Crazy Ficus nursery

[Cajunrider]

That's nothing. I've got a Fukien Tree from Home Depot that I am demanding $1 million for

No one cares what someone is asking for an item. They are only interested what they sell for. I'd be surprised if that topiary sold for $3000... which in Vietnam is an average annual salary. Do you think they have 2000 man hours into it (one year's labor)?

You don't understand. The communist officials are crazy rich. Imperial sized Ochna integerrima bonsai often sold for $80 to $100K easy over there, most particularly at New Year's (Tet) when they have flowers at the exact right time. This crazy ficus may not sell for $300K USD but I can see someone there spending $100K for it.

 

[Cajunrider]

You don't understand. The communist officials are crazy rich. Imperial sized Ochna integerrima bonsai often sold for $80 to $100K easy over there, most particularly at New Year's (Tet) when they have flowers at the exact right time. This crazy ficus may not sell for $300K USD but I can see someone there spending $100K for it.

Case in point. This video show the buyer who spent more than $1 million for this tree.

 

[rockm]

I tend to agree. The Southeast Asian market is an entire subculture of bonsai. I don't begin to understand it, but large intricate trees often bring high value. It's seems to be more of a status market than in Japan from what I've seen. The market in China for a lot of things may help set the stage for the rest of Asia. Chinese antiques, for instance, remain hot commodities there.

 

[Cajunrider]

I tend to agree. The South Asian market is an entire subculture of bonsai. I don't begin to understand it, but large intricate trees often bring high value. It's seems to be more of a status market than in Japan from what I've seen. The market in China for a lot of things may help set the stage for the rest of Asia. Chinese antiques, for instance, remain hot commodities there.

Bingo!
Some of the buyers have little knowledge of Hon Non Bo or Bonsai. They buy it and hire someone to take care of it. It is just one show piece in their yard which is often littered with many similar objects.

 

[ShadyStump]

This make a little more sense now that I think about it.
Several years ago we were looking around for a cheap fixer-upper house to buy. We found a big place by accident on an acre with irrigation, and two bedroom mother-in-law cottage, but the price wasn't listed. We called and set up an appointment to look at it.
The main house had obviously not been lived in or maintained for at least a decade or more. The roof was collapsing in so bad you could see daylight through it, there was water and weather damage everywhere, the foundation seemed ok, but there were mature trees growing right on it.
The owner was widowed Chinese immigrant, and she was asking $280K for it. The market at the time would've paid the value of the land only, but even if the house and land were in perfect condition it would've gone for $200K max. My (then) wife, who has some knowledge and experience with realestate discussed it with the realtor while I listened.
The woman was more interested in telling people that she owned a big house and what she was asking for it than she actually was in the house.

In this ficus nursery context, the sellers are getting as much prestige from the prices they're asking as they are from the money they actually get in sales. They can claim it's a $300K tree, and say that the buyer was a cheapskate for only paying $10K, or that they themselves gave it at a discount to be nice since their business is so successful. Meanwhile, the buyer can claim that he's such a great negotiator that he got a $300K tree for only $10K. High price tags that no one will pay become a socially mutual benefit.
You're either an idiot or an asshole for asking what you expect to get out of the tree and sticking to it because you didn't play the game with everyone else.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

You don't understand.

Oh, I understand. The problem is, I understand too well. They need to find more people a little lower on the understanding scale

 

[Cajunrider]

Oh, I understand. The problem is, I understand too well. They need to find more people a little lower on the understanding scale

Then you know the situation in communist countries much better than the average person in the US.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Of course the "classic" Ficus ginseng

 

[ShadyStump]

Gives you an idea of how those industrial level nurseries get things done. I really should look into it more. I have just enough space to potentially be able to make some decent money on the side if I could make efficient use of what I have.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Gives you an idea of how those industrial level nurseries get things done. I really should look into it more. I have just enough space to potentially be able to make some decent money on the side if I could make efficient use of what I have.

Look at the nursery business. Look at what sells, and who's buying, and how much labor is required to create the product.

At least in the US, the market for twisty Dr. Seuss trees that cost thousands of dollars is probably very limited. I wouldn't want to bet my livelihood on it...

 

[Lorax7]

Look at the nursery business. Look at what sells, and who's buying, and how much labor is required to create the product.

At least in the US, the market for twisty Dr. Seuss trees that cost thousands of dollars is probably very limited. I wouldn't want to bet my livelihood on it...

Also, there are all of the issues that go along with art markets. The number of people who will see the artwork is very limited, if we’re talking about in-person sales at shows, etc. The Internet can greatly increase the number of people who see the artwork and have the opportunity to buy it, but the cost of shipping and any platform commission (eBay, Etsy, or whatever) raises your prices and shipping bonsai is particularly expensive.

To make a sale, you need to have the right person see your artwork, love that specific one enough to want to take it home with them, have the disposable income to be able to afford the purchase at that specific moment in time, have a desire to purchase it that is greater than their desire to spend that money on any competing alternative goods or services, agree that it’s worth what you are asking for it (including whatever it costs to ship it, if it’s an Internet sale), etc. Often, the result is that you show your artwork, people love it and specifically tell you that they love it, but it goes back home with you because most of the people who love it can’t afford it or have other priorities that take precedence. Selling art is hard.

 

[ShadyStump]

Look at the nursery business. Look at what sells, and who's buying, and how much labor is required to create the product.

At least in the US, the market for twisty Dr. Seuss trees that cost thousands of dollars is probably very limited. I wouldn't want to bet my livelihood on it...

Oh, I wasn't going there. Don't have THAT much space, but enough to cover the Christmas fund with house plants and garden starts. I've just never done anything of scale before, and can only afford so much of a learning curve.

One idea I had was making and selling bonsai herb pots, with things like rosemary, thyme and sage bonsai planted together in homemade hypertufa pots, with chive and parsley kusimono. Figured they'd be a hit at the farmers' market. Bonsai only in the same sense as mallsai, but also countertop herb gardens that the buyer can care for and style as they eat it. Not a product for most actual bonsai people because they can make their own cheaper.
If I started a bunch this spring I'd be at least 3 to 5 years away from anything great, but I could also move just regular herb pots in the mean time.