anonyme
MM, I’ve kept both of those species in the past. Avicularia is a lovely genus. For sheer beauty, Poecilitheria are hard to beat, especially P. metallica. I’ve had P. regalis, but not P. metallica. There is an exhibit of communal P. regalis at the Woodland Park Zoo.
Sorry, I don’t know anyone in the business any more. Try to buy captive-bred. Most tarantulas are display pets; even those with more docile temperaments do not benefit from handling.
It’s very difficult to set up a perfect environment unless you have a separate room for spiders. I’d be happy to chat with you sometime if you’d like more advice. I used to have severe arachnophobia, so I understand where your wife is coming from. Tell her the truth, which is that tarantulas are beautiful, living art objects.