Arachnicon?

[magicmed]

A quick Google search provided very little info, I could have glanced over it, but it seems if there aren't any arachnid conventions? Yeah you see some T's at repticons now and then but do we have any gatherings at all aside from a few scientific lectures here and there? If not it might be cool if we could get enough dealers/ breeders to commute to a agreed upon location once a year or so and show them how to do it arachnid style. I wonder if there would even be any public interest in a con?

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

A quick Google search provided very little info, I could have glanced over it, but it seems if there aren't any arachnid conventions? Yeah you see some T's at repticons now and then but do we have any gatherings at all aside from a few scientific lectures here and there? If not it might be cool if we could get enough dealers/ breeders to commute to a agreed upon location once a year or so and show them how to do it arachnid style. I wonder if there would even be any public interest in a con?

I would be super interested personally. The only place I can get them are at local repticons where there aren't many dealers. I would be down for a mass gathering of spider lovers/dealers

 

[Andy00]

If this becomes a thing, make sure the first ones in Denver!!

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

It could always operate alongside the NARBC in Chicago. Or in the surrounding area. Just saying

 

[EulersK]

This hobby seems to piggy-back off of the reptile trade. I don't think I've seen an arachnid focused gathering before... it's always about reptiles and spiders just happen to be part of the show.

I mean, think about it. What do you really need in this hobby? Even if you're going expensive, a $100 acrylic enclosure is just about all you need. Not the best of business models, especially since the majority of us collect in bulk. We're keeping spiders in deli cups, for Christ sake. Spider dealers can't make money off of heating lamps, rocks, aquariums, decorations, incubators, thermometers, bulbs, and so on. Sure, there are some extremely expensive reptiles out there, but it's usually the setup that breaks the bank. Selling non-perishable goods is easy, you just need the investment of money and a place to store them. Selling living creatures is a different story - feeding alone would be a full time job for a large scale operation.

Then just sell spiders. So be it. I just said that we collect in bulk anyway, right? It's still an unstable business model. Gestation times, finding mature males/females for breeding, lost sacs, surprise deaths, loss of sales in the winter... you can't pay your rent in IOU's. You need a stable source of income to run a business, and relying on the successful reproduction of spiders is far too much of a risk. A single bad month could potentially destroy a company.

No, we'll always be an after thought in reptile-focused shows. There's just no real money to be had in this hobby, save for a small handful of outlying examples. The big money is in reptiles.

 

[BobBarley]

What about the ATS (American Tarantula Society) Conference?

This year's: http://www.kenthebugguy.com/conference/

 

[magicmed]

This hobby seems to piggy-back off of the reptile trade. I don't think I've seen an arachnid focused gathering before... it's always about reptiles and spiders just happen to be part of the show.

I mean, think about it. What do you really need in this hobby? Even if you're going expensive, a $100 acrylic enclosure is just about all you need. Not the best of business models, especially since the majority of us collect in bulk. We're keeping spiders in deli cups, for Christ sake. Spider dealers can't make money off of heating lamps, rocks, aquariums, decorations, incubators, thermometers, bulbs, and so on. Sure, there are some extremely expensive reptiles out there, but it's usually the setup that breaks the bank. Selling non-perishable goods is easy, you just need the investment of money and a place to store them. Selling living creatures is a different story - feeding alone would be a full time job for a large scale operation.

Then just sell spiders. So be it. I just said that we collect in bulk anyway, right? It's still an unstable business model. Gestation times, finding mature males/females for breeding, lost sacs, surprise deaths, loss of sales in the winter... you can't pay your rent in IOU's. You need a stable source of income to run a business, and relying on the successful reproduction of spiders is far too much of a risk. A single bad month could potentially destroy a company.

No, we'll always be an after thought in reptile-focused shows. There's just no real money to be had in this hobby, save for a small handful of outlying examples. The big money is in reptiles.

I think novelty items could suppliment a small breeder a bit in a convention type setting to make up for SOME profit lost in those type of items being unneeded, keep in mind I'm not talking about a full time business or anything, but if enough like minded hobbiest all got together, all selling their own stock once a year (and possibly said novelty items on the side, who hasn't bought a keychain, shotglass, deck of cards etc as a keepsake) it might cause enough noise and draw enough of a crowd to get a few more people interested in tarantulas, grow the hobby a tad.

You're right on I don't think there would be a huge profit margin at a con, simply because there would need to be a lot of people in one area very interested in tarantulas, but I do think it would be pretty cool to see that kind of gathering. Maybe have a little giveaway, a dunk tank, what have you.

I dunno, maybe I'm crazy, I just thought it would be a very interesting gathering, could just flop haha

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

This hobby seems to piggy-back off of the reptile trade. I don't think I've seen an arachnid focused gathering before... it's always about reptiles and spiders just happen to be part of the show.

I mean, think about it. What do you really need in this hobby? Even if you're going expensive, a $100 acrylic enclosure is just about all you need. Not the best of business models, especially since the majority of us collect in bulk. We're keeping spiders in deli cups, for Christ sake. Spider dealers can't make money off of heating lamps, rocks, aquariums, decorations, incubators, thermometers, bulbs, and so on. Sure, there are some extremely expensive reptiles out there, but it's usually the setup that breaks the bank. Selling non-perishable goods is easy, you just need the investment of money and a place to store them. Selling living creatures is a different story - feeding alone would be a full time job for a large scale operation.

Then just sell spiders. So be it. I just said that we collect in bulk anyway, right? It's still an unstable business model. Gestation times, finding mature males/females for breeding, lost sacs, surprise deaths, loss of sales in the winter... you can't pay your rent in IOU's. You need a stable source of income to run a business, and relying on the successful reproduction of spiders is far too much of a risk. A single bad month could potentially destroy a company.

No, we'll always be an after thought in reptile-focused shows. There's just no real money to be had in this hobby, save for a small handful of outlying examples. The big money is in reptiles.

This is true, and I am certainly not an expert, but what if there was this T meeting only a few times a year? That way bulk collecters can have enough time to breed and grow their spiders, as well as a time for them to find MM for their females when they mature. Obviously, like you said, this couldn't be a 2 time a month meeting. It's just not enough time. I just think if it was held conservatively, it would give people time to gain stock to sell. Especially with how many big T dealers and mass collecters there are, I'm sure it would be better than whatwe have now.

 

[Jeff23]

I personally don't care if it is part of the reptile shows, but at least one of them should be the "Big Show" that all of the hard core T enthusiasts would want to attend.

It would be worth going to something and paying for lectures to learn more from the experts, share ideas, find out how to identify more spiders that are similar, etc. There are obviously things that we could do better to support the hobby with all the laws of different countries and restrictions that make some T's disappear from our availability over a time period due to lack of communication. Buying a couple T's and a t-shirt or something from dealers would be the secondary part of the show.

This show would probably work best somewhere in the middle of the country to keep fares and travel time lower for everyone (Dallas, Denver, Chicago, etc.)

 

[Estein]

I would 100% be down. I would also add that, while it probably wouldn't be a lucrative venture for most, there's definitely the draw of like-minded people. I especially agree with @Jeff23 that it would be an amazing opportunity to learn from each other.

 

[REEFSPIDER]

I think the hobby is expanding at a great enough rate as we speak. But an expo dedicated to arachnids would be cool. Here in California we have the annual "bug expo" at the natural history museum in Los Angeles. I've been attending since I was just a child. It's a great show once every may or so dedicated to insects, arachnids, and other critters. The vending presence can vary as some years I've seen ridiculous spreads set up on vendors tables there. I feel though like any amount of positive attention to the hobby also comes with its negatives.

 

[14pokies]

@ Eulersk although alot of your points are valid I must point out that alot of python and boa breeders spend Thousands of dollars on snakes and throw them in sweater boxes..Lol..

As for Archnicon

I think that if many of the conventions were held in the winter months profits at "Arachnicon" conventions would be substantle.. Shipping is down and we allways want spiders why not go to show that's exclusively Arachnid oriented...

One problem that would need to be overcome is pricing.. I would imagine that us vendors would need to enter a gentlemen's agreement so that one breeder/ seller isn't able to undercut everone else.. We don't have morphs in our hobby a diverse selection fair pricing and cooperation is a must..

The biggest problem I for see at the moment is the number of hobbyist but I feel change in the air.. Most reptile shows have a few Arachnids dealers or herp dealers with a decent selection of arachnids and I notice they are getting more foot traffic then ever before..
I believe the tarantula keeping hobby is in it's infancy at the moment..

I believe that the people in the hobby now will be crucial to wether or not it takes off into something mainstream. I'm willing to help organize and advertise as well as vend at these shows..

I can attend shows primarily in the north east and I have been working with a network of people that can vend for me in various other states providing I can supply them the stock..
I'm currently looking into finding a place with proper zoning and acquiring all of the correct permits to sell inverts.. It will be a fairly long process but I'm down to help this hobby grow..

If any one is interested but is turned off by the nay sayers feel free to p.m. me...Sometimes It just takes a handfull of believers to accomplish something great..

 

[magicmed]

A friend of mine owns a comic/toy/sports card shop here called Rublemeizers, he holds a yearly convention called "rublecon" he has even gone as far as getting one of the girls from xena warrior princess to guest appear. Point is it usually draws quite a few people for a lititle shop. Last year he had a couple thousand people through the place, and even had the local news do a story on it. That kind of attention could only be good, I'll have to talk with Daniel and figure out how he organizes everything. He's usually got plenty of vendors at these conventions.

 

[viper69]

Honestly, I wouldn't want a separate show at all; it's a waste of money!

I don't need another type of show that I have to pay money to ENTER, pay money to PARK, pay money for GAS (they are never 10 mins away). It's an added expense I don't need that I can put towards more exotic animals or something else. This is a terrible idea from my perspective. And, it won't be as large as the herp shows I attend.

It's so much easier to have T vendors at the SAME shows I attend.

@magicmed Comics is a MUCH larger market than Ts. I don't even know where Xena Warrior is from (a game or comic) and I've heard of her, and I have comics and video games.

Arachnicon is simply a person who cons you into buying a sexed T that is "female", only for you to get the wrong species and a male at that, think Slacker Reptile.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

A friend of mine owns a comic/toy/sports card shop here called Rublemeizers

Cool
Does your friend is 'stalked' 24/7 by those comic hardcore nerds basically living in the shop, pure finest pundits? :-s

 

[EulersK]

I don't need another type of show that I have to pay money to ENTER, pay money to PARK, pay money for GAS (they are never 10 mins away). I

Las Vegas Reptile Expo. I could walk there if I wanted Not that I need to, since parking is free.

 

[magicmed]

Cool
Does your friend is 'stalked' 24/7 by those comic hardcore nerds basically living in the shop, pure finest pundits? :-s

Haha there are a couple hard core guys that just hang out at the shop. I am not one of them haha

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Haha there are a couple hard core guys that just hang out at the shop. I am not one of them haha

Where I live there is a comic nerd with curly hairs on his late 40. He always was a comic nerd, more, a truly ante litteram one (at least for Italy old world standards, before the nerd mania merged here I mean) and he loves to ride an old bike with a backpack with a huge clock inside.
I love to 'collect' those kind of people

 

[14pokies]

Honestly, I wouldn't want a separate show at all; it's a waste of money!

I don't need another type of show that I have to pay money to ENTER, pay money to PARK, pay money for GAS (they are never 10 mins away). It's an added expense I don't need that I can put towards more exotic animals or something else. This is a terrible idea from my perspective. And, it won't be as large as the herp shows I attend.

It's so much easier to have T vendors at the SAME shows I attend.

@magicmed Comics is a MUCH larger market than Ts. I don't even know where Xena Warrior is from (a game or comic) and I've heard of her, and I have comics and video games.

Arachnicon is simply a person who cons you into buying a sexed T that is "female", only for you to get the wrong species and a male at that, think Slacker Reptile.

The BTS is a pretty big hit with enthusiasts! Just saying bro!

What show pays you to park? I think the crafty panhandler saw your BMW coming from a mile away! Lol... Anyone can buy a shirt thats says EVENT STAFF!

The event coordinator decides wich vendors get a booth.. They reserve the right to deny access to any vendors they feel are unscrupulous.. If we run these shows in a very professional manner and demand nothing but utmost reliablity from our vendors the risk of getting sick or mislabeled inverts will be low..

I respect your opinion but I disagree on this one homie..

 

[EulersK]

Here's a thought. Instead of an Arachnicon, how about we form an Arachnikhan? You know, just go around and pillage all the LPS's for their tarantulas.