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Buying a Tarantula at Deadtime Stories in Lansing, Michigan

Last updated: October 2, 2026

TL;DR: A friend told me a bookstore in Lansing's REO Town sells spiders, so I had to check it out. Deadtime Stories turned out to have a spider room in the back with way more stock than I expected, all of it clearly well cared for. I left with a jumping spider plush and a magnet, and went back later the same day for a confirmed female Poecilotheria regalis.

Deadtime Stories Books & Gifts

1132 S. Washington Ave., Lansing, MI 48910 (map)

Phone: (517) 492-3580

Spiders for sale: posted on Merriam’s Websters, the shop’s Facebook page for available spiders.

The shop isn't open every day or very late, so check her Facebook page for hours before you go.

Why I’m Writing This

Almost everything on this site is about ordering tarantulas online, because that's how I usually buy. A friend of mine asked me if I had ever been to Deadtime Stories, and mentioned they stock some spiders. She isn't in the hobby, so I didn't know what to expect, but I decided I had to check it out.

I'm glad I did. The shop doesn't come up much when you search for tarantulas in Lansing, so I figured it was worth writing up.

A female Bumba horrida in a round acrylic enclosure at Deadtime Stories, tagged $209.99 with the enclosure included — A female *Bumba horrida*, sold with the enclosure she lives in.

The Spider Room

The front of Deadtime Stories is books: true crime, horror, and Michigan hauntings. The spiders are in the back, and I was instantly impressed when I walked in. Not only was there way more stock than I expected, but each enclosure clearly had a lot of care going into it. It felt a bit more like walking into someone's personal spider room than a store. Every animal I looked at was healthy.

The smaller spiders are in deli containers stacked on shelves, each set up as its own little enclosure with the species and price on the tag. The bigger ones are in furnished acrylic enclosures with cork bark, moss, and a water dish, and the enclosure comes with the spider. Some of the enclosures even have names. The regalis lived in one labeled “Aqua Tofana” and a P. rufilata in one labeled “Absinthe,” which is about right for a true crime bookstore. Beyond tarantulas there were jumping spiders, millipedes, and death feigning beetles.

A stack of five deli cups on a shelf, each with a bow-shaped price tag: Brachypelma hamorii, B. boehmei, Theraphosinae Roatan, H. dictator and Aphonopelma iodius — Some of the deli containers.

Stock changes, so I won't list everything, but a few that stuck with me were a female Bumba horrida, a female Pseudhapalopus sp. “Langhaar,” and a Heteropoda davidbowie (a huntsman, not a tarantula, tagged “Beautiful, strange!”). There was also plenty for someone newer, like G. pulchripes, T. vagans, and A. chalcodes, with deli containers starting around $30.

Talking With Jenn

I talked to the owner, Jenn, for a bit, and she came across as someone who is sincerely into keeping tarantulas. She mentioned she tries to keep her own collection under 50, and when she starts getting near that number is when she sells some in the shop.

We talked a bit about the Grammostola pulchra/quirogai distinction, and she clearly keeps up to date on taxonomy. She even mentioned deciding to keep a Tliltocatl schroederi and sell her quirogai, which tells me she knows what she values in a spider and isn't just going by what's worth the most.

She also has care tips in little frames around the shop. One says you should only change substrate if you have mold or mites, and otherwise just spot clean. Another says most tarantulas don't enjoy being held, and you should treat yours like a pet fish without the water. Both are good advice.

The shop has its own pet tarantula, an adult Lasiodora klugi named Merriam Webster. When I was there, one of her species was for sale as a sling, tagged “Baby Merriam!”

An adult Lasiodora klugi on substrate beside a cork log, dark legs with pale bands and long reddish hairs on the abdomen — Merriam Webster, the shop's *Lasiodora klugi*.

A round deli container tagged Lasiodora klugi (Baby Merriam!), $59.99, includes enclosure worth $35+ — “Baby Merriam.”

I Went Back for the Regalis

I was there with my partner, and the jumping spider plush stood out to her, so that came home with us along with a magnet. (I agree, it was very cute.) The spider I actually wanted was the regalis.

I've had a regalis saved in my cart on two different vendor sites for months now, but hadn't pulled the trigger since this is one I really want a confirmed female of. This one is a confirmed female, she's large, and she comes set up in an 8x8x12 Tarantula Cribs Treehouse Switch, which is $89.99 new before any cork, moss, or plants. The closest match I track online was a 4″ female for $160, plus overnight shipping, and she'd have shown up in a deli container. For $299.99, the price was really fair for everything included.

Still, as a rule I don't impulse spend $300. If you've read my auctions article, you know I try to give myself time to think. So I left. I kept thinking about her from the moment I walked out until I went back later that day to take her home.

A tall clear acrylic enclosure with cork bark, moss and a Venus flytrap, tagged Confirmed Female Poecilotheria regalis, $299.99, includes enclosure worth $100+ — The *P. regalis* in her enclosure at the shop, before I brought her home.

Without me asking, Jenn gave me the date of her last feeding and her last molt, which I really appreciated.

The great thing about buying a spider already in her enclosure is you don't have to deal with her settling in after a rehouse. She's tucked right behind the same cork she was behind at the store.

The Poecilotheria regalis at home on cork bark, legs banded black, white and pale yellow — Home and settled in.

If You’re Thinking About Going

Check the hours first, since the store isn't open every day or very late. To see what's available before you go, Jenn posts her spiders for sale on a separate Facebook page, Merriam’s Websters. Beyond that, it's definitely worth a stop for anyone interested in spiders, even if you just want to look at the displays.

I'll keep ordering online most of the time. With overnight shipping and FedEx hub pickup it works well, and it's the only way to get a lot of species. But if you're after one bigger spider, especially one that comes set up in a nice enclosure, it's worth comparing a shop like this against online prices plus shipping. You can use the comparison tool to check the online side.

FAQs

Where can I buy a tarantula in Lansing, Michigan?

Deadtime Stories in REO Town, at 1132 S. Washington Ave., is where I bought mine. The spiders are in the back of the shop.

Do the enclosures come with the spiders?

Yes. The bigger spiders come in furnished acrylic enclosures, and the tag usually lists what the enclosure is worth. The smaller ones are in deli containers that are set up as enclosures too, so a sling will be perfectly fine in there for a while. You won't need to rehouse it right away.

Does Deadtime Stories have beginner species?

When I was there, yes, including species that are commonly recommended as a first tarantula like G. pulchripes and T. vagans. If you're not sure where to start, my guide to choosing your first tarantula might help.

Disclosures

I paid full price for everything I bought. Nobody asked me to write this, and I have no relationship with Deadtime Stories. Tarantula List does have affiliate relationships with a small number of online vendors to help keep the site running. Deadtime Stories isn't one of them.