Thoughts on Today's Bonsai Mirai Tree Sale?

[JudyB]

Devil's advocate.. The more part of the tree die-off on the way, the better the tree becomes for bonsai.

In the end, you want nurseries that are not large-scale professional growers for trade. You want the mom-and-pop nursery growing they own trees and then find their stock-tree, or forgotten plant in the corner. Not the commercial hedging material. (Although I did make a nice formal upright of a nuersry stock yew-for-hedges)

LOL, typing at the same moment...

 

[leatherback]

LOL, typing at the same moment...

hehehe, and fortunately agreeing!

 

[Timarsen]

Hm.. Is the pot that valuable? Or do I own a very valuable amur without knowing it?

Here's a 9cm Tom Benda pot from the European Bonsai Potter's Collective for £225.00. Seems to me like you're more interested in drawing attention to the fact that you sell trees, than you are about evaluating the quality of Ryan Neil's trees.

 

[leatherback]

Here's a 9cm Tom Benda pot from the European Bonsai Potter's Collective for £225.00. Seems to me like you're more interested in drawing attention to the fact that you sell trees, than you are about evaluating the quality of Ryan Neil's trees.

I doubt anybody here is interested in my trees. Not the least while most members live in places where I will never send my trees due to restrictions. Doesn't everyone sell trees?

Is this a thread evaluating the quality of Ryans' trees? I thought is was in general about the ideas of such sales. My idea is that I am shocked at the prices.
Sorry. I am a simple being.

 

[Timarsen]

But you see, the type of tree they build for the nursery business is not something that has much value for us in the bonsai world. That is why the old mom and pops were the place to find trees that could be made into bonsai with character. I mean most deciduous has nothing but a phone pole trunk in the nursery biz...

Maybe you weren't following the thread, Mirai did this video specifically to help beginners who don't have access to (or the wallet for) pre-bonsai material and wanted to make a tree from nursery stock. So if you're starting your search from that angle, being in the nursery capital of the US certainly helps you have more access to a wider variety of material at a better price point than being anywhere else.

 

[leatherback]

Here's an Amur Maple I snagged last year in a Tom Benda pot for $350 (crappy photography is mine):

Hm.. Seems to me you are more interested in drawing attention to the fact that you own an expensive pot, than that you are interested in evaluating Ryan Neils trees.

 

[Timarsen]

Hm.. Seems to me you are more interested in drawing attention to the fact that you own an expensive pot, than that you are interested in evaluating Ryan Neils trees.

Or that someone asked what a $350 tree from Mirai looks like and I happened to have one... but yes, I'm pretty proud of that pot... and probably just as snarky as you on online forums...

 

[leatherback]

and probably just as snarky as you on online forums.

Oh not really. I am just not overly impressed when people are new to a forum and start telling -multiple- long term members on a form off and smart-assing them.

 

[leatherback]

Seen these prices already?

Bonsai.de SHOP, Bonsai, Nadelbäume

Besides the trees at my senseis shop, this is a place I like for trees. Seems like there is room for a pricelift there!

Outdoor Bonsai Trees for Sale from Kaizen Bonsai

A selection of Outdoor bonsai trees are offered in this section of the web site, all our selection of trees are winter hardy incl Elm, Pivet, Shohin & Mulberry

www.kaizenbonsai.com

 

[Timarsen]

Oh not really. I am just not overly impressed when people are new to a forum and start telling -multiple- long term members on a form off and smart-assing them.

Maybe you'd get more respect if your contribution in this thread wasn't just being "amazed" that the market rate for bonsai tree could differ from Germany to the US and tree shaming a new member for a tree they bought? I was just trying to make nice, but looking over your website and your contributions to this forum I'm not really impressed and I'm kinda "amazed" at the amount you charge for your "trees"

 

[zanduh]

That Trident forest being 2000 USD is very surprising. That's honestly the first time I've thought "Oh I like the pot though!"

 

[Kadebe]

Besides the trees at my senseis shop, this is a place I like for trees. Seems like there is room for a pricelift there!

Outdoor Bonsai Trees for Sale from Kaizen Bonsai

A selection of Outdoor bonsai trees are offered in this section of the web site, all our selection of trees are winter hardy incl Elm, Pivet, Shohin & Mulberry

www.kaizenbonsai.com

Yup, looks much cheaper than Ryans

 

[leatherback]

Yup, looks much cheaper than Ryans

Of course, this is raw stock. But lets be honest, half of the fun is coming up with a design.

 

[JudyB]

Maybe you weren't following the thread, Mirai did this video specifically to help beginners who don't have access to (or the wallet for) pre-bonsai material and wanted to make a tree from nursery stock. So if you're starting your search from that angle, being in the nursery capital of the US certainly helps you have more access to a wider variety of material at a better price point than being anywhere else.

Of course I’m following the thread, why else would I post? You are missing the point of my post. Did you see the word character there? I don’t care how many big corporate nurseries you are near, they rarely have anything that has the type of character that an old neglected beat up broken down mom and pop nursery tree has. But you may be too young and new to even remember those types of places...

 

[coh]

Of course I’m following the thread, why else would I post? You are missing the point of my post. Did you see the word character there? I don’t care how many big corporate nurseries you are near, they rarely have anything that has the type of character that an old neglected beat up broken down mom and pop nursery tree has. But you may be too young and new to even remember those types of places...

I remember. Those mom n pop nurseries started disappearing (or the disappearance seemed to accelerate) about the time I got into bonsai.

Every so often something with character shows up at a modern nursery. A couple of years ago I came across a batch of hinokis that were ridiculously cheap (end of season sale). Problem was, they were BIG and heavy, but they had some trunk movement and good branching (plus small foliage). I would have to have them delivered which would add significantly to the cost. I agonized about it, left...then decided to go for it. By the time I got back the next day they were gone. Turns out someone from the Bonsai club bought them for his yard.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I was becoming depressed earlier about how everything I see today is people arguing politics.

Then I just read through seven pages of this thread.

Fuck it. I love you guys.

 

[Dav4]

I was becoming depressed earlier about how everything I see today is people arguing politics.

Then I just read through seven pages of this thread.

Fuck it. I love you guys.

Yup, I'll take the B'nut BS every day and twice on Sundays verses the crap you see on FB and the news networks.

 

[Ohmy222]

Now all sale trees are reposted I will say I like almost all of them except the trident forest. I stated it earlier but looks like a beginner put it together. Might be somewhat valuable if you factor in the beautiful pot and quantity of trees but stylistically lacking. I love the cork oak, Ponderosa #5, and Ponderosa #1 the most. That drooping branch on Poderosa #1 is beautiful but I am a sucker from drooping branches. Oddly enough, the nursery stock tree is pretty beautiful and one of my favorites. I like the audacity of the eye poking branch of JBP 5. I am ok with the pricing. Don't agree with all but not crazy to me. I think the $350 trees might be the biggest ripoff. They are just whips for the most part.

 

[Thomas Mitchell]

Now all sale trees are reposted I will say I like almost all of them except the trident forest. I stated it earlier but looks like a beginner put it together. Might be somewhat valuable if you factor in the beautiful pot and quantity of trees but stylistically lacking. I love the cork oak, Ponderosa #5, and Ponderosa #1 the most. That drooping branch on Poderosa #1 is beautiful but I am a sucker from drooping branches. Oddly enough, the nursery stock tree is pretty beautiful and one of my favorites. I like the audacity of the eye poking branch of JBP 5. I am ok with the pricing. Don't agree with all but not crazy to me. I think the $350 trees might be the biggest ripoff. They are just whips for the most part.

Our tastes are similar. I ended up purchasing Ponderosa #1.

I took a 20+ year hiatus from bonsai after I returned from living in Japan due to family commitments. Now that I have the resources to devote to the practice, I don't have the time. Meaning - I do have the time each day but being in my mid-50s, I don't have a timeline to support long tree development processes and still have time to enjoy the finished trees. I wanted at least one 'specimen' western pine, preferably Ponderosa, to enjoy while I spend the rest of my days developing my own trees that other people will likely be the ones enjoying in their mature state.

 

[Ohmy222]

Our tastes are similar. I ended up purchasing Ponderosa #1.

I took a 20+ year hiatus from bonsai after I returned from living in Japan due to family commitments. Now that I have the resources to devote to the practice, I don't have the time. Meaning - I do have the time each day but being in my mid-50s, I don't have a timeline to support long tree development processes and still have time to enjoy the finished trees. I wanted at least one 'specimen' western pine, preferably Ponderosa, to enjoy while I spend the rest of my days developing my own trees that other people will likely be the ones enjoying in their mature state.

Please keep a thread on here to chronicle. Wonderful choice!