# Has this hobby cost or made you money?



## Mime454 (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm still heavily in the loss column, but I'm curious to see how others are doing.


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## hierodula (Nov 30, 2012)

im in the loss


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## fleurdejoo (Nov 30, 2012)

You must be joking!?

I think it would be so hard to make money at this.


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## Mime454 (Nov 30, 2012)

fleurdejoo said:


> You must be joking!?
> 
> I think it would be so hard to make money at this.


If you sell enough stuff and have the right contacts it has to be possible. Plus you'd have to exercise more self-restraint than I do with buying.


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## gripen (Nov 30, 2012)

This is not the hobby if you want to get rich. Even the most profitable people here make negligible amounts. You might be able to sustain the hobby but that's about it.


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## Mime454 (Nov 30, 2012)

gripen said:


> This is not the hobby if you want to get rich. Even the most profitable people here make negligible amounts. You might be able to sustain the hobby but that's about it.


That's my ultimate goal. I like keeping mantids, but I'm going to have to take a break after I get my Associate's if I can't make the hobby cost-neutral or near it. Washington University is expensive!


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## sally (Nov 30, 2012)

loss of money profit of enjoyment


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## Paradoxica (Nov 30, 2012)

The way I see it any money you make is profit, generally when you have a pet cat or dog you don't expect to make money from it. So I try to look at it like I'm raising a pet for my own enjoyment, and then get a bonus payoff at the end.


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## Termite48 (Nov 30, 2012)

One might profit by buying a popular species' ooth and hatching out and selling most the nymphs. On the surface it looks like one could make money at this. Then start factoring in the increase in the heating costs, feeder insects, cups, containers, postage. All in all, one is doing well if there is black ink in the ledger, but most of us make mistakes, loose some nice mantids, we screw up, but we have fun, make some friends on the Forum, and we enjoy what to us gets easier and easier. You have to be super at it to make a profit month after month. I would venture to say that there are less than half a dozen members that can consistently make money at mantids alone.


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## twolfe (Nov 30, 2012)

When I got into this hobby, I had no intention of trying to make a profit. After finding some mantids in Texas, I decided to get some as pets. I wanted to enjoy and photograph them and initially had no plans to even breed them. After witnessing my first ooth hatch (ghosts), I got hooked on the thrill of breeding. I started to make a few sales. By the fall of 2011, I decided to attempt to break even because I wasn't working at the time, and by the end of the year, I was making a small profit. Still, it was an overall loss for me in 2011, which was fine. 

In 2012 I've managed to make a small profit every month (except for this month as I only shipped one package). I've mentioned in other threads that it really only covers the cost of my cell and land line phone bills most months. I keep detailed records of all expenses (postage, containers, bleach, potato flakes, yeast, paper towels, feeder insects) except for the cost of electricity. Feeders are my main expense, though I raise my own fruit flies and even some of my own blue bottle flies to reduce the frequency that I have to buy them. I did not buy any mantids in 2012. Instead I mostly traded and have a couple of very generous friends. The only reason I started to keep track of my expenses has to do with my photography business. (Long story)

Nowadays I enjoy breeding a lot. However, I spend so much time cleaning enclosures and feeding some days that I'm not motivated to photograph my mantids, which is why I started in this hobby. It takes A LOT of time for the small profit I make. So, I do it primarily because it's a labor of love and a sense of accomplishment. 

At the moment I am working a part-time job as an Office Manager. The pay is much less than when I worked in IT, and the hours aren't as many as I'd hoped. We are working on three projects now, and if the capital is raised ($ 3 million dollars for each project), then my part-time job may turn into more of a full-time job. Otherwise, my position will end. Depending on what happens with this job, I may end up cutting back the number of species I am raising at one time. That said, I plan to enjoy this hobby for a long time.

My advice to most would be that there are a lot easier ways to make money and that a more realistic goal is to reduce your expenses and perhaps break even. And just enjoy your mantids!


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## Golden State Vivs (Dec 1, 2012)

While I am still new to this hobby, I will say that the point of a hobby is not to be profitable, when the goal becomes about profit, it is no longer a hobby, but a job.

I have never been profitable with keeping tree frogs, mantellas, and now mantids. It isn't my goal to turn a profit, and an unreasonable expectation that I even could. I consider any money I make selling offspring as "loss prevention."

I fund my hobbies by selling feeder insects (roaches, springtails, and isopods). Even then I am not "in the black" but my hobby costs me nothing.


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## agent A (Dec 1, 2012)

I dont profit from it but i dont care

Its about doing something enjoyable in your life to take the edge off lifes stressors

In the end, the amount of money you die with wont matter, u wont be able to use it

Wat will matter is how well you lived up to your own goals and whether or not you had an enjoyable life

So while its nice to get some bonus $$ from the hobby, that money gets cycled back into the hobby when i spend it on another animal


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## Mëluzynn (Dec 1, 2012)

I can't speak for mantis, I have no experience but I think every hobby is at loss... Specially in animal hobby...

(I have made some calculations two years ago, to gain money, I should sell my babies rats around 120US$ each (for a litter of 12)... I sell them 30$)


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## fleurdejoo (Dec 2, 2012)

Do you breed rats?


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## Mime454 (Dec 2, 2012)

What type of rats are worth $30? The largest ones at the pet store are cheap enough to buy as feeders in the states.


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## angelofdeathzz (Dec 2, 2012)

I won't say how much, but I've made money selling nymphs/ooths over the years, I'm kind of a special case on that one though, but I know a few other breeders/friends that have made a good sum of money selling here and on the internet in general. But if you don't have a love for your mantis and just plan on making money it probably won't work nor should it I feel.

I for one just enjoy getting rarer types of mantis out to people at a good price, as well as helping out and answering questions when I can, it's not about the money it's about the challenge and pride in what I do to help contribute to the hobby if even in some small way.  

Bottom line is it should be fun/interesting and if you make some money along the way more power too ya!


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## patrickfraser (Dec 2, 2012)

I'll say that, for me, it's a self supporting hobby. Whatever money is made, goes right back in, in some way or form. There's always ff cultures to make, bbs to culture, and roaches to feed and that costs money, but I believe raising my own feeders has made it more "profitable", if you want to call it that. It costs me less (I think).

All in all, it's the enjoyment where I get the payoff. I better be enjoying all those HOURS put into caring for them and all their food, right? So if you enjoy what your doing, you'll always come out ahead. If you factor in ALL those hours spent at the lowest minimum wage, It costs A LOT! :lol:


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## MantidLord (Dec 2, 2012)

Science fair winnings ($4,000) &gt; the hundreds of dollars spent for food and stuff. But in terms of selling mantids only, definite loss.


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## Mime454 (Dec 2, 2012)

What science fair did you win?


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## MantidLord (Dec 2, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> What science fair did you win?


In high school I competed for 3 years in the Intel/ISEF regional science fair and won first place in the plant &amp; animal category (1 grand for each time) but the last time I was able to go international and I won third place in the animal category, which was another grand.


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## Mime454 (Dec 2, 2012)

That's really cool. What was your project?


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## Mëluzynn (Dec 3, 2012)

fleurdejoo said:


> Do you breed rats?


Yes I do, since 2006.



Mime454 said:


> What type of rats are worth $30? The largest ones at the pet store are cheap enough to buy as feeders in the states.


Because I don't breed rats for food, I breed them as pets. It's a selection work on health and behaviour. My rats have an average of 3 years old without any tumor, respiratory disease, skin disease or behaviour problem. Parents are carefully chosen, babies are healthily fed with good food, socialised with human, children, dogs and cats. They also have a pedigree.

Lot of work, lot of time, lot of money. And I sell them only to people I choose on some criteria at the same price as in pet shops here.

And don't forget prices in Switzerland are not the same, here for one litre of milk you have to pay around 2$ minimum


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## preying mantis (Dec 15, 2012)

I only just started and I've only had one as a pet, but all I have spent is spent two dollars on 2 dozen crickets when it got really cold and I couldn't find any bugs myself.

I made my enclosures out of junk from around my house and caught all the food myself.


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## Mime454 (Dec 15, 2012)

preying mantis said:


> I only just started and I've only had one as a pet, but all I have spent is spent two dollars on 2 dozen crickets when it got really cold and I couldn't find any bugs myself.
> 
> I made my enclosures out of junk from around my house and caught all the food myself.


Just wait until you get the taste for exotics.


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## preying mantis (Dec 15, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> Just wait until you get the taste for exotics.


What the heck have I gotten myself into....

Why couldn't I have just left that mantis be.....


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