How is “love my bonsai” still a thing???

[Cadillactaste]

Some of my best material came from ebay. But you have got to know your seller. There are probably a half dozen whom I would buy from without hesitation. One that I always hesitate with because he knows his trees but does not understand how shipping or listing terms work. The rest, well yeah, you have to get comfortable first.

Absolutely agree. The guy I got my bougainvillea from. Honest to the core. He listed it when it was not safe to ship north...I sent him a message...and he pulled the listing. Would not take anything down...and when safe to ship. Relisted with my knowing what time I would be active. Sent me email photos of the tree while I waited for the season to ship was so far out. An amazing seller... and priced fare. That was early days...when I didn't buy material over $100. now look at it.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I got some nice tools for good prices on eBay. But yeah you have to have your scammer radar on.

Do you have any tips on the forsythia? That may be less common? Like on controlling the growth.

It is literally a clump right now but I just put it in a container to recover before anything else major is done. And I made up my mind in what to do with it.

Have you come across any hollow branches? They need cut paste on the tips so moisture doesn't rot the branch.
Don't be afraid to pinch the new growth once you get your shape/structure built. This will prevent the hollow branches. By nipping them early in development.

 

[BrightsideB]

Have you come across any hollow branches? They need cut paste on the tips so moisture doesn't rot the branch.
Don't be afraid to pinch the new growth once you get your shape/structure built. This will prevent the hollow branches. By nipping them early in development.

They were shrubs in the front yard and I cut it down to the base because I knew I wanted to remove a few of them. There were many hallow branches and some rotted. But it is looking good now. The clump is probably 12 inches wide. I’ll keep the punching in mind once I get it to the next stage.

 

[Brandocrates]

71-year-old Red Dragon Japanese Maple for $4,000 on Etsy.

Etsy.com - 71-year-old Red Dragon Japanese Maple

 

[rockm]

71-year-old Red Dragon Japanese Maple for $4,000 on Etsy.

Etsy.com - 71-year-old Red Dragon Japanese Maple

View attachment 478105

The price went up $5,500 The age stayed the same though

 

[ShadyStump]

Same shit, different day.
It's still shit, though.

Yes, buyer beware, but also seller be judged, outed, ridiculed, and shamed. These are the natural consequences of doing crooked business, and no one should protect them from it else run the risk of encouraging the practice.
Of course, nothing says you have to participate in the riot either.

 

[Npr90irl]

The primary problem with me is the lie about the age. It’s false advertising. I understand your attitude toward these types of salesman. I think it’s legitimate to criticize this behavior in the marketplace.

Exactly. And most of the people who would even consider buying this, have no experience with trees. They just want to have a few tiny trees in pots in their backyard or whatever. I understand they are buying it of their own volition, but they’re still being lied to and cheated.

 

[Npr90irl]

I want to make very clear I’m not dogging eBay at all. I have bought most of my trees on eBay. But buying Pinus parviflora seedlings from cedar rose nursery is very different from specifically these listings everyone has added to the thread. I just think it blows because whether we realize or not, these listings are increasing the price for actual trees in refinement.

 

[dbonsaiw]

71-year-old Red Dragon Japanese Maple for $4,000 on Etsy.

So if I trunk chop, will I see 71 rings?

 

[Cajunrider]

So if I trunk chop, will I see 71 rings?

142 rings usually. A thick one for spring/summer and a thin one fall/winter.

 

[Npr90irl]

So if I trunk chop, will I see 71 rings?

That’s exactly what I would like the outcome of this to be. Anytime someone is on eBay or Etsy send the sellers questions like that. Sitting idly by while mafks get ripped off sucks.

 

[Mikecheck123]

The guy at that roadside stand who sold me my first Chinese elm in 2014 told me it was 20 years old.

I now only have to wait about 7 years for that to be no longer false.

 

[19Mateo83]

The primary problem with me is the lie about the age. It’s false advertising. I understand your attitude toward these types of salesman. I think it’s legitimate to criticize this behavior in the marketplace.

That’s like the eBay seller claiming that a product is USA stock or is USA seller that ships from the USA. Take a closer look at the seller and their location is China. Nine times out of ten the item ships directly from China, takes forever to arrive and is a inferior, cheap Chinese knock off. They will even put “USA stock” on the picture. It’s all about how get your money.