• Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

Net zero hobby?

syzygy

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
121
Location
Texas
I currently have 4 T's, but 1 of them (my B.smithi) is actually a FD gift for my dad. I bought it last May as a 1/3" sling and by this coming June it should molt 1 last time and be around 2.5". He loves having T's but doesn't like the stress of fussing over tiny slings and isn't a fan of the cost associated with juvis.

There are a few additional T's I'd like to add to my collection so I've been checking the major sites almost daily. In doing so I've noticed several species where a 1/2" sling will cost "x" and then next to it they are selling 1.5" unsexed for "4x" or even "8x". Some are fast growing species and lets face it...we aren't exactly feeding them kobe beef. Do shops, who are potentially caring for 1000's of slings at any given time, have high mortality rates that create this disparity or is it just a reflection of market value because a lot of people would rather not fuss with tiny slings?

Anyway, it got me to thinking that when I place my next order I should buy 3 of each. It would make the shipping costs more palatable, would provide a back-up in the case of an untimely death, and if all survive to 2" or so I could keep the one I want and sell the others. Obviously I could not sell them for "8x", but even "2x" might represent a break even (at least in the short term).

I'm sure I'm not the first to have this thought. Anybody succeed or is this how T addiction (and debt) starts?
 

kormath

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,565
Location
Idaho
Haven't paid close enough attention to notice the 2x or 4x or whatever, i do know not everyone wants the hassle of raising slings. Talking to a few of the people near here that are in the upcoming expo show, most of them started raising slings for the same reason I do. So they get to enjoy them as long as possible. But after doing that for a few years they'd rather buy larger spiders. So the breeders or vendors have to go through the process of raising the slings to the 3" or whatever size juvie people want, so they make them pay for it. I don't see anything wrong with that.

As for raising them and selling them later, i haven't raised any of my slings up over 3" yet, and almost all of mine are single slings. so i probably won't be selling any. Try a local invert expo, then you may be able to sell them or trade them for something else you'd like.
 

Scoolman

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
1,091
Location
New Mexico
I do it that way with slings.
I buy in quantities, usually, 5 or 10. Raise them up, pick out the couple I want and sell the others.
 

Kymura

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,315
Location
Alabama
-sighs- I'm to totally female, I get attached,
when they have a pissy attitude when they are tiny,
I fall in love, If I bought six...six I would have..o_O
well.... until a male matured. :(
 

Enn49

Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
10,891
Location
Malton, UK
-sighs- I'm to totally female, I get attached,
when they have a pissy attitude when they are tiny,
I fall in love, If I bought six...six I would have..o_O
well.... until a male matured. :(

I'm exactly the same
 

RedCapTrio

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
1,158
But because I got to have freebies, I now have 3 chacos. Then get to choose from my chacos which to keep especially when I sexed them. I will be selling the other two when the time comes especially the males. Or maybe go into breeding just to try it. ;)
 

kormath

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,565
Location
Idaho
But because I got to have freebies, I now have 3 chacos. Then get to choose from my chacos which to keep especially when I sexed them. I will be selling the other two when the time comes especially the males. Or maybe go into breeding just to try it. ;)
You just want to watch your female eat a male ;) I hear ya though, i'll be doing that too if one of the doubles we have comes out to be male and female. pretty slim chances but you never know.

Then i'll have to find someone that knows what to do with the egg sack lol.
 

RedCapTrio

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
1,158
You just want to watch your female eat a male ;) I hear ya though, i'll be doing that too if one of the doubles we have comes out to be male and female. pretty slim chances but you never know.

Then i'll have to find someone that knows what the hell to do with the egg sack lol.
It'll be part of the experience and we'll get to have so much time before the egg sack happens so we can learn that as well. :)
 

kormath

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,565
Location
Idaho
i just know i'm not ready to raise a few hundred slings lol if that happned I'd find someone to send it to, with the option of getting a few slings out of it of course, 3 instar most likely ;)
 
Top