Building a Collection

[Larry Braverman]

I just got my first T about a month ago, a Juvenile GBB. And with my OCD and them being absolutely awesome I am already thinking about how to build my collection. I know that realistically I should probably give it a few months with one T and really get to know what it's like, experience a molt, and other weird behaviors before I introduce a bunch of other animals to keep track of, but you know... Potato Chips.
So, since I am still new to the hobby I want to stick with T's I think I can handle until I have more experience. Looking at a lot of the online dealers, the tarantula collective's advice videos, and checking out my local shops supply here is my short list.

1. Cyriocosmus elegans (Trinidad Dwarf) - Love love love this little guy
2. Grammostola pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee) - Probably my second favorite or tied for 1st with my GBB, but have had a hard time finding them in stock anywhere
3. Hapalopus sp. Colombia (Pumpkin Patch) - Seem to be everywhere, and often times free. A good beginner species though?
4. Pterinopelma sazimai (Brazilian / Iridescent Blue) - Another beauty, but unsure of temperament and if they fit that beginner mold.
5. Caribena versicolor (Antilles Pinktoe Tarantula) - Having an arboreal make me a little more nervous, but these guys just seem chill about everything

Does anybody see any red flags with this list for a newbie?
Any advice you would give for someone wanting to expand their collection? Slow down?
Any other thoughts?
Thanks!

as a bonus here's a pic of my GBB's cute little butt

 

[cold blood]

Any advice you would give for someone wanting to expand their collection? Slow down?
Any other thoughts?

If building a collection is the goal, the number one thing to do is to ALWAYS buy multiples of every sling you get....there is no more expensive and time consuming way to build a collection than buying slings one at a time. This allows you to build a collection faster, and at a fraction of the cost if you are smart about things.

 

[spideyspinneret78]

In my opinion, the species you listed all look like decent choices for someone new to the hobby. It's good that you're sticking to NW tarantulas at first.

 

[DaveM]

If building a collection is the goal, the number one thing to do is to ALWAYS buy multiples of every sling you get....there is no more expensive and time consuming way to build a collection than buying slings one at a time. This allows you to build a collection faster, and at a fraction of the cost if you are smart about things.

The reasons to buy multiples of every sling have to do with survival and shipping costs. You might spend a lot of time rearing a tiny sling, only later to find out that it's a male and won't be with you for many more years. Also, there's a chance of mishaps; a sling could die. Shipping is expensive, and time lost to spiders that won't be in your collection for long can be a big consideration. This is if your top priority is building a large collection.
I have different priorities, and still seem to have ended up with a huge collection. That may just be inevitable once you start liking these critters. Enjoy!

 

[docwade87]

Great list of Ts you want to add to your collection. All are great for your experience level and should help you gain more. Definitely agree with what @cold blood said in reference to not buying one sling at a time.

 

[Larry Braverman]

I guess I should also mention, this is being done with a wife that is being very supportive but has also said, "I don't want Spiders all over our house!" Haha. So if I end up with a male, and only get to have him for a couple years, that still sounds worth it to me if it means I get to check out a few different species with my limited space allotted for my new obsession.
Thanks for everybody's responses! Glad to know I'm not overwhelming myself with anything too challenging temperament or husbandry-wise.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

I guess I should also mention, this is being done with a wife that is being very supportive but has also said, "I don't want Spiders all over our house!"

It is very easy to house ten or twenty slings on a shelf. Just remember that someday that shelf turns into a room.
Good luck with your collection.

 

[coolnweird]

Only thing I'm noticing about your list is a few of the species are absolutely tiny as slings. If you're planning on buying species like C. elegans, H. sp Columbia, and P. sazimai, they're most likely going to be smaller than a grain of rice. It can be nerve-wracking to care for babies that small, so I'd wait on those until you get more experience with raising slings. Go for larger slings at first, 3/4" or bigger.

I have an arachnophobic partner, who is very understanding of my hobby, but has asked me that my collection remains capped at 10 tarantulas while we're in our current apartment. So buying slings "in bulk" was not an option for me. What I did was wait until one seller had 2 or 3 of the species I wanted, and order them all at once to sort of spread the shipping cost around. I also checked local exotics shops and bought a few slings that way. Small collections aren't heavily represented in the hobby. However, I think there's something nice about putting careful thought into choosing animals based on coloring, attributes, and behavior, instead of just snapping up whatever new species catches your eye.

 

[kingshockey]

I guess I should also mention, this is being done with a wife that is being very supportive but has also said, "I don't want Spiders all over our house!" Haha. So if I end up with a male, and only get to have him for a couple years, that still sounds worth it to me if it means I get to check out a few different species with my limited space allotted for my new obsession.
Thanks for everybody's responses! Glad to know I'm not overwhelming myself with anything too challenging temperament or husbandry-wise.

you can always use this option i have a girlfriend thats set a limit on how many ts are allowed inside. just grow out your slings and trade/sell em back to a shop that sells slings. that way you can have a rotation of different ones. i just find it more interesting watching the changes in color attitude as they grow from a teeny lil sling. hope this helps as an option to get around "the i dont want spiders all over the house" haha good luck and enjoy

 

[Craig73]

I totally agree. My collection is small (6), but I can say I’ve bought multiple different genus at one time and I’ve also bought two on two different instances. At ~$45 a pop for shipping you very well can spend more on shipping than the T costs. I actually just scored two more I was looking for and another versi with a little patience finding someone selling all three.

Another thing I do is by enclosures and some supplies ahead of time. I’ll always have something on hand as they grow and won’t need to worry about that down the road. Can really add up quickly.

Easy enough to fly under the radar with the number of slings cause you can set them up discreetly without setting off red flags. My only problem is explaining away eight decent sized enclosures to the better half that is pretty good at math. Not to mention why I keep adding wall shelves.

 

[Larry Braverman]

buying slings "in bulk" was not an option for me. What I did was wait until one seller had 2 or 3 of the species I wanted, and order them all at once to sort of spread the shipping cost around. I also checked local exotics shops and bought a few slings that way. Small collections aren't heavily represented in the hobby. However, I think there's something nice about putting careful thought into choosing animals based on coloring, attributes, and behavior, instead of just snapping up whatever new species catches your eye.

This is me all the way! Thanks for the advice. I know my local shop had a C. elegans that was around a 0.5-1". So this might be a good option. But the reason I came asking this question was in just got a notification that one of the online dealers had 3 of the species I have been eyeing in stock, so was considering ordering, haha.

 

[Chebe6886]

Just play the “if you love me you have to love all of me” card. Either they’ll cave or move on. Either way more Ts

 

[Craig73]

Just play the “if you love me you have to love all of me” card. Either they’ll cave or move on. Either way more Ts

That only works in the movies.

 

[Chebe6886]

That only works in the movies.

I don’t know it’s worked pretty well for me. My g/f is terrified of spiders and even more so roaches. I got five and she said no more. Now I have 25 and a roach colony. She just doesn’t like to talk about it! Hah

 

[Craig73]

I don’t know it’s worked pretty well for me. My g/f is terrified of spiders and even more so roaches. I got five and she said no more. Now I have 25 and a roach colony. She just doesn’t like to talk about it! Hah

Maybe I just need to trade up to a newer model. But yeah, in all seriousness my situation has been similar. I’m pretty open about what my plans are, but when it comes to the T’s (after #3) I just add on the DL. The three I’ll get In a couple weeks should be the last for awhile. Unless I find a Y. Diverpes...that’s the fine print for now.

 

[Chebe6886]

Maybe I just need to trade up to a newer model. But yeah, in all seriousness my situation has been similar. I’m pretty open about what my plans are, but when it comes to the T’s (after #3) I just add on the DL. The three I’ll get In a couple weeks should be the last for awhile. Unless I find a Y. Diverpes...that’s the fine print for now.

Yeh I mean I’ve got a lot of my favorites. I’m at that point where I’m only going to add very specific species when l/if I find a good deal. I’ve got enough so that someone is alway molting, feeding, or getting rehoused. That’s when I really enjoy it most every other day something cool is happening. Like others have said it’s easy to find space for 20+ slings much harder to do so with 20+ adults. That why I’m adding a few dwarfs this go around. Y. Diversipes is close to the top of my wanted list rn too

 

[Craig73]

Yeh I mean I’ve got a lot of my favorites. I’m at that point where I’m only going to add very specific species when l/if I find a good deal. I’ve got enough so that someone is alway molting, feeding, or getting rehoused. That’s when I really enjoy it most every other day something cool is happening. Like others have said it’s easy to find space for 20+ slings much harder to do so with 20+ adults. That why I’m adding a few dwarfs this go around. Y. Diversipes is close to the top of my wanted list rn too

If I find any I’ll keep you posted. Not looking hard at the moment but if it presents itself I’m on it. And yes, designing enclosures is a very rewarding part for me too. Going to probably add another set of wall shelves and then work on some lighting to give it a little pop. Just have to figure out the logistics since it’s for my viewing pleasure and not theirs.

 

[cold blood]

Just to be clear, buying multiples isn't about having multiple adults, Its about increasing your odds of getting females and reducing your future costs.

Get, say (for example) 5 P. cam slings....probably cost 50 or 70 bucks. In 6 months you will be able to sex them...get one female, now you have 4 mature males in a few months, that you can sell cheap for 30 (or more) a piece.....now you have your female, free, and have nearly doubled your money back in a year....get a second or third female out of the group and the worth doubles or triples depending on how long you want to keep them....don't want to sell the males or extra females?.... fine, trade them...now with your original investment, you can have 2, 3 or 4 more species simply by trading. Now after 6-10 months, that paltry original investment has yielded not only a female, but several other species at pretty much no cost past the original investment., then you can do the same with the groups of slings you traded for and on to infinity if you are up for it.

This is how one makes the collection work for them, instead of you working for your collection. For those with significant others, its easier to justify getting another species when one is getting [almost] free stuff or making a little $ on the deal, than to be constantly trying to justify spending again.

My working motto has always been "work smarter, not harder".

 

[Craig73]

Can we have your number for speed dial? Mid ‘debate’ call in the financial advisor...mic drop and instant win!

 

[Vanessa]

I place all dwarf species in the intermediate category.
Firstly, they are extremely reclusive for the most part. I have kept a couple of dozen individuals, in about a dozen different species, and only a couple ever showed themselves for any significant time. While my first female Cyriocosmus elegans was out and about a fair amount, the one I have now is never out... and I mean never. I have seen her out of her hide twice in two years. I have one photograph of her and it was taken through her enclosure.
Secondly, they can be very delicate - especially as tiny spiderlings. Most need to be kept more damp than your average beginner friendly species.
Thirdly, they are extremely fast and skittish.
I also consider all arboreal species to be intermediate as well - especially Caribena versicolor and all spiderlings. If you can get a bit larger individual, I think they might be okay for a beginner who has done the correct homework... emphasis on correct.
Everyone needs a Grammostola pulchripes in their collection and I adore mine.