Is the tarantula hobby shinking, growing, or staying the same?

[CEOAirsoft]

I was searching to answer this question but couldn't find anything. Is anybody in the T business that can provide some impute.

 

[SC Tarantulas]

Growing

 

[CEOAirsoft]

Growing

Cool, thanks.

 

[viper69]

I was searching to answer this question but couldn't find anything. Is anybody in the T business that can provide some impute.

Growing, it's a fact.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Here in Italy growed that much that one day even the government went involved in the hobby:
http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/03213l.htm#decreto

 

[shining]

What's "impute"?

 

[CEOAirsoft]

What's "impute"?

I meant input. LOL

 

[Vanessa]

Probably growing, but I'm not sure in a good way. PetCo selling them is going to make the hobby grow, and some of those people will become passionate and good hobbyists, but most of them won't.
The thrill seeking on social media platforms have made it grow, but again not really in a good way.
Then there are the minority who get it for what it really is and have the love and respect that the hobby needs. Personally, I see those as being a very small number.
When you weed out all the novelty chasers and thrill seekers - my guess is that it is more staying the same than growing.

 

[shining]

Growing

Jeeebuz, that Brachy in your avatar is gorgeous, almost glowing.

 

[magicmed]

World domination. That is the end goal of every T keeper, it's a part of the code of....


Nvm, I've said too much already.

PBUH

 

[gypsy cola]

we are growing at a rate of 1/2 a hobbyist a day.

 

[Bread]

hobbyist can mean anything really, what do you actually call tarantula owners?

 

[Casey K]

Expanding.

 

[gypsy cola]

hobbyist can mean anything really, what do you actually call tarantula owners?

broke

 

[chanda]

we are growing at a rate of 1/2 a hobbyist a day.

Is that calculation based on the number of people who acquire their first tarantulas on a given day, adjusted for the number of "experienced" keepers who are killed and eaten by their pets?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

PBUH

PBUH (Peace Be Upon Her). Period ;-)

 

[Poec54]

It's a transient hobby for many people, so there's always some beginning the hobby, and some dropping out. Prices in the US have been gradually coming down from the highs of the mid 2000's when demand greatly exceeded supply. As more people have been importing from Europe, becoming dealers, & breeding themselves the supply is starting to catch up. Most prices here are still much higher than Europe, where tarantulas are more plentiful. For a long time the European model has been low unit prices and high quantities sold, which allowed more people to get into the hobby, and it's huge over there. 10 years ago in the US it was the opposite (high unit prices put the hobby out of reach for most people that might be interested). As we slowly transition to European prices, we're seeing more people join the hobby in the US. Most reptile/animal people aren't going to spend $50 to 100+ for a 1/2 sling.

BTW, 20 years ago, the hobby in the US was mostly wild-caught adults, which limited the species available, as few could be caught and exported in any kind of regularity from remote areas. However, Europeans traveled and collected in small quantities, and started breeding them, as it was too expensive to keep traveling every time they needed more spiders. As they had surplus, they exported some their CBB slings to other countries in the 1990's, and by the mid 2000's a tidal wave of new tropical species hit the US, and the hobby exploded here. People were able to buy many dozens of species they never knew existed. Since supplies were very limited, prices were accordingly high. We'll see more people in the hobby as prices continue to moderate.

 

[CEOAirsoft]

It's a transient hobby for many people, so there's always some beginning the hobby, and some dropping out. Prices in the US have been gradually coming down from the highs of the mid 2000's when demand greatly exceeded supply. As more people have been importing from Europe, becoming dealers, & breeding themselves the supply is starting to catch up. Most prices here are still much higher than Europe, where tarantulas are more plentiful. For a long time the European model has been low unit prices and high quantities sold, which allowed more people to get into the hobby, and it's huge over there. 10 years ago in the US it was the opposite (high unit prices put the hobby out of reach for most people that might be interested). As we slowly transition to European prices, we're seeing more people join the hobby in the US. Most reptile/animal people aren't going to spend $50 to 100+ for a 1/2 sling.

BTW, 20 years ago, the hobby in the US was mostly wild-caught adults, which limited the species available, as few could be caught and exported in any kind of regularity from remote areas. However, Europeans traveled and collected in small quantities, and started breeding them, as it was too expensive to keep traveling every time they needed more spiders. As they had surplus, they exported some their CBB slings to other countries in the 1990's, and by the mid 2000's a tidal wave of new tropical species hit the US, and the hobby exploded here. People were able to buy many dozens of species they never knew existed. Since supplies were very limited, prices were accordingly high. We'll see more people in the hobby as prices continue to moderate.

Thanks a lot for the great information.

 

[Poec54]

we are growing at a rate of 1/2 a hobbyist a day.

Which half of the hobbyist? Right or left?

 

[Poec54]

Expanding.

Casey: Couldn't find your earlier post; sorry to hear of your circumstances. If it works out at some point in the future for you to collect tarantulas again, let me know and I'll send you some. We're always needing good people in the hobby.