Why are A. versicolors so expensive?

[Robotponys]

The prices range up to $35 (talking about 0.5" slings)! They don't seem hard to breed (just an opinion, correct me if I'm wrong), they are hardy, very popular, etc. Why aren't they cheaper? I understand the prettiness thing, but look at B. vagans. Pretty, IMO, and cheap. G. rosea is much harder to breed (from reading, not experience) and they are INCREDIBLY cheap. Oh, I'm talking about internet sales, petstores don't sell in NYC. :wall: Petstores are just...random. The $10 a. versi's are snatched up fast, I can't wait for another sale so I can get some! I'm just going to put a little wishlist here *innocent whistle.*


-A. versicolor (too pricey as noted above, but I desperately want )
-A. metallica*
-A. minatrix
-B. vagans*
-C. elegans****...
-H. incei

P.S. the ones with * are the ones I REALLY want, and can probably afford, and have space for. I have found a seller for C. elegans, but the rest are yet to be found. I would prefer for them to be all from one source to save on shipping. The rest are kinda wishful thinking.
I look forward to reading your wonderful responses!

 

[Ben Oliver]

the reason i think the versicolors are so expensive is supply and demand. everyone wants them because of their color and their temperment, so the sellers look and see what people are asking for and set their prices from there. the versicolor i have i got in a trade, so i happen to get luckey. a few other species you were looking for A. metallica you should be able to find one for 15 to 20 each ( that is about .5") and the other inexpensive spider on you list is the B. vagans now these i have seen them on the boards for about $5 for about a (.5"). the other species on you list i haven't looked for a price on them yet. if i can get luckey enough i am going to try to breed my Avic avic here in the near future.

 

[Robotponys]

the reason i think the versicolors are so expensive is supply and demand. everyone wants them because of their color and their temperment, so the sellers look and see what people are asking for and set their prices from there. the versicolor i have i got in a trade, so i happen to get luckey. a few other species you were looking for A. metallica you should be able to find one for 15 to 20 each ( that is about .5") and the other inexpensive spider on you list is the B. vagans now these i have seen them on the boards for about $5 for about a (.5"). the other species on you list i haven't looked for a price on them yet. if i can get luckey enough i am going to try to breed my Avic avic here in the near future.

Thanks! Gosh darn sellers being smart! Good luck with breeding! I've seen all of the ones on my list, I just can't find someone selling all of them at a fair price! Example:
A. versicolor-$19
A. metallica-$14
B. vagans-$7
^^=Wo0t! Then I see
C. bertae
C. ritae
and no C. elegans
H. incei-$29<---Bleh
See what I mean? It's quite frustrating. I could acquire these all right now, but I don't have that kind of budget.

Edit:
Good god! How could I forget! This is the ultimate expensive spider (that seems it should be cheap. yes i know about the male munching females, but they are hardy, pretty, etc). Ranging from minimum $35 and going who knows how high. I LOVE these, but they are seriously too expensive. My budget per T is $10 or less (except the avics). Yeesh, tiny compared to the guys who buy $500 P. metallica...

 

[jayefbe]

It's all supply and demand. That's what sets the price for every tarantula.

G. rosea are cheap because adults are wild caught and imported by the tens of thousands. If importing of adult wild specimens ended right now, the price would increase very fast.

Also, tarantulas aren't sold in New York City because they are illegal there. It doesn't stop people from keeping them there, but it's true. Just a heads up.

 

[Arachno Dano]

I believe I only paid $19 for my A. versicolor sling (Purchased off Jamies Tarantulas), but last time I checked her prices went up.

~Dano

 

[Robotponys]

It's all supply and demand. That's what sets the price for every tarantula.

G. rosea are cheap because adults are wild caught and imported by the tens of thousands. If importing of adult wild specimens ended right now, the price would increase very fast.

Also, tarantulas aren't sold in New York City because they are illegal there. It doesn't stop people from keeping them there, but it's true. Just a heads up.

Yup. I though it was only buying and selling but I found out sometime. It's an incredibly stupid rule. Banning stuff doesn't help in NYC. First off, many people don't even know about it, and second people just don't care, they know they won't be found unless someone rats them out. btw I only have one as of now.

---------- Post added 01-24-2012 at 11:30 PM ----------

I believe I only paid $19 for my A. versicolor sling (Purchased off Jamies Tarantulas), but last time I checked her prices went up.

~Dano

Yup, i saw that. She has no more slings, only juveniles for $75. O.O

 

[syndicate]

Wow is 20-30$ really that expensive?I remember when people were still importing versicolors from Europe haha!But now its not uncommon to see them sell for as low as 10.00 or cheaper on the forums.The reason they are not 3 dollars each yet is like said above "supply and demand" for sure!They are a very popular species and sell very well.Now Brachypelma vagans has eggsacks with up to 1000 spiderlings and are not quite as popular as Avics.Understand why they are way cheaper now?Bigger supply and way less demand.
-Chris

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

Because they're metallic blue as spiderlings and look even cooler as adults.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

It's all supply and demand. That's what sets the price for every tarantula.

G. rosea are cheap because adults are wild caught and imported by the tens of thousands. If importing of adult wild specimens ended right now, the price would increase very fast.

Also, tarantulas aren't sold in New York City because they are illegal there. It doesn't stop people from keeping them there, but it's true. Just a heads up.

Very true G roseas are hard to get a sack from.. I breed both females no luck man.
Price would be closer to G pulchra

SOrry man P metallica is way more Expensive.. I paid $35 for my A versicolor juvie.. its female so it was worth every penny

 

[Toogledoo]

They are a pretty penny unless you watch very closely. Sometimes you get lucky and find a great deal. A while back I bought 4 of them (about .5") for $6 each from a member on here. I should have bought all of them. I'm sure if you watch for a while and search for Versicolors in the classifieds, you will find something for a fair price. Good luck!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

$6ea is dirt cheap.. dude you shoulda bought all of them & coulda even sold them for a profit later on / breed them to get more into hobby
but im not buying anymore avics for a while.. terrestrials are my favorites..
I got 28+ aboreals left.. I should be good

 

[AlexRC]

I paid 55 for my Versi when it was just a 3/4 inch sling. Now 2.25 inches and healthy, and totally worth it.

---------- Post added 01-25-2012 at 01:31 AM ----------

Also, I forgot to mention I also reside in NYC, and trust me I know how hard it is to get T's in local shops. Do you know of any that are able to special order them for you? And what area you from?

 

[Robotponys]

I paid 55 for my Versi when it was just a 3/4 inch sling. Now 2.25 inches and healthy, and totally worth it.

---------- Post added 01-25-2012 at 01:31 AM ----------

Wow! That is a lot for a little bitty sling! I would happily get one, but I wouldn't be able to afford the rest of I did. :/

Also, I forgot to mention I also reside in NYC, and trust me I know how hard it is to get T's in local shops. Do you know of any that are able to special order them for you? And what area you from?

Chinatown. I dot special order for a few reasons. One, it's illegal to have a tarantula (but they can't really enforce that) and second the only pet stores are petamart and petco. You have to go to the white plains or long island reptile expo. They typically have a good selection of T's.

I will reply more later, got to get to school!

 

[Wink]

Very true G roseas are hard to get a sack from.. I breed both females no luck man.

just give it some time. i had 3 successful rosea sacs a few months ago. they ranged from 3 months-1 year to lay. just be patient. i had a total of 5 sacs, but 2 were infertile. i love rosies



To the OP: i have A. metallica and H. incei that are currently gravid. if they are successful sacs, i am willing to sell you a few of each for a price that would meet your budget. I know how frustrating it is to want certain T's but cant quite afford it for 1 reason or another.

 

[matt82]

Interesting to see how prices differ Stateside... A 20mm/ 1 inch Avic. versicolor sling in the UK (my nearest port of call for slings) will cost £8 GBP (apx $12.50 USD)from a breeder. I paid €15 Euro (apx $20 USD) to a Polish supplier for an L3 Avic. versicolor.

 

[BrettG]

Since everyone and their brother hatched out versicolor last year,the prices have DROPPED.I remember seeing them for $8-12 each.It is worth just waiting for someone(who is not a dealer) to hatch out a sack instead of buying them sooner from people who think they can still get $30-$50 for slings.They are cool,but not $30+ at 2i cool....

 

[nikki9093]

i have only on versicolor and i paid $65.00. shes about 2.5 inches and still in her juvi colors. i cant wait till her next molt. lol. i wanted a well established sling...a bit bigger then .25 or .50 that are usually offered. shes a great eater and shes healthy. so i paid for her size and had no issue doing so. lol. she little enough to ooo and awww over too...lmao...they really are adorable. hehehe.

oh forgot to say too that the price usually goes up if its a female too. mine is so i paid a little bit more. unsexed is usually a little less expensive. males can be expensive but not as much as females can get. i saw one on here that swas being sold for over $200.00. wayyyyyy past my expense budget. lmao.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

Like everyone is saying, its supply and demand. I got lucky and got 3.5" female for $50 from a breeder. Your gomna have to look really hard and act really fast to get a sling as cheap as your looking. And as a side note, A.versi prices will be fluctuating very soon due to the upcoming reclassification, as well as A.minatrix and A.diversipes.

 

[jayefbe]

Why will the prices fluctuate after the reclassification (that's not due til 2013 I believe)? It's still be the same tarantula, just called something different.

 

[Robotponys]

Awesome you guys! Its been really educational! I can't believe you guys/girls would pay so much for a little 3 inch fuzzy blue creature of cuteness. I would if I could though, so I understand. Lol! Yeah, why does the reclassification affect prices? I can't imagine a reason...