What's the deal with Tarantula prices in the US these days?

[Tarantula155]

We are so grossly overpriced in our hobby.. It seems to get worse and worse too! Spiders just 5-6 years ago that used to be $70 for sexed female now can be over $200. Slings that were only $15 each are almost $50 each. What the heck is going on??
Take a close look at Europe's tarantula market and they are DIRT CHEAP compared to us, heck compared to us even 10-15 years ago they are still cheaper!!!

I'm afraid to even think about how much some Ts will be in just the next 5 years.

Obviously not all the vendors we have are like this, but a couple BIG name sellers are listing some outrageous prices.. And I'm sure some of you know who I'm talking about LOL (won't list the names)

 

[mantisfan101]

Supply and demand, too much demand and unfortunately it seems like there’s not much supply as of right now...a couple of rarer sp coming in too, but there’s also a decent amount of sp becoming cheaper and more common(albopilosum and some cyriopagopus sp)

 

[Tarantuland]

I mean Xenesthis Immanis went from being 200 last year to 120 all day this year, but g rosea went from $5 to $50. Something like P sazimai I paid $15 for recently but I regularly see for over $50 I think in Europe there are just more breeders. Lacey act and import laws definitely changed this for certain species. Some of the big name sellers can charge a bit more because they have such a good reputation, it's worth $20 extra not to gamble whether your spider is going to arrive alive or not. But I agree, looking at European prices hurts

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Supply and demand, too much demand and unfortunately it seems like there’s not much supply as of right now...a couple of rarer sp coming in too, but there’s also a decent amount of sp becoming cheaper and more common(albopilosum and some cyriopagopus sp)

It has nothing to do with supply and demand. That’s an old urban legend that vendors want you to believe . It’s greed nothing but greed.

 

[Tarantula155]

It has nothing to do with supply and demand. That’s an old urban legend that vendors want you to believe . It’s greed nothing but greed.

That's what I think too,

Which is exactly why I and many other enthusiasts are avoiding the big name sellers like a plague. Their prices are asinine. Buy from private dealers and breeders, you'll save A LOT.

A nice species(as of today) for example to notice the price difference on certain sites vs private dealers/breeders is
Pamphobeteus nigricolor, there are slings of these on certain sites. From the big name greed companies list them $90+ even $100 each. Private dealers got them at $40-$45 each, and the the breeder is even cheaper. It's disgusting.
Then the poor folks who buy from local reptile stores and pet stores will buy them for even $150..it hurts to laugh honestly

 

[cold blood]

Pamphobeteus nigricolor, there are slings of these everywhere.

Everywhere?? Im just not seeing the abundance of this species.

 

[Tarantula155]

Everywhere?? Im just not seeing the abundance of this species.

Certain you know who sellers which I am not allowed to list compared to private dealers


<edit>

 

[Liquifin]

If I'm blunt, it has nothing to do with price and demand. It's an invisible excuse used as a cover to promote their prices. I can say for confidence that the majority of sellers are naturally greedy especially at the online retail. I'm not saying it's all of them, but the majority of them. If I keep hearing GBB and C. versicolor as a high demand, I'm just going to say it: It's not as "high" in demand as you think. I support reputable sellers and breeders, but I'll never buy from them because it's absolutely a waste of money due to inflation.

It's a confusing situation regarding retailers, sellers, or breeders, but it's a suffering loss to the average hobbyists who hasn't been on the retail end. Most of the T. hobbyists will never see the actual prices breeders go through in comparison to what standard hobbyists go through just to get a T. in terms of prices. If I had to be honest, standard hobbyists cannot price correctly as well. No offense, but 90% of the time, mature males sold by a typical hobbyists is overpriced and then they request a couple slings. So bad price practices are actually both ways in regards to sellers and standard hobbyists. This is not saying that everyone is like this, but rather the majority.

 

[Tarantula155]

If I'm blunt, it has nothing to do with price and demand. It's an invisible excuse used as a cover to promote their prices. I can say for confidence that the majority of sellers are naturally greedy especially at the online retail. I'm not saying it's all of them, but the majority of them. If I keep hearing GBB and C. versicolor as a high demand, I'm just going to say it: It's not as "high" in demand as you think. I support reputable sellers and breeders, but I'll never buy from them because it's absolutely a waste of money due to inflation.

It's a confusing situation regarding retailers, sellers, or breeders, but it's a suffering loss to the average hobbyists who hasn't been on the retail end. Most of the T. hobbyists will never see the actual prices breeders go through in comparison to what standard hobbyists go through just to get a T. in terms of prices. If I had to be honest, standard hobbyists cannot price correctly as well. No offense, but 90% of the time, mature males sold by a typical hobbyists is overpriced and then they request a couple slings. So bad price practices are actually both ways in regards to sellers and standard hobbyists. This is not saying that everyone is like this, but rather the majority.

I just spoke to a private dealer on FB last night, most of the sellers are getting Theraphosa apophysis from the same Wholesale company. Funnily enough, he told me he can get me slings for $100 each, and I have seen slings range from @ the cheapest possible $120- all the way up to $200-$250 each.

It's ridiculous at this point. That's just one example, I can probably find and compare many many more species from different sellers. I have tried to spread the news as much as I could about buying from private dealers.

 

[Liquifin]

I just spoke to a private dealer on FB last night, most of the sellers are getting Theraphosa apophysis from the same Whale Sale company. Funnily enough, he told me he can get me slings for $100 each, and I have seen slings range from @ the cheapest possible $120- all the way up to $200-$250 each.

It's ridiculous at this point. That's just one example, I can probably find and compare many many more species from different sellers. I have tried to spread the news as much as I could about buying from private dealers.

Whale sale? Or do you mean Wholesale?

 

[Tarantula155]

Whale sale? Or do you mean Wholesale?

Yes sorry, Wholesale I was gonna list the actual dealer that sells to the vendors <edit> but it was removed by the Mods.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

I might get stoned for this but I at least don't see too much of an issue with AF specimens going for $150++. That's a several years-old spider that someone or many someones have cared for to get her to this point and I'm personally willing to pay that much for an established T. However we live in America and people are greedy and with the tarantula hobby experiencing a boom right now it unfortunately makes sense that folks will charge heinous amounts compared to our European friends. Having said that, has it anything to do with the fact that there is a better community of breeders in Europe? I know we aren't as strong in that department here in the US.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

A perfect example of “greedy vendors”. Aphonopelma moorea wholesale price was $70-$75 each. The entire egg sac were purchased. I believe there was at least 300 babies that were sold to the U.S market. Your typical vendors/tarantula enthusiasts sold/retail them at $300 to $350 each. Nice markup price for an Aphonopelma species that grows slowly

 

[Rigor Mortis]

A perfect example of “greedy vendors”. Aphonopelma moorea wholesale price was $70-$75 each. The entire egg sac were purchased. I believe there was at least 300 babies that were sold to the U.S market. Your typical vendors/tarantula enthusiasts sold/retail them at $300 to $350 each. Nice markup price for an Aphonopelma species that grows slowly

In like 15 years when some of those slings are adults I will buy one from a tired hobbyist desperate to leave the hobby for about $100...mark my words...

 

[Tarantuland]

Everywhere?? Im just not seeing the abundance of this species.

I've seen at least 4 people have them for sale in the last few weeks. I got them for $45 each, but most people seem to charge 100-120

 

[ConstantSorrow]

Capitalism.

 

[Reezelbeezelbug]

Nowadays I vote with my wallet and don't pay the crazy prices, but it took me a while of looking at price lists and comparing vendors to figure out what's expensive and what's not. I think a lot of it is driven by new people in the hobby that don't understand what's a good price or not. They buy one or two Ts for a crazy price, the seller then thinks everyone will pay that and bumps the rest. When I started the hobby I only knew of one place to get them and I paid $80 for a GBB because it's the only one I saw so it has to be the right price. Now there's no way I'll ever pay that much for a GBB again. My wife bought me a $200 "confirmed female" B hamorii (that later turned out male). We were suckers early on, but I won't let her get scammed like that again.

 

[zeeman]

Has anyone done the math to verify what housing thousands of spiders at various sizes, feeding them, paying for sufficient employees to care for the T's, answer customer questions and address orders and shipping before calling it greed?

What about the costs of import that has to be spread out over the entire collection so specific species aren't grossly overpriced?

If people aren't happy with the prices there's always the option of yourself going into business pf breeding and importing as potentially your sole source of income, advertising, and selling them at European prices. I'm sure people would buy.

 

[Tarantula155]

Has anyone done the math to verify what housing thousands of spiders at various sizes, feeding them, paying for sufficient employees to care for the T's, answer customer questions and address orders and shipping before calling it greed?

What about the costs of import that has to be spread out over the entire collection so specific species aren't grossly overpriced?

If people aren't happy with the prices there's always the option of yourself going into business pf breeding and importing as potentially your sole source of income, advertising, and selling them at European prices. I'm sure people would buy.

There are other retailers who are selling the same slings or adults for much cheaper. It is obvious...

Ill stick my private dealers who list Ts with fair prices

 

[Matt Man]

they will price at what you will pay
If you see a price and go "too high" and still buy it, the price therefore wasn't too high.
So pricing is based on "what the market will bear"
See the differences between men's and women's clothing.
Zeeman brings up a great point, yes you need a space, staff, feeders and heaps of time to care for hundreds or thousands of specimens, plus there is also a level of die off among slings.
Imagine with the lack of shows how much inventory they are sitting on, taking care of and losing a % of them versus normal times