I guess I'm a snob---- the reverse kind

[PaulH]

For most of the forty plus years that I've been playing with bonsai I was, by necessity, frugal. Raising kids and getting them educated on the unpredictable self employed income didn't leave me "fun money". My trees were almost all
acquired on the cheap. I did a lot of collecting, seedlings, cuttings, and air layers. While few of those trees were high quality show trees, I loved the process.
Now, at 74 and retired, I can see that the future is finite. I now can afford to buy some nice pots and trees with far more refinement than I have time to accomplish. I enjoy them immensely.
That said, the majority of my collection have been with me for years and the value of that is tremendous.

 

[vancehanna]

Whoa! What a journey!
Ditto above for all the poor folks… started with seedlings or roughed it out in the Michigan forests AND Urban environs seeing bulldozers ripping old junipers that obviously were there in the teens of the previous century..hah and yes buying some up scale pots when I could. But for the soil… frankly after 50 yrs of successful growing I use what I found in Bonsai for Americans by George F Hull still works!
Tools are another story! When I knew that as a cutting tool company my dad had for the automotives : quality was not neglected: I became a Masakuni distributor and from the profits bought my own set!
Finally ended up taking a pottery class and now stuck with the passion.
Have bought a few very expensive (600-1000$ trees ) but they are not my best trees….
Am few months from 80 and think I might just buy a few Shohin size for a treat!
Life’s a journey. I find great joy in seeing that I could manage a specimen from seedling to Exhibition quality in those 50 yrs . And my namesake Vance Wood ( God rest his sole) and I had this discussion many times speaking about checkbook artists that buy their way into “shows” and the like!
So be it as at the end of the road it’s what you have done not what you spent($).

 

[JRidge]

I LOVE saving money. Means you can do more of the hobbies you love! I plant my bonsai in whatever pot fits, whatever I have for soil as long as it drains..reuse soil, wire etc.
Most of my pots are from thrift stores or gifts from people…who have found them at thrift stores.
That being said… I am at the point with a couple of trees that I collected and some that I have had for so long that I want to put them in a better pot because I want them at that next level! Even if it is just MY next level. I also want them to be in that vessel for 4-6 seasons or even longer between repots and I just can’t get away with that with wooden boxes, concrete mixing trays or even cheap pots.
I will continue to be frugal, collect what I can and only buy what I need to…. Which sometimes might be a pot to fit a massive subpar Yamadori that has grown literally into its box.

I am thankful for those that are able to spend money on trees that have been passed through multiple hands, or collected by the great collectors, to further refine and those who can splurge on some of the beautiful pots out there that I just can’t afford but I admire greatly! It pushes the art to the levels that are possible and I for one love to look at that for inspiration - when I’m not looking to nature for it.

 

[PastryBaker]

I think it as expensive as you want it to be. If you only want designer pots, then get them. Or very rare species. One can have fulfillment from a couple nice trees in regular pots. To me the joy comes from watching something grow and turn into something artistic in one's eye.
I used to produce music as a hobby. I really really wanted to have lots of hits etc. And I would try and make it fit and follow everyone else.
But what I found out was I liked making music I liked...not someone else.
SO with bonsai it is your own journey. Just like certain people only want to grow Shohin or Mame. And others want the big trees. Follow what you want.
Go to the beat of your own chopstick !!
There are lots of other hobbies that are way more expensive,,,Polo anyone...lol

 

[Gabler]

But for the soil… frankly after 50 yrs of successful growing I use what I found in Bonsai for Americans by George F Hull still works!

What do you use?

 

[vancehanna]

What do you use?

Hi Gabler,
Back in '71 the best and cheapest components were outlined by Hull and others as: sifted chicken grit. amd turkey grit for the larger (available at a local farm supply store) Turface, the material used to build up a base ball diamond mound for pitcher et al, and leaf mold. 1/3 each.
I have pretty much used that general receipt for the past 50yrs with great success, and over the past 15 or so for most of the collection especially young and certainly deciduous species. However for my pines I transitioned into nearly -0-~5% leaf mold ( organic materials). I also have included when available, volcanic crushed as a 1/3 of the 1/3 grit. For the larger trees 35" [90cm] with nebari 2" at ~ 5" [5cm ~13cm](which is about half the collection.

All is fully sifted to remove all dust/.3mm debris. Drainage is the final determination. I end up with three sizes of mix:
1.) 3~4mm
2.) 2~2.5mm
3.) 1~1.5mm
Basically my collection is supported by fertilizer. And that's another story altogether!
Been working for me for the past 50years and I do not see the reason to change a thing. I have massive root systems that looks the the proverbial 'furnace filter' on all my trees.

Again, on the cheap....as a young bonsai guy... here's some documentation on several repots over the years.... deciduous and conifers as well showing ramification of root systems.
The first is an older quite large collected Umlus, next is Ginko, then Japanese Black Pine, Korean Hornbeam, Korean Hornbeam and collected Juniper

Hope this helps to begin to sort out why and how we all spend money on some materials either for strictly the 'go of it' or yes for the snob appeal.