Tarantula Importing and Arachnid Commerce
Page 3 of 3 | © 2005-2010 text by Frank Somma
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Editor's Note: This article was first published in early 2005 in ARACHNOCULTURE 1(2) and all information may not be up-to-date.
Hopefully these examples show you that nobody is getting rich selling arachnids. Many aren't even covering all the time, effort and expense involved. When it comes down to it the person who is getting the best deal is probably the consumer—the hobbyist. Competition keeps prices reasonable and the educated buyer will consider other factors such as dealer experience, customer service and reputation before making a purchase and experience few risks. Remember that deals that seem too good to be true usually are just that. It's best to develop a relationship with a reputable well-known dealer/breeder who contributes to the hobby and will accurately answer questions about husbandry and breeding—not just with a purchase—than just look for the cheapest prices from an inexperienced hobbyist reseller.
Breaking the Law
A discussion of importing would not be complete without mentioning the temptation of illegally importing animals. The procedures detailed above are the only way to legally have arachnids shipped from overseas into the United States. If you purchase animals from outside the U.S. and have them shipped to your door via EMS Speedpost [international express mail] you commit two federal offenses, both punishable by fines and imprisonment. You would not only be smuggling livestock by not declaring it to USFW, but also violating federal postal regulations. Furthermore, if you were caught, you would cast a dark cloud over the hobby as well as the honest dealers who put great effort and expense into bringing exciting species to the hobby. In short, your actions would give the rest of us a bad name. There is no species worth the risk of prosecution. If you are caught you will be solely responsible; the U.S. government can't go after your overseas source and the entire burden of the illegal transaction will fall upon you. The US has stringent regulations regarding livestock coming into country. Whereas many European hobbyists can freely post boxes of arachnids to another country in Europe, and even Canada, it is very difficult to legally import livestock to the US.
Although I do not import any CITES listed species, I will close with a brief mention of this. Special permits and their associated fees will be required, usually at both the exporting country and here in the U.S., and a customs broker will be necessary to assist with USFW verification. There is the possibility that paperwork produced by some countries will not be valid, and you will be in a heap of trouble for receiving the protected animals. The exporter or the country of origin would not be affected—the responsibility would be completely yours.
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you a better understanding of what goes into acquiring that fancy spider you love so much. I also hope you now realize why Species X would be more expensive here in the U.S. than in Europe and understand that American dealers are not ripping you off. There is no correlation between overseas retail prices and those found in the American hobby. As with anything, much of pricing comes down to supply and demand, as well as the costs and risks of conducting business. Hopefully as the hobby continues to grow more and more desirable species will be bred in the U.S. and become more affordable to the American arachnoculturist.