Pet store H mac....

[ByMennen]

Buy from reputable online breeders/dealers. Pet stores are selling above dealer price to make a profit.

The exotic store by me where I get supplies once in a while are ridiculously overpriced on their tarantulas.

I don't buy from them often, I prefer breeders. Though breeder prices are FAR MORE than any pet store by me as their income is from tarantulas mainly, a pet store is getting income from every avenue.
For example, I got a 3" Brachypelma boehmei, baumgarteni (guessing), and emilia, most I spent was $55 on a ~3" specimen.

Nothing against breeders! I'm just not made of money. Hard to compete with big business. I prefer to help out the little man where I can, but I wasn't exactly shopping for an old world, it just happened.

 

[kingshockey]

but where are the pics of your new t?

 

[ByMennen]

but where are the pics of your new t?

I can only speculate what you're implying....

BUT they're all on my phone. As I'm not looking for any info, that's where they remain.

 

[ByMennen]

Here's a perfectly healthy MM I picked up from them so you know they're legit. Labeled as "Brachypelma sp" I normally never handle, but he's very inquisitive.

but where are the pics of your new t?

 

[codenamekitsune]

I recently started working at [PET STORE] as a fun part-time gig to break up the monotony of my 9-5 computer job. My store does surprisingly well with animal husbandry.

That said, no one there really knows much about tarantulas. We have one in pre-molt and I had to explain to the people who work in that section not to offer food right after the thing molts. Luckily, they're all very receptive to pointers and listen intently when I explain things about the Ts to them (within my own knowledge base as a relatively new member in the hobby [about a year]).

 

[ByMennen]

UPDATE!
The tagged employee is back at work, his hand to elbow are still pretty cramped up according to him. Ended up in the ER, fever, nausea but no vomiting. Tagged Wednesday, back to work in Sunday. Sound like a light bite? Or is the employee a machine?

Spoke to the manager over the weekend, they all swear they're not ordering another Baboon unless someone requests it, their idea.

All in all, I think it went well considering there was a bite involved. They apparently learned from their mistakes, now let's see how good their memory is.

 

[TechnoGeek]

Congrats on your new T! I've always been of the opinion that ow Ts don't make good pets period (at least most of em don't). Most hide in thick webbing or in their burrows and might remain hidden for months on end, they're very fast and skittish, and the venom is medically significant (albeit prolly not life threatening) in most cases.

Of course I'm pretty sure many people will disagree, and I know that many keep ows without much hassle so I'll repeat this is my personal view. With so many gorgeous new world Ts, ones that not only behave better (usually), but also stay out more often, I don't see a reason to bother with OWs.

 

[codenamekitsune]

I'm not sure which pet store you're talking about, so I don't speak for them. I also don't speak for the one I work for, necessarily. Just stating an observation.

Sometimes we get in Ts that we didn't actually order. They just show up with the shipment that we did order. So it's possible they'll get another baboon without meaning to. I was even joking with co-workers the other day about how surprised/shocked/aghast I'd be if an OW ended up in our store. But hey, it can happen. And I guess if it does, I'll be picking up my first OW.

 

[ByMennen]

Congrats on your new T! I've always been of the opinion that ow Ts don't make good pets period (at least most of em don't). Most hide in thick webbing or in their burrows and might remain hidden for months on end, they're very fast and skittish, and the venom is medically significant (albeit prolly not life threatening) in most cases.

Of course I'm pretty sure many people will disagree, and I know that many keep ows without much hassle so I'll repeat this is my personal view. With so many gorgeous new world Ts, ones that not only behave better (usually), but also stay out more often, I don't see a reason to bother with OWs.

I was right there with you, they may have some of the more vibrant, but you rarely get to see them.

Changed my mind haha.

Just so different looking from NW's, they're more..... Exotic looking is the only way I can describe it I guess. Even though I rarely see him, I'm hooked.

 

[ByMennen]

I'm not sure which pet store you're talking about, so I don't speak for them. I also don't speak for the one I work for, necessarily. Just stating an observation.

Sometimes we get in Ts that we didn't actually order. They just show up with the shipment that we did order. So it's possible they'll get another baboon without meaning to. I was even joking with co-workers the other day about how surprised/shocked/aghast I'd be if an OW ended up in our store. But hey, it can happen. And I guess if it does, I'll be picking up my first OW.

I don't want to throw anybody under the bus so I typically never throw names out.

That's cool of you to try and get a pet store on the right track! I'm not a "people person" so I could never attempt that. Best of luck there! Start printing out weekly quizzes for the employees, make sure they're paying attention .

I've corrected this place on some of their species, they informed me they "ordered a curly hair so they thought that's what it was" it was an Avic Avic. Accidents happen, luckily your store has you there to inform them if they get something fishy!

 

[olivianicole]

I just had a similar experience yesterday when I bought an S. calceatum at the pet shop. She’s in bad shape with a missing leg and small abdomen. I thought the same- get her before some idiot buys her not knowing the respect she commands, and before she dies in this pet store. I don’t even know how they’re allowed to order OW arboreals. Anyway, she’s labeled as an H. mac, and I looked at her and said no way, although I’m still not 100%. I take her up to the front as the attendant checks me out, then the manager offers to “take her out and put her in a box.” I was like absolutely not. You can sell me the container she’s in because there’s no way YOU are going to be able to get her out of there without getting tagged, and even if you do, I’m not transferring her from a box to her enclosure with no idea of where she’ll be when i open it. I hate endorsing a pet shop but I’m glad she’s out of there.

 

[ByMennen]

I just had a similar experience yesterday when I bought an S. calceatum at the pet shop. She’s in bad shape with a missing leg and small abdomen. I thought the same- get her before some idiot buys her not knowing the respect she commands, and before she dies in this pet store. I don’t even know how they’re allowed to order OW arboreals. Anyway, she’s labeled as an H. mac, and I looked at her and said no way, although I’m still not 100%. I take her up to the front as the attendant checks me out, then the manager offers to “take her out and put her in a box.” I was like absolutely not. You can sell me the container she’s in because there’s no way YOU are going to be able to get her out of there without getting tagged, and even if you do, I’m not transferring her from a box to her enclosure with no idea of where she’ll be when i open it. I hate endorsing a pet shop but I’m glad she’s out of there.

That's what they did to me, this place normally uses clear plastic containers for all their small creatures. Not this time, got a cardboard hamster box. I just opened one side and set it in the enclosure. A few days later I finally got to see him, 99% sure it's an S calceatum as well.
They had it labeled Togo starburst.
Not complaining, I'm with you on that one, they shouldn't have ANY old world unless they have someone with knowledge on the staff.

I'm neither for nor against purchasing tarantulas from chain stores. To me the tarantula was dead long before it made it to the store, the store gave it one last chance to survive (adequate buyer).
The tarantula gets purchased, they replace it. It dies in their care, they get reimbursed and start over with a fresh tarantula.

Everyone do what they want with their own money anyways.
Congratulations on the new addition!
Best of luck!