where to appraise trees for value / price?

[Piccolo]

Hello everyone,
I am very new to the world of bonsai, and hopefully I am asking this in the right section of the forum.

I recently came into ownership of what seem to maybe be some relatively mature bonsai trees from an estate sale. I had a chance to buy them for what seemed to me like a good price, and having always been fascinated by the beauty of bonsai trees, I decided to pull the trigger.

From what I know the plants were unattended to for a while after the original owner passed away, so I'm sure they will need some care to restore them, which I hope to learn.

If anyone could help with the following two questions that would be greatly, greatly appreciated: How old they might be, and what they might be worth. It seems that estimating a bonsai tree is extremely subjective, but if anyone with experience / insight could offer what they think are fair / realistic values that would be very appreciated.

There are 6 of them in total, and each photo is numbered for clarity. Thank you for reading!

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Go submerge them all in water for a few hours to ensure they are fully hydrated. No idea on pricing, maybe $50 each... if healthier a few hundred

 

[River's Edge]

Hello everyone,
I am very new to the world of bonsai, and hopefully I am asking this in the right section of the forum.

I recently came into ownership of what seem to maybe be some relatively mature bonsai trees from an estate sale. I had a chance to buy them for what seemed to me like a good price, and having always been fascinated by the beauty of bonsai trees, I decided to pull the trigger.

From what I know the plants were unattended to for a while after the original owner passed away, so I'm sure they will need some care to restore them, which I hope to learn.

If anyone could help with the following two questions that would be greatly, greatly appreciated: How old they might be, and what they might be worth. It seems that estimating a bonsai tree is extremely subjective, but if anyone with experience / insight could offer what they think are fair / realistic values that would be very appreciated.

There are 6 of them in total, and each photo is numbered for clarity. Thank you for reading!

At this point I would not place any value on them as bonsai.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I suspect you will get a wide range of answers regarding their values. As you mentioned, t's incredibly subjective, as you can tell by the answers before mine. As far as age, part of the art and culture bonsai is manipulating the tree to look much older much sooner, so the actual age is very difficult to tell if the original owner/artist is unknown or unable to say. I'm too inexperienced to take a gander of any monetary value

Care: This will depend entirely on the species and your location/climate. So if you add your general location and/or USDA growing zone to your profile information, you will get advice and suggestions tailored to your trees' needs in your climate. For best identification, close-ups of the foliage and bark will help along with the photos you've already posted.
I definitely agree with @Hack Yeah! as far as soaking the root ball. If these trees have been neglected for however long, there's a very high probability there are dry spots in the root balls, and the surest way to fix that is a long, thorough soaking, followed by a drying out period. This is where species becomes critical. Some species require fairly moist substrates, while others prefer drier conditions. So, the sooner we can identify the trees, the sooner you know the proper care for each one.
Welcome to the Nut House!

 

[KateM]

They all seem to be azaleas. One is labeled chojuho for sure.
Calling @Deep Sea Diver

They need to be nursed to health.

 

[Piccolo]

Go submerge them all in water for a few hours to ensure they are fully hydrated. No idea on pricing, maybe $50 each... if healthier a few hundred

ive been watering them every morningm

I suspect you will get a wide range of answers regarding their values. As you mentioned, t's incredibly subjective, as you can tell by the answers before mine. As far as age, part of the art and culture bonsai is manipulating the tree to look much older much sooner, so the actual age is very difficult to tell if the original owner/artist is unknown or unable to say. I'm too inexperienced to take a gander of any monetary value

Care: This will depend entirely on the species and your location/climate. So if you add your general location and/or USDA growing zone to your profile information, you will get advice and suggestions tailored to your trees' needs in your climate. For best identification, close-ups of the foliage and bark will help along with the photos you've already posted.
I definitely agree with @Hack Yeah! as far as soaking the root ball. If these trees have been neglected for however long, there's a very high probability there are dry spots in the root balls, and the surest way to fix that is a long, thorough soaking, followed by a drying out period. This is where species becomes critical. Some species require fairly moist substrates, while others prefer drier conditions. So, the sooner we can identify the trees, the sooner you know the proper care for each one.
Welcome to the Nut House!

thanks a lot for the indepth response and advice, good stuff.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Where are you located? This data will determine how long it will get the azaleas restored to decent health and also what the market would be like.

Here is the information requested. Concur with what @River's Edge said. Not ready for bonsai,

All running between 10-20 yoa. All neglected for at least a couple years and more. Most never properly styled.

Some could be marketed on FB and likely would bring some cash. However all are rehab jobs, the price is diminished.

These are all rehab jobs as noted earlier. It will take 2-4 years with a couple exceptions like #1 to bring these back to decent condition. All need repotting, likely complete rootwashing, replant in decent kanuma, moss up prune back, then mist frequently until 1 jour before sun down to get backbudding on trunk and branches

#1 has lost its top and will need a complete restyle which will include a cutdown and build up. There is a suspicious dark area running up the trunk. If that’s not water it means at least one of the waterlines has died back to the trunk.

#2 needs proper pruning for a couple years to push back and grow out branches with taper, restyle and build pads.

#3 Wondering about the dark area, is this water or punky wood? Cut back of all swag growth, needs proper pruning for a couple years to push back and grow out branches with taper, restyle and build pads.

#4 Shows some promise potentially. However would have to see better images. That said, same comments as above.

#5 Another push in, grow out, build pads etc

#6 Same as above.

Good luck with these. Wherever you are it would be helpful to be an azalea person to help either restore or offload these.

Cheers
DSD senda

 

[Piccolo]

Where are you located? This data will determine how long it will get the azaleas restored to decent health and also what the market would be like.

Here is the information requested. Concur with what @River's Edge said. Not ready for bonsai,

All running between 10-20 yoa. All neglected for at least a couple years and more. Most never properly styled.

Some could be marketed on FB and likely would bring some cash. However all are rehab jobs, the price is diminished.

These are all rehab jobs as noted earlier. It will take 2-4 years with a couple exceptions like #1 to bring these back to decent condition. All need repotting, likely complete rootwashing, replant in decent kanuma, moss up prune back, then mist frequently until 1 jour before sun down to get backbudding on trunk and branches

#1 has lost its top and will need a complete restyle which will include a cutdown and build up. There is a suspicious dark area running up the trunk. If that’s not water it means at least one of the waterlines has died back to the trunk.

#2 needs proper pruning for a couple years to push back and grow out branches with taper, restyle and build pads.

#3 Wondering about the dark area, is this water or punky wood? Cut back of all swag growth, needs proper pruning for a couple years to push back and grow out branches with taper, restyle and build pads.

#4 Shows some promise potentially. However would have to see better images. That said, same comments as above.

#5 Another push in, grow out, build pads etc

#6 Same as above.

Good luck with these. Wherever you are it would be helpful to be an azalea person to help either restore or offload these.

Cheers
DSD senda

Hey thanks for all the info, super thorough! Yes I am in Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area. The previous owner was an old japanese man who had probably +/- 30 bonsai trees in his backyard, some of which were absolutely phenomenal. After he passed away the plants were kept alive, but neglected for at least 1-2 years if not more (as you guessed). By the time I arrived, most of them were sold off, and these were the last few left. Many had also died unfortunately because they werent being watered / general neglect, which was a shame to see.

Thanks for all the advice, I will be looking to take some bonsai classes locally to learn about all the steps you covered to bring them back to health. Much appreciated!

Side note: If i did decide to place a couple of them on FB for example to cover my costs and pay for new material to restore the other ones, what do you think a fair price range would be?

 

[Piccolo]

Go submerge them all in water for a few hours to ensure they are fully hydrated. No idea on pricing, maybe $50 each... if healthier a few hundred

thank you!

 

[Piccolo]

They all seem to be azaleas. One is labeled chojuho for sure.
Calling @Deep Sea Diver

They need to be nursed to health.

yes I think thats right, thanks!

 

[rockm]

They look to be satsuki azaleas. Most if not all are in severe decline. Satsuki require specialized care. These will require specialized recovery care (controlled knowledgeable watering, overwintering repotting/soil replacement etc). You don't say where you are and that is important in their care. Winter is coming as they say and these will probably need a bit or protection from extreme cold.

Age is not really important for bonsai such as these. FWIW, They're likely not over 20 years old. Value is limited as they're probably not going to live much longer if you sell them to someone who doesn't know how to care for bonsai and satsuki in particular .

Best place to look for a buyer would be a local bonsai club.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Those are some nice looking azaleas... that need a lot of work. Right now I'm not sure I'd even call them bonsai because whatever styling they once might have had has been lost. But don't despair! Their bones are good - single trunks, decent roots (that I can see). Today you'd be able to sell them for $75 or $100 to someone who knew what they were looking at, but they'd go for more if they were healthy, styled, and in decent pots.

Satsuki azaleas are very strong plants if you care for them properly, and will develop quite quickly. Here is an example of a cutting grown tree that I have been working on. I am in the process of eliminating trunks while pushing all the strength into one trunk line.

First repot in March, 2025 (from a cutting grown bush):



Same tree 5 months later in August, 2025:



Same bush 3 years earlier in bloom (as an example of how pretty they can be), though this is just a cutting grown bush - ie no work done on it yet.

 

[Piccolo]

They look to be satsuki azaleas. Most if not all are in severe decline. Satsuki require specialized care. These will require specialized recovery care (controlled knowledgeable watering, overwintering repotting/soil replacement etc). You don't say where you are and that is important in their care. Winter is coming as they say and these will probably need a bit or protection from extreme cold.

Age is not really important for bonsai such as these. FWIW, They're likely not over 20 years old. Value is limited as they're probably not going to live much longer if you sell them to someone who doesn't know how to care for bonsai and satsuki in particular .

Best place to look for a buyer would be a local bonsai club.

thank you for your reply, I had no idea the specific knowledge per species required, good to know. I am in Northern California, USA zone 10a specifically. I will definitely be researching azalea specifics and joining local bonsai groups to learn more. It would be great to restore them to their former glory, thanks again!

 

[Piccolo]

Those are some nice looking azaleas... that need a lot of work. Right now I'm not sure I'd even call them bonsai because whatever styling they once might have had has been lost. But don't despair! Their bones are good - single trunks, decent roots (that I can see). Today you'd be able to sell them for $75 or $100 to someone who knew what they were looking at, but they'd go for more if they were healthy, styled, and in decent pots.

Satsuki azaleas are very strong plants if you care for them properly, and will develop quite quickly. Here is an example of a cutting grown tree that I have been working on. I am in the process of eliminating trunks while pushing all the strength into one trunk line.

First repot in March, 2025 (from a cutting grown bush):
View attachment 611494
View attachment 611495

Same tree 5 months later in August, 2025:

View attachment 611496

Same bush 3 years earlier in bloom (as an example of how pretty they can be), though this is just a cutting grown bush - ie no work done on it yet.
View attachment 611507

thank you for the kind words, everyone has been so helpful, and I appreciate you taking the time as well to upload photos also. the bottom photo you posted with the tree in full bloom is gorgeous, I hope to rehab these back to something close to that one day. thanks again!

 

[PaulH]

Where in NorCal are you? If you're near Sacramento I'd recommend that you visit Maruyama Bonsai Nursery and talk to owner Yuzo about your trees' care. He is our local azalea expert. Satsuki azaleas are a very specialized area of bonsai and in my experience, soil, light, and water quality are critical for success with them.

 

[rockm]

thank you for your reply, I had no idea the specific knowledge per species required, good to know. I am in Northern California, USA zone 10a specifically. I will definitely be researching azalea specifics and joining local bonsai groups to learn more. It would be great to restore them to their former glory, thanks again!

Unfortunately restoring these to what they were really isn’t possible. Extensive die back in branching and trunks takes a very very long time for satsukis to replace.

What you’re probably going to have to do is prune all back to live wood. The dead part will not return. Don’t prune until you’ve consulted with a satsuki person. Hard pruning on satsukis done wrong can cause further damage if care isn’t taken with when and where cuts are made. Any cuts to living wood also have to be sealed. Satsukis are a world of their own in bonsai requiring specialized knowledge of both bonsai maintenance and species know how.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I recommend the following book.

 

[Attmos]

Hello everyone,
I am very new to the world of bonsai, and hopefully I am asking this in the right section of the forum.

I recently came into ownership of what seem to maybe be some relatively mature bonsai trees from an estate sale. I had a chance to buy them for what seemed to me like a good price, and having always been fascinated by the beauty of bonsai trees, I decided to pull the trigger.

From what I know the plants were unattended to for a while after the original owner passed away, so I'm sure they will need some care to restore them, which I hope to learn.

If anyone could help with the following two questions that would be greatly, greatly appreciated: How old they might be, and what they might be worth. It seems that estimating a bonsai tree is extremely subjective, but if anyone with experience / insight could offer what they think are fair / realistic values that would be very appreciated.

There are 6 of them in total, and each photo is numbered for clarity. Thank you for reading!

Way to jump in with both feet... lol

 

[River's Edge]

Satsuki Azalea can be redeveloped from overgrown poorly developed forms to better Bonsai over time. Here are two of mine showing what was started with and what they currently look like. Fifteen years has passed since they were dug out of the landscape. keep in mind that they were healthy when they were dug up and did not require bringing them back to health before beginning. Both plants were three to four feet tall when dug out of the landscape, As Bonsai they are 18inches the red one and fifteen inches the white/pink one. As others have mentioned some extra skills and knowledge is needed but they can be very rewarding Bonsai material. Not finished and fully refined but they are moving in that direction. The last branch/pad on the red one is developing from a thread graft as were the rest of the pads on that specimen except the uppermost branch.
The book posted above is an excellent starting point.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Side note: If i did decide to place a couple of them on FB for example to cover my costs and pay for new material to restore the other ones, what do you think a fair price range would be?

Gosh, I can’t do that without a lot more images and information. If you are in the Bay Area, there is a Satsuki expert by the name of Darren Wong who is in the industry the Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai which meets at the Lake Merritt facility. He has trained with the Japanese Satsuki master Nakayama for many, many years. The club has many really good Satsuki folks. This is one of the best Satsuki clubs around. Sacramento also had a really good Satsuki bunch btw.

Folks have sent you a lot of really good information. My advice (free, take it for what it’s worth) if you are interested in Satsuki, these are excellent training material that could almost all be made much better and worth much more if you had the patience and desire.

Best
DSD sends