#27B - COMMENT REPLIES & ANSWERS

Sorry for this out of sequence part two to yesterday's #27. After posting #28 I noticed three comments on Blog #27. I figure if I respond in the comments section they may go missed, so I am addressing them here.

First, John Apple, I know the first comment is you. Why can't you figure out how to use your name so everybody knows? Tom and Lonnie did. If I could pronounce the lengthy numerals and letters that it defaults to I would start calling that.

But seriously here are my additional thoughts on each.

1. (presumably) John Apple - Thanks my friend. I appreciate you reading and commenting. As you said in a private text yesterday, I am indeed a "straight shooter". I am what I am and I tell it like it is. I am brutally honest; a personality trait that not everyone finds so desirable. My sister says I should be kind. Well, I don't see the world through her rose colored glasses. I do strive to be kind to people. But I will speak my mind and the real world isn't so rosey. Keep the comments coming and please email me some topic suggestions. Yes, Anastasia has her detractors and much of it is due to her high pricing. But she's free to do as she chooses. She came to the land of the free. If she gets people to pay her "astronomical" prices, more power to her. I know she was no fan of mine because from her perspective my prices were too low. My argument was yours - "no, I've been doing this forever and it is your prices that are too high". But she and I have made friendly and I've always argued that pricing is the seller's personal business and not up for discussion. Customers can decide what they are willing to pay and who to pay it to. When Ken ("the bug guy") approached me at ATS last summer and went into his rant about how he and Ana think my prices are too low my first response was I've been doing this longer than both of you combined. I know the market better. But my second was that pricing is each sellers own decision. He told me he had people paying $125 for P. metallica and didn't like that I was selling them for $79 at the time. I said, good for you, you're making an extra $46! I wish I could. But they're not flying out the door at $79. I don't think discussing each other's pricing is relevant or appropriate. This is America. Price fixing is illegal. And capitalism rules.

2. Tom Patterson - I'm glad you enjoyed #27. It was a pleasure to mention you. I got two emails from people who said I should have added Chris Allen to the list. On that subject, I wasn't trying to make an exhaustive list of every good breeder/seller, just name a few of my favorite examples. But on to the ridiculous "exclusive" Thrigmopoeus psychedelicus situation ... I know much more about this than I was able to put in yesterday's blog. The fact is that they were sold to a few European dealers at Marbach and at first they were not allowed to export them to America. Only Nico could do that direct to Roman/Penny. Some were sold to a European friend of mine at Marbach and he offered them to me. The price was still high, but much more reasonable. But I had to promise to keep it completely secret. I was only offered them because they believed I would be the first American to breed them. I was supposed to never mention them until I produced offspring when the whole secrecy and exclusivity thing had blown over. This is a bullshit way to conduct business. I declined because, quite frankly, I'm really not interested in the spider and even the "fair" price offered to me was more than I would be willing to pay. The point I made to Pedersen way back when himalayana were the hot new thing and he wanted me to take on an "exclusive" is that they wouldn't sell except to a few "I gotta have it, I'll pay any price". There are maybe 3 people like that - who would buy psychedelicus at ridiculous prices - and one or two are mutual friends of ours ;). So where are the other hundreds going to go. When I stumbled upon Penny at the Tinley Park show and realized who he was he mentioned wholesaling some T. psychedelicus to me. You should have seen his face when I told him I had zero interest in that spider and the pricing was ridiculous. As I wrote in #27, I don't blame Nico for trying to earn. He's spent a fortune traveling to get these spiders and deserves to reap the rewards of first breeding them. But he is being unreasonable and larcenous. And he didn't heed my warning. I detailed the American hobby, which I will expound upon in its own blog, and explained that the buyers and money weren't there. And as you pointed out, his whole "exclusive" thing went out the window when Marbach and other European shows came around and he wanted some cash in his pocket. The person who offered them to me was only sold them if he exported them to Asia. Nico is trying to control the European market to the level of micro-managing and then trying to use one seller in America who has a cloud over his name. Roman can "disown" Penny all he wants. They're in bed together and they are tainted. So they can't sell more than a handful retail and decide to off load a few wholesale. Who is gullible enough to buy them? A clueless newb named Stamps. A guy who is quickly learning that selling spiders is an uphill battle, as evidenced by his constant 20% off everything sales. He can't be gone soon enough, but he will be. T. psychedelicus is not worth more than $100. Almost no spider is. I am sure I've pissed off many selling my first American bred H. pulchripes at $170-200, but even that is a ridiculous price. But since I paid $350 for my slings and paid MUCH MUCH MORE for my adult females I had to recoup my investment. Now that I've done that my next babies will be $125, maybe less. Charging $350-$500+ for a bug is ludicrous.

3. Lonnie Davis - Today's blog (#28) has the answer I forgot to include. Thanks again for reading and all the comments.

Cheers guys, MJ