[Inquiry] Whats the cheapest website there is when it comes to shipping spiders or other insects?

[AriZoNaS HacKeR]

Some people will ship spiders for $20 others claim they need around $40 or $50 for shipping alone which isnt even worth it unless its a last option for the specific animal, my question is.. what websites are there online where i can order some slings or a centipede with reasonable shipping price? this thread will help ALOT of people.

 

[Comatose]

Most of the time, as far as I can tell, the difference is in the carrier. Many dealers prefer fedex, which costs $35-50. Some people also charge for heatpacks/styro what have you.

 

[Quazgar]

Go to the classifieds and look around. Keep in mind that the $10/$30 priority/express shipping that is very common among a lot of the sellers are USPS rates, and it is actually illegal to ship tarantulas through USPS. Sellers with the higher rates are shipping through UPS or FedEx, which is the legal method of shipping.

 

[Comatose]

it is actually illegal to ship tarantulas through USPS

It's against USPS policy to ship live spiders, and shipping live spiders can result in a cease and desist from them, but it isn't any more illegal than violating UPS or Fedex policies.

 

[Formerphobe]

Patience and economics sort of go hand in hand.
The cost of something is determined by one's need of it.
One has to learn to separate one's needs from one's wants.
Not all packing is created equal.
Not all shipping is created equal.
It costs as much to ship one sling as it does to ship multiple slings.

If I 'need' to order a $5 sling in the middle of winter, then I'd better be prepared to pay for good packing, a heat pack and overnight shipping.
The only times I have found it 'necessary' to order any slings in the middle of winter, (or in the heat of summer) I made it worth my while (and the price of overnight shipping). I exercised patience, saved my money and ordered about a dozen tarantulas and supplies that I 'needed'. With the overnight shipping spread out over multiple spiders, (including the freebies that came with the larger order) it averaged out to $2.00 or less per spider.

Patience is a virtue in most aspects of life, most especially the tarantula hobby.

For example: for a couple of years I wanted a Monocentropus balfouri in the worst way. Now, I love my spiders, but there was no way I was going to pay the going rate plus overnight delivery. By exercising patience and waiting until the right moment and deal came along, I was able to acquire not one, but two M. balfouri. If I average out the cash expended on the multiple tarantulas I acquired in that transaction, including express delivery, I paid approximately $10 (ten US dollars) each for those M. balfouri. Considering the going rate was $150 - $200 per spider plus ~$35 delivery, I think I got a bit of a deal, with money left over in my M. balfouri fund to get other stuff to boot.

 

[AzJohn]

You could always check in the classified section or the websites. Basically every dealer or website will have the shipping cost listed right out front. The thing is, shipping cost are not somthing the dealer can do anything about. It will cost about $28-34 to ship a one pound package USPS express(next day). People shipping for less are losing money in the shipping and are hopping to get you to buy more stuff. Other carriers are more expensive.

 

[jayefbe]

You could always check in the classified section or the websites. Basically every dealer or website will have the shipping cost listed right out front. The thing is, shipping cost are not somthing the dealer can do anything about. It will cost about $28-34 to ship a one pound package USPS express(next day). People shipping for less are losing money in the shipping and are hopping to get you to buy more stuff. Other carriers are more expensive.

Exactly. There's simply nothing that can be done to lower the shipping cost, which I don't think the OP understands. The vast majority of sellers are charging actual shipping costs, give or take a few dollars. I think many actual lose money on shipping when styrofoam boxes, vials, and heat packs are taken into consideration. Also, I wouldn't say that most hobbyists number one concern is shipping costs. These costs have become pretty standardized amongst sellers and are just an aspect of the hobby that we've learned to accept.

If shipping is too expensive, only buy locally.

On a side note, I had a package in transit for ten days, went from CA to NY back to CA in the middle of a blizzard on the east coast (person screwed up their address) with no fatalities.

 

[Arachnopets]

Admin Note:

You could always check in the classified section or the websites. <snip>

Exactly what AzJohn said.

Debby