Did anyone else start out thinking one was enough?

iemmaamme · Jul 2, 2014

When I first started lurking the boards in preparation for my GBB, I saw posts regarding hobbyists with massive collections, & thought "Wow, that's awesome, but I'm good with just one."

Then I received my sling, along with a "freebie" from the sellers, I've set them up nicely & watch them web & other less expected things...and now I've got a laundry list of Ts I've seen & gone "Yup, I want one." I can definitely see how...addicting they are!

I'm going to wait until they are at least juvies & out of their deli cups before I even consider adding to my mini collection, but did anyone else start out with a conservative estimate for their collection & be sorely mistaken? How long is your wish list?

skippydude · Jul 2, 2014

I started out with 5 :} No sense lying to myself

Poec54 · Jul 2, 2014

Nope. When I got my first one, an adult female B smithi 40 years ago, the first thing I thought was: 'I should get another in case something happens to this one.' It just snowballed from there.

skippydude · Jul 2, 2014

Less than 2 years later, I have 105

dredrickt · Jul 2, 2014

I got my first one in 2003. Sold it in 2010 when I moved. I've been wanting to get back into the hobby for a few years but wasn't making enough money, and last December I got 4. From there, it snowballed out of control. In 8 months, I'm up to 17, with plans for probably another 20 or so.

Biollantefan54 · Jul 2, 2014

Nope, I got my first about a year ago but didn't have the money to get more. I still have my first T, a G. porteri. I now have 13 and in August, exactly a year from when I got my first T, I will get many more at repticon! The great thing is, Repticon is exactly a week after my birthday so I get some spending money.

BobGrill · Jul 2, 2014

Yes. I was 10 when I got my first and it never crossed my mind to get more until I realized how many species were available in captivity.

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MatthewM1 · Jul 2, 2014

Not at all started with 4 last fall now I have 20. With many more on the wish list with plans to breed in the not so distant future.

HungryGhost · Jul 2, 2014

Ha! I told myself the same story, "I'm going to wait until the ones I have are bigger before I get anymore." Let me know how that works out for you! ;-)

cold blood · Jul 2, 2014

I did, as a former arachnophobe trying to get rid of what I knew was a stupid fear, I was educated by a keeper at a zoo I worked at. Following that I still had little desire for even one until I saved my first t from a certain death from someone that bought her to throw at a roommate...that was 14 years ago, still have that original porteri. After becoming comfortable I did consider a few more, even had a list, but even 14 years ago t's were harder to find, especially the desirable ones, so I stuck to the one. A few years ago I looked around and realized just how many species were readily (and cheaply) available, that was it, got one more, then another, and so on...now I have 17 t, 13 different species and could double or triple that in the blink of an eye given the right opportunity. One truly isn't enough. I wish I knew people locally with large collections I could peruse...I'd love to get tours of skippy and poec54's collections, for example....simply fascinating in every way.

BobGrill · Jul 2, 2014

Its worked out fine for me. I plan on letting my Avic slings grow a bit and see how they do before I get many more. I seem to be one of the few here who can control themselves and doesn't consider themselves an "addict". If I lived on my own and had a steady career and didn't need to budget, then I could afford to get carried away maybe. Tarantulas may be cheaper and take up less space than most other pets, but they still cost money.

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skippydude · Jul 2, 2014

cold blood said:
I did, as a former arachnophobe trying to get rid of what I knew was a stupid fear, I was educated by a keeper at a zoo I worked at. Following that I still had little desire for even one until I saved my first t from a certain death from someone that bought her to throw at a roommate...that was 14 years ago, still have that original porteri. After becoming comfortable I did consider a few more, even had a list, but even 14 years ago t's were harder to find, especially the desirable ones, so I stuck to the one. A few years ago I looked around and realized just how many species were readily (and cheaply) available, that was it, got one more, then another, and so on...now I have 17 t, 13 different species and could double or triple that in the blink of an eye given the right opportunity. One truly isn't enough. I wish I knew people locally with large collections I could peruse...I'd love to get tours of skippy and poec54's collections, for example....simply fascinating in every way.

I'd love a tour of Poec's room too and a few hours to pick his brain

antinous · Jul 2, 2014

I haven't even owned one yet, but, I won't have a first 'one', I'll have a first 'four'.

iemmaamme · Jul 2, 2014

BobGrill said:
Yes. I was 10 when I got my first and it never crossed my mind to get more until I realized how many species were available in captivity.

I think this is what happened. I mean, I saw all the different kinds on the seller's website, but stumbling across pictures & temperaments of Ts on the boards really did me in

HungryGhost said:
Ha! I told myself the same story, "I'm going to wait until the ones I have are bigger before I get anymore." Let me know how that works out for you! ;-)

You called me on it - I've already been eyeballing the spare bedroom..haha!

Forcep · Jul 2, 2014

I have ten and that's enough for me... cause I have a bigger insect collection which is still growing:tongue:

Beary Strange · Jul 2, 2014

I never had any illusions about having just one, but I expected to own a few, not 60. What took me more by surprise was that many Ts that I found ugly or uninteresting early on, I either ended up getting or want very badly. This hobby is like Pokemon, gotta catch em all.

awiec · Jul 2, 2014

I knew right off the bat that I was going to have more than 1. I wanted a GBB back when I was 15 but never got around to it, but I still kept true spiders as they were free and easy to care for. A year ago exactly I got my A.versicolor Bob Marley because the GBB slings had been snatched up already and there were maybe 3 2nd instar ones at the show and I wasn't confident enough to get a T that small. Instead I got the versi that was .5-.6 and it molted on the care ride home, so I technically started off with a T that was .7 inches. I figured I might have 5 or 6 at the most, but here I am with 18 Ts. I've been good though, I wait for a few months to make sure my new wards live before getting another. I think my collection will currently have to cap off at 20 until I can sell off some of my males as I really don't have much more room to shove more in.

Belle Fury said:
I never had any illusions about having just one, but I expected to own a few, not 60. What took me more by surprise was that many Ts that I found ugly or uninteresting early on, I either ended up getting or want very badly. This hobby is like Pokemon, gotta catch em all.

Better yet, you can trade them for other Ts too and you can say some even evolve (molt) during transit.

Tivia · Jul 2, 2014

I started with wanting a B smithi, but I brought home a GBB instead. I knew that I would have more than one, since I still want a B smithi. Then I got 3 more babies in the mail recently, So while I don't plan on having a big collection, I already have more than I thought I would.

Who knows what I will come home with from the expo this weekend, too.

BobGrill · Jul 2, 2014

I made the mistake of getting a rosea as my first. I would have rather gotten a B.smithi as my first tarantula, but I didn't have much luck finding one at the time. I know some people think rosies are underrated but I just don't get the appeal of them. They're so damn common. Think about it, you'really a lot less likely to find a Brachy in a pet shop than you are a rosea.

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Beary Strange · Jul 2, 2014

Tivia said:
I started with wanting a B smithi, but I brought home a GBB instead. I knew that I would have more than one, since I still want a B smithi. Then I got 3 more babies in the mail recently, So while I don't plan on having a big collection, I already have more than I thought I would. Who knows what I will come home with from the expo this weekend, too.

Expos are evil. The only one I've gone to so far I went with the intent to buy one particular tarantula and came home with 5 slings/juvies and a scorpling...and the T I had intended to buy was not among them. From what I gather, that is just the way expos go. x3

Did anyone else start out thinking one was enough?

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