- Joined
- May 30, 2017
- Messages
- 2,159
I want to make a thread on some slight things on the market. I would like it if there wasn't so many questions being asked to me on my email. But whatever. I'm going to make it short because an in-depth explanation will take forever. As I've always said, "You don't have to agree with me. But there is some validity to what I'm going to say".
This goes out to people who are interested in pursuing this career. So to all future and up-coming tarantula businesses, breeders, and vendors. It might be relevant in the future. So bookmark this if you are coming into the the market or if you are interested in doing so.
1. Is it too late to start?
-Yes and no. It's never too late to start, but you need to understand that the market at this point is so saturated, you will need to stand out from everybody else. It is becoming harder for new breeders/businesses to enter this market because they are coming in a time now where it's too saturated and the competition is already fierce as it is now. While there is a lot of skill involved, it is also shifting towards luck now as you need to hope that people will buy from you and not from your competition. This market is starting to become saturated in a way that makes you very hard to be discovered. So find ways to make yourself stick out and be different.
2. How to advertise?
- A lot of people in the tarantula market are most likely relying on their logo which isn't really helping anymore. EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND, that while a spider logo will tell your customer what you specialize in. It also makes it harder to distinguish yourself as "99%" of all spider businesses have a "spider" logo. I've seen so many tarantula businesses come and go because they're using the same methods from 10+ years ago. Times have changed and so should your methods. Doing the same style of advertising from years ago isn't helping anymore because since everyone is doing it as well. It will cause everyone to be place in the same position and it will make it harder for your business to be recognized.
- Advertise on other platforms and I highly suggest doing Youtube as it will show your customers your stock, quality, and uniqueness from the majority of people that don't. A lot people are not going this route because they're too afraid. But if you're doing what 99% of other tarantulas retailers are doing. How will you stick out?
- Try to sponsor other Tarantula Youtubers. This method is a proven. Tarantula Kat, Tarantula Collective, The Dark Den, etc. are great examples of pushing tarantula businesses. If a tarantula Youtuber acknowledges your business, it will help with recognition and it will help out a lot.
- There is more stuff like "diverse selection" etc. But those are already a no-brainer to common folk. So I'm going to leave those out since it's common knowledge.
3. What Species to Start Breeding?
This is very hard to answer, but the problem you need to understand is that the tarantula market is one of the easiest markets to saturate. While there are species that produce low numbers or are difficult to breed. There are also species that being bred so frequently and are produced in large numbers that it will become a hard sell later on down the road. I'm not too certain myself on what I would recommend for a beginner tarantula breeder that wants to enter the market. It is entirely dependent on the times, as some species might become more rare or some species might be no longer be exported. Causing prices to vary. So it really is dependent on your current time in the hobby as it's usually fluctuating.
4. How Long Does it Take to be Successful?
- Honestly, it will take some years to know if it is worth your time and effort. Because in the exotic pet trade, it takes years for profit to be stable as your are working with animals that are niche and are only for unique individuals. I'd recommend trying for a year or two and then decide on whether it is worth the pursuit or not. I'd always say 5 years as a calling card to be certain, but it might vary to the individual. People who think they're the next big retailer are usually the ones to not last long as their expectations will not be what reality has in store for them. One thing everyone needs to embrace when pursuing this is that you might not ever make it. No matter how hard you work or want it, not everyone will achieve success in this niche and highly competitive market.
5. Tips for Reaching Out?
- Reach out to local breeders and to actual breeders. Don't reach out to someone who has only bred one or two tarantulas. You want to find someone who is the real deal and has actual evidence to show their work. There is A lot of wannabe tarantula breeders are out there nowadays trying to flex on breeding just one or two species. Once you find someone who is reputable and local, slowly start to branch and reach out from there.
- In terms of online, once you find someone. Ask them for solid proof as the internet is an easy place to lie to a person. I find that finding actual tarantula breeders online is harder as many of them are not true at their craft and have only produce a small handful of common staples and nothing of advance or unique species. So be cautious of who you reach out too.
- Reaching out to other hobbyists is great too, but that is easy in itself.
*Don't constantly ask me for a business connection or ask me as a business partner as I get asked this too many times. So please don't ask.
6. Understanding the Market?
- THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY A TRUE TARANTULA BREEDER WILL UNDERSTAND. Once you truly understand this market, you're going to be paying less for species you want than the common/average hobbyists. I can pay very little for certain species of females because I'm more well-versed in some areas in the market than in other places. I will not teach you, but hopefully someone will. This is something that can be pretty much be achieved only when you hit the furthest mark of your tarantula market career. It's harder if you're self-taught. But this is becomes easier if under mentorship for sure.
7. Do You Make a Lot of Money?
- No, plain and simple is no. The majority of tarantula breeders, vendors, and retailers do not make a lot of income. Usually it's a side or secondary business for some extra change. If you're making a stable income selling tarantulas, then you are at the top 1% of all time-best tarantula retailers in the country. Don't come in with the wealth mentality as their isn't much wealth to be made in this hobby/market.
MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
8. Who Will Succeed and Will YOU Succeed?
- This part is the harshest reality that everyone who enters the market needs to accept. The majority of you will not make it long-term, plain and simple. It's becoming so competitive, that the people who started earlier will have the advantage, connections, and right contacts. So you, who have entered later or recent will either have to out-work them or pray that something happens that will give you an advantage.
- If you're new to the businesses and are doing what the 99% of other tarantula businesses are doing, then you are most likely never going to make it. Because the methods and things they did worked in their time because the market wasn't as big or as competitive as it is now. The best way to put it is this: Someone won the lottery and claimed the money and then gave you their winning lottery. But it's useless now, because the reward is already claimed.
- Starting sooner will give you an advantage over people who start later.
- "The people who are going to succeed in this are the ones who are more dedicated, more passionate, and more hard-working than anyone else in the entire hobby and are willing to risk years of their lives doing so."
A Personal Question
Will I Sell and Do Tarantulas Forever?
- No, I will not do tarantulas for the rest of my life. As of now, I'm doing all I can to give back to the hobby. But realistically it's something I can't do forever. While I will always be part of community, I can't do it forever since my life goes on as well. There will be day when I will stop, but hopefully I can find the one person to pass on the collection down too. But as of now, I have somethings to learn so it's too early for an apprentice or student.
There you go, so these are the most common questions people ask. So I hope this puts those questions to rest.
I hope this thread remains relevant for Up-Coming Tarantula Breeders who are thinking about entering the Market.
This goes out to people who are interested in pursuing this career. So to all future and up-coming tarantula businesses, breeders, and vendors. It might be relevant in the future. So bookmark this if you are coming into the the market or if you are interested in doing so.
1. Is it too late to start?
-Yes and no. It's never too late to start, but you need to understand that the market at this point is so saturated, you will need to stand out from everybody else. It is becoming harder for new breeders/businesses to enter this market because they are coming in a time now where it's too saturated and the competition is already fierce as it is now. While there is a lot of skill involved, it is also shifting towards luck now as you need to hope that people will buy from you and not from your competition. This market is starting to become saturated in a way that makes you very hard to be discovered. So find ways to make yourself stick out and be different.
2. How to advertise?
- A lot of people in the tarantula market are most likely relying on their logo which isn't really helping anymore. EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND, that while a spider logo will tell your customer what you specialize in. It also makes it harder to distinguish yourself as "99%" of all spider businesses have a "spider" logo. I've seen so many tarantula businesses come and go because they're using the same methods from 10+ years ago. Times have changed and so should your methods. Doing the same style of advertising from years ago isn't helping anymore because since everyone is doing it as well. It will cause everyone to be place in the same position and it will make it harder for your business to be recognized.
- Advertise on other platforms and I highly suggest doing Youtube as it will show your customers your stock, quality, and uniqueness from the majority of people that don't. A lot people are not going this route because they're too afraid. But if you're doing what 99% of other tarantulas retailers are doing. How will you stick out?
- Try to sponsor other Tarantula Youtubers. This method is a proven. Tarantula Kat, Tarantula Collective, The Dark Den, etc. are great examples of pushing tarantula businesses. If a tarantula Youtuber acknowledges your business, it will help with recognition and it will help out a lot.
- There is more stuff like "diverse selection" etc. But those are already a no-brainer to common folk. So I'm going to leave those out since it's common knowledge.
3. What Species to Start Breeding?
This is very hard to answer, but the problem you need to understand is that the tarantula market is one of the easiest markets to saturate. While there are species that produce low numbers or are difficult to breed. There are also species that being bred so frequently and are produced in large numbers that it will become a hard sell later on down the road. I'm not too certain myself on what I would recommend for a beginner tarantula breeder that wants to enter the market. It is entirely dependent on the times, as some species might become more rare or some species might be no longer be exported. Causing prices to vary. So it really is dependent on your current time in the hobby as it's usually fluctuating.
4. How Long Does it Take to be Successful?
- Honestly, it will take some years to know if it is worth your time and effort. Because in the exotic pet trade, it takes years for profit to be stable as your are working with animals that are niche and are only for unique individuals. I'd recommend trying for a year or two and then decide on whether it is worth the pursuit or not. I'd always say 5 years as a calling card to be certain, but it might vary to the individual. People who think they're the next big retailer are usually the ones to not last long as their expectations will not be what reality has in store for them. One thing everyone needs to embrace when pursuing this is that you might not ever make it. No matter how hard you work or want it, not everyone will achieve success in this niche and highly competitive market.
5. Tips for Reaching Out?
- Reach out to local breeders and to actual breeders. Don't reach out to someone who has only bred one or two tarantulas. You want to find someone who is the real deal and has actual evidence to show their work. There is A lot of wannabe tarantula breeders are out there nowadays trying to flex on breeding just one or two species. Once you find someone who is reputable and local, slowly start to branch and reach out from there.
- In terms of online, once you find someone. Ask them for solid proof as the internet is an easy place to lie to a person. I find that finding actual tarantula breeders online is harder as many of them are not true at their craft and have only produce a small handful of common staples and nothing of advance or unique species. So be cautious of who you reach out too.
- Reaching out to other hobbyists is great too, but that is easy in itself.
*Don't constantly ask me for a business connection or ask me as a business partner as I get asked this too many times. So please don't ask.
6. Understanding the Market?
- THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY A TRUE TARANTULA BREEDER WILL UNDERSTAND. Once you truly understand this market, you're going to be paying less for species you want than the common/average hobbyists. I can pay very little for certain species of females because I'm more well-versed in some areas in the market than in other places. I will not teach you, but hopefully someone will. This is something that can be pretty much be achieved only when you hit the furthest mark of your tarantula market career. It's harder if you're self-taught. But this is becomes easier if under mentorship for sure.
7. Do You Make a Lot of Money?
- No, plain and simple is no. The majority of tarantula breeders, vendors, and retailers do not make a lot of income. Usually it's a side or secondary business for some extra change. If you're making a stable income selling tarantulas, then you are at the top 1% of all time-best tarantula retailers in the country. Don't come in with the wealth mentality as their isn't much wealth to be made in this hobby/market.
MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
8. Who Will Succeed and Will YOU Succeed?
- This part is the harshest reality that everyone who enters the market needs to accept. The majority of you will not make it long-term, plain and simple. It's becoming so competitive, that the people who started earlier will have the advantage, connections, and right contacts. So you, who have entered later or recent will either have to out-work them or pray that something happens that will give you an advantage.
- If you're new to the businesses and are doing what the 99% of other tarantula businesses are doing, then you are most likely never going to make it. Because the methods and things they did worked in their time because the market wasn't as big or as competitive as it is now. The best way to put it is this: Someone won the lottery and claimed the money and then gave you their winning lottery. But it's useless now, because the reward is already claimed.
- Starting sooner will give you an advantage over people who start later.
- "The people who are going to succeed in this are the ones who are more dedicated, more passionate, and more hard-working than anyone else in the entire hobby and are willing to risk years of their lives doing so."
A Personal Question
Will I Sell and Do Tarantulas Forever?
- No, I will not do tarantulas for the rest of my life. As of now, I'm doing all I can to give back to the hobby. But realistically it's something I can't do forever. While I will always be part of community, I can't do it forever since my life goes on as well. There will be day when I will stop, but hopefully I can find the one person to pass on the collection down too. But as of now, I have somethings to learn so it's too early for an apprentice or student.
There you go, so these are the most common questions people ask. So I hope this puts those questions to rest.
I hope this thread remains relevant for Up-Coming Tarantula Breeders who are thinking about entering the Market.
