to 20 T's.  Damn you arachnoboards, damn you.:wall:


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## JuGGaL0K0W (Jan 8, 2011)

I work alot, i mean alot about 60 - 80 hour weeks and i was looking for something i could keep as a pet with easier care requirements. As a result i found myself in the LPS asking alot of questions.  They referred me to *The Tarantula Keeper's Guide* it answered alot if not all of my questions at first, this site answered all the rest. Starting out i was really caught by a Cobalt blue, the clerk at the pet store turned my attention to a G.Rosea. The next day after much thought and consideration i bought her named her charlotte.  So that was #1. I am now sitting at 6 and want more .......


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## lta3398 (Jan 8, 2011)

As a kid, my mom was terrified of snakes, my dad was a "dog" person, so that was the only animal we ever had. I don't know why, but I was always fascinated with spiders and snakes. I don't even know how it all started. Now, I have 21 T's. That is what my husband always buys me for holidays :razz: Oh, and I have my good old reliable ball python.....


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## billy28 (Jan 9, 2011)

My parents got me a rosea when I was three(I didn't really take care of it, they did for the most part).  Then I got my little brother an avic when he was five.  I've been getting more ever since then.


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## VENOMdeBEEVER (Jan 9, 2011)

You ever been sitting enjoying the silence after a hard days work........ then all of a sudden you hear that really really really annoying sound coming from that cricket in the corner somewhere. so you get out the bug spray then the shot then the rocket launcher. Then go back to enjoying the silrnce and as soon as you exhale ;P;P;P;P;P. theres that dag nabbit cricket sound again.  WELL NOT WHEN YOU HAVE 15 TARANTULAS IN YO HOUSE . Everytime i hear 1 making that sound in my cricket/roach tank I wait to see whos doing it and catch it and then !!!:worship::worship::worship: ITS FEEDING TIME:worship::worship::worship:.


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## nikyzo0p (Jan 17, 2011)

uhhhmmm. well first started when i helped bring my boyfriends b. boehmei home i noticed i don't mind them as much. then when i gave away my dog i was sad so he offered to get me a t xD. then December 18th rolled around and he couldn't resist buying me a Christmas gift and got me my A. Avicularia !! now i absolutely love them!!! more coming as well


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## Speedy (Jan 17, 2011)

I was scared of spiders.. so of course the logical thing to do was go to my pet shop and handle the rosies  I fell in love when she didn't attack my hand like I expected. lol


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## oogie boogie (Jan 17, 2011)

As a kid I really loved dinosaurs, and monsters. Keeping reptiles and inverts is the closest thing, me thinks.


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## Royal_T's (Jan 18, 2011)

I was always a big fan of exotics but never kept any until I roomed with my best friend in who was keeping amphibians and reptiles while we were getting crickets one day I checked out some of the pets the store had. I seen an enclosure that had contained a tarantula and I asked the clerk when they would be getting some more in stock and she said she had one for sale from her personal collection and showed me a pic of a female Haplopelma lividum and I thought it was stunning. I bought it from her soon after as mature female unfortunately I discovered that it was a mature male instead and it died 6 months later. I've been raising them ever since.


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## desertanimal (Jan 18, 2011)

I was never really into spiders.  Mostly reptiles and mammals.  But this summer when I was out looking for these













I found quite a few of these



















And the fact that you can pick many of them up, and the heft of the females when you're holding them, I don't know.  I just kind of fell in love with them.


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## Loz (Feb 1, 2011)

People who don't know me find it hard to believe, but I used to have a HUGE fear of spiders. But I hated the fact that I was scared of spiders, as I like all animals.

Four years ago I got together with my fella, who had (and still has) a massive Lasiodora parahybana called Harry. Over time, the more I was around Harry the less scared I was of regular spiders.

I was really determined to get over my fear and eventually had a Grammostola rosea, which I handled! 

I now have a 2 year old Brachypelma auratum and the cutest lil Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (less than 1 inch!), which I am head over heels in love with!


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## Mathayus (Feb 1, 2011)

My uncle gave me a G. rosea as a "thank you" for being the ring bearer in his wedding when i was 9, and ive been hooked ever since =)


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## losct2381 (Feb 1, 2011)

When I was young my father was into tarantulas. I used to live to help him and watch him. But u know how it is I got older into my teens and drew away from it. Then my father passed when I was about 17 and I had forgotten all about it.  Until not too long ago my son seen one in the pet store and asked for it. It was a rosea I looked at it and thought easy enough seen my dad do it a million times. Yeah right I had to read a book ask a million and one questions. And look now I'm caring for well over 100 plus tarantulas and guess what then one who asked for them is into trucks all of a sudden and I'm left with the fever. Lol funny how life works huh maybe he'll inherit my collection lol.

---------- Post added at 09:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 AM ----------

It has to be in the blood


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## Dangergirl (Feb 1, 2011)

I was originally looking for an Emperor Scorpion. I heard of a guy looking to get rid of his ... and when I went to collect it he sprung it on me that I had to take another "pet" along with me. His wife freaked out when she found them hidden in the filing cabinet. So I got a G.rosea (Lucy) as part of the package. I watched it from the corner of my room for days ... and then her leg "grooming" habit kinda grew on me, I researched what other kinds of T's were out there ... and I was hooked. Four months later I owned 24


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## Glory (Feb 1, 2011)

What a stupid reason this is. haha. I live with my mom and had been trying for months to convince her to let me get a second cat. We finally did and then had to give it back because it beat up the original cat all the time. After a few months, I brought it up again. It was a definite NO. Then i asked for a bunny. NO GO. Bearded dragon? Nope, they smell and are too much upkeep. How about a tarantula? As it goes, mom had a tarantula herself when she was my age and couldn't say no. Then when I told her what an awesome deal I would be getting when I finally went to the pet store, she agreed. I was never scared of spiders like some people are. No, I didn't really like them, but it wasn't fear. Once I held her for the first time, I was in love. Seeing her molt was crazy, watching her eat is amazing. I'm constantly taking pictures of her. I don't know if I'll ever end up with dozens like some of you, but Sydney has definitely opened my eyes and my heart to spiders


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## arachnokid6 (Feb 20, 2011)

*first tarantula*

i got my first t when i was 3 a zebra leg t it deid from shedding then i got my 2nd t a g rosea female im 14 now and i still have her i got a t because i was into bugs i now have a avic pink toe a mexican red knee 2 rose hairs a curly hair and a chaco golden knee sling.


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## viruk (Feb 21, 2011)

watched a few robc videos on youtube and i said to myself "wow, those are beautiful". and of course I've got infected by his enthusiasm.


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