#136 - ASSCLOWNS

Hello again!

It's been awhile ... I hope y'all are well.

Today I sold most of the remaining 11 spiders in my possession. Hopefully my house will sell soon and I will be on the road conducting research and creating photoessays on the arachnids and other wildlife of the United States.

This blog entry is called "Assclowns" because I just made a rare login at Arachnoboards to update my final spider sale advert of my long career, and to post an ad for BTS memberships. The British pound to American dollar exchange rate is at its best since I first traveled to the U.K. ten years ago. It's a great time to take advantage of that savings!

As I scanned the ads to find my own, I noticed - with absolutely no surprise - a whole bunch of sellers who I've never ever heard of before (weekend warriors/beginners/clueless). I also noted some ridiculous price lists from some names I at least recognized (although other than Kelly Swift I would argue that all the good dealers are gone). Who is this assclown Rossi anyway? He definitely wins the award for the most ridiculous of the incredibly ridiculous. Pachistopelma rufonigrum for $250?!? I was the first American to breed them and, as far as I know, still the only. I could barely give them away at $75-90. No spiderling is worth more than $150. Ever. Typhochlaena at $750. He's smoking crack! It's probably the most exciting spider to enter arachnoculture, but again ... a baby bug isn't worth more than a hundo and a half. Pictures of rings? Assclown! He seems to be trying to surpass Patrick Kane as the sleaziest spider seller ever. Harpactira pulchripes slings @ $150?!? Again, I was the first American to breed and I sold some at that price then! I've now sold all but my original breeder female (who has been paired). If she produces slings I will sell them for fifty bucks. Wait.

I've never heard one good thing about this nobody, and everyone I have talked to has used the disparaging and often profane terms. However, there are many assclowns. Can you believe Gearheart is still out there preying on the clueless?!? Boggles the imagination doesn't it? Inland Sea? Still out there selling only the most common uninteresting species at the lowest prices, and shipping illegally via the postal service... On the first ad page alone I counted five never hear of "dealers" with fairly extensive for sale lists. It will be a new five next year. Stamp collectors come and go. Many will trade their Ts for leopard geckos.

For those of you that are serious hobbyists, and can navigate through the sludge to find the honest and honorable, I wish you the best in your new projects and hope you have great success in 2017. There is still plenty of enjoyment in the hobby if you can avoid the assclowns and arachnobored.

I could go on, but my medication is kicking in LOL. We must insulate against the assclowns by whatever means necessary. They can all KISS MY BIG HAIRY SPIDER!

Yours in rant, MJ