HCA: Hermit Crab Association

No not yet, but im looking into it... Ive always wanted to start a hermit crab store, and say they do wholesale...

I think they only wholesale, with a minium order requirement of 75.00

I would love to make money on this hobby, but online there are so many stores and products available, it's a lot of compitition. One would have to have a "nitch" to be truely profitable, something offered the other stores don't offer, to entice customers to then get the rest of the supplies they need from the store.

There's not a lot of overhead costs though with a web store, it'd be pretty easy in that way. For myself I'd be afraid I would barely make it over breaking even, and I'm afraid it wouldn't be worth the effort I put in. I wouldn't want to sacrifice my time with family and friends over a few hundred dollars a month.

yeah there is a min. of 75.00 to spend for a whole sale.

I have a wholesale license for my business..I wonder if I gave them my id number they would sale to me without buying the 75$ worth.
I need shells...I was also tempted by the price of their small straws in natural shells.
I wish there was an online shell store that had free shippping if you spend X amount of dollars.

Having dealt with suppliers I doubt that they would do that. The reason they can do wholesale at all is because of the mimimum order requirements, knowing product won't sit on the self (which is like money sitting around) and has a buyer they can deeply discount if one orders a lot, but for a few things here and there they'd have to raise their prices to stay profitable. With suppliers the more you order the better the pricing.

Then again, as my sister says, if you don't ask ya don't get.

I have a wholesaler that I can buy one thing from. I dont have a min order of lets sat 75.00, I can buy something for $5.00.... But I guess its all part of how many members they have buying off of them.

I know on another board, they were combining orders. So, if you can get enough people, they would say what they want, give the money to a certain person, and then that person would ship it on out to you.

It doesnt sound like a bad idea until everyone wants a crab, but with that, the certain person would have to be responsible enough to hold the crabs in iso for a month or so, and even so there isn't a guarantee they will make it alive.

So if we get enough people to get items with a combined order of 75.00 or more, who is in?

Ohhh thats a really good idea!!!! It would have to be an organized person though! lol.. Ill look at their site again and see what I need from there. Im sure no one will ship crabs to Germany.. if there only was an over night from USA to Germany.....

I made my purchase today from them.
The bulk shells is really 1 shell for the price. I talked to the guy and he is picking out turbos and petholatus turbos,fox shells and others I requested I got 2 giant shells 2.48 for both just to see what he considers giant shells.
I went ahead and got 2 uths one for this winter since one of mine no matter what I do will not stay on the glass and the other as a spare.
Also got lots of choya wood and fish netting. Both of those I cant find here anywhere.
I ordered 3 of his smallest straws. They are not being shipped same day but next day. I expect to be slammed for ordering the straws but since he is selling them to someone might as well be me at least if they get here alive I will be able to give them a good life.
The total came to a little over 100$ including shipping which was not free since you have to spend 1000 for that.
I paid 26$ last time I brought a uth and his price was half that. I'll let you all know how the shells are and if the crabs get here alive.

i try not to buy from online stores that sell painted hermies. The only one i use is TCP

Got the crabs today I ordered 3 small straws and got 4 small straws. They came in a (Large)box insulated with styrofoam and shredded paper on the top of the paper was a small icepack the crabs were on the other side in a burlap sack and moss. The box was labled live crabs
3 are bright red one is more on the white side. 2 have changed shells *Im suprised since they came in natural shells that they changed shells the 2 that changed are now in small tulip type shells*
one is hiding and the other is exploring. I have them in iso.
I threw some snow crab claw,spurlina and coconut in the tank yesterday getting it nice and smelly for them. They are eating and and spent some time in the saltwater.
I have never seen straws this small about the size of an E.

Im very happy...with the shells and everything else I ordered.

When I get my tank up and runnning i am going to order like 5 small straws from there

kayla_d wrote:Got the crabs today I ordered 3 small straws and got 4 small straws.

You ordered less than $75?

kayla_d wrote: I have never seen straws this small about the size of an E.

Those are the magic words!

kayla_d wrote:Im very happy...with the shells and everything else I ordered.

Please keep us updated as to how they do with PPS. Maybe every couple of weeks?

You ordered less than $75?

I oredered a little over 75$
with shipping came to around 125$
I also got 2 UTHS for this winter one I will use the other I will hold back since for some reason after a year the UTHS loose their adhisive and wont stick to the side of the tank.

Please keep us updated as to how they do with PPS. Maybe every couple of weeks?

Will do...they are still doing great not running around in a panic and relaxing.
They are eating alot day or night you will see one of them at the food shell.
No sign of illness no mites.