What did it cost?

Another year, another thought:
"How much is it worth?", is the #1 question I heard from museum guests while serving as a docent at the Pacific Bonsai Museum. I finally began to paraphrase a line from the English philosopher John Ruskin; '...the price is always determined only by what the buyer is willing to pay and the seller is willing to accept. Since this tree is not for sale, you could almost think it's priceless.' That seemed to satisfy most museum guests.
I did sometimes wonder if I own any "priceless" trees. (Notice I said, "priceless", not "invaluable" or even "good bonsai".) After a very short reflection, I do.
Do you???
 
Without sounding judgmental toward the hobby I love, serious Bonsai is a rich man's hobby.
I can see why you say that. Most of us will never have tress like a few here do have. On the otherhand, I love what I do have. I think the most I have spent on a single tree is $135. I have spent more than that on a pot.
 
As a beginner in this beautyfull hobby I can tell you Ive never been really interrested in knowing the price of trees as I take them for what they are, living art pieces.
For now Im simply enjoying the process of working on trees.
I must admit I was really spoiled by life, far from being a billionaire but when Im doing hobbies money is usually not an issue.
With bonsai I just can't see myself buying a "finished" or my vision of a finished tree as I wouldnt be proud of showing it.
A tree cant be produced or assembled and each of them is unique thats why most of the more advanced material I see on the forum has no price monetary, so why asking...
Even if a very nice tree was given to me I probably wouldnt accept it just for the fact I dont have enought experience, which means I dont deserve it.
I could buy nice quality tree and get experience working on this kind of material but for now I prefer working on tree I save here and there and enjoy the transformation process.
 
You tell your wife?:eek: We have a don't ask don't tell rule here. 😇
She has her account, I have mine. As long as the bills are paid and money is in the bank there’s no issues. She’s encouraged me to go get better stock. She’s been to JudyB’s with me a couple of time so she’s seen quality bonsai…she understands that good stuff cost good money sometimes. My wife is pretty awesome, she has her own hobbies she spends money on. She’s really cool about that stuff…I assure you that bonsai hasn’t yet touched what I’ve spent on stereo equipment or exotic snakes
 
She has her account, I have mine. As long as the bills are paid and money is in the bank there’s no issues. She’s encouraged me to go get better stock. She’s been to JudyB’s with me a couple of time so she’s seen quality bonsai…she understands that good stuff cost good money sometimes. My wife is pretty awesome, she has her own hobbies she spends money on. She’s really cool about that stuff…I assure you that bonsai hasn’t yet touched what I’ve spent on stereo equipment or exotic snakes
My wife has only one hobby, tree climbing. Other than good climbing gear, she will not spend money on anything except maintaining what we have. One thing for certain though, the way she hoards money, I am taken care of. But if I want something that I don't Really need, I have to make it work on my own. I have had a lot of things I don't really need over the years but I am simplifying and minimalism. Its just plants and pottery now.
Funny how many people here have reef tanks or snakes. I am down to two aquariums now, I used to have about 14 including large ones like 120, 125 and150 gallon. The room I use for many of my tropical trees used to be a reptile room where I bread Bearded Dragons, and a variety of Kingsnakes, Milksnakes and Ratsnakes, mostly Corn.
Good for you, that's great. My husband is pretty awesome too, but I prefer to keep a little mystery in our relationship:p.
That's the ticket. Ain't it great.
 
65 gal reef tank aquarium keeper here. I had to give up the 1/4in Acropora nub pricing war. lol. I now have a beautiful moving tank full of soft coral. A lot less stress as well.
 
She has her account, I have mine.
Same here. Add a shared account for day to day living and each has an account for "own stuff". Which for us means horsy stuff and bonsai stuff. Never any arguments over money.

With bonsai I just can't see myself buying a "finished" or my vision of a finished tree as I wouldnt be proud of showing it.
Does not have to be a finished tree to be costly. Good stock goes well into the thousands.
 
65 gal reef tank aquarium keeper here. I had to give up the 1/4in Acropora nub pricing war. lol. I now have a beautiful moving tank full of soft coral. A lot less stress as well.
20 gal temperate salt water tank. Everything in there I collected myself in The Netherlands (mainly anemones).
Just like with bonsai you can go crazy or have a lot of fun doing it cheaper.
Most expensive things I have for bonsai are quite cheap tools and low end pots (10-50 dollar).

I do not think Bonsai is necessarily an expensive hobby. If you want well developed trees quickly you'll pay. If you develop them yourself it is cheap, unless you count time.
 
65 gal reef tank aquarium keeper here. I had to give up the 1/4in Acropora nub pricing war. lol. I now have a beautiful moving tank full of soft coral. A lot less stress as well.
That’s familiar. I am satisfied with a few sticks and plenty of time. It’s not unlike bonsai in that regard. It costs time or money, take your pick.
BFC21D81-9C3E-4E76-956C-E22EB2C13D72.jpeg0DBD13E7-0BA9-449B-88BC-75F65FF1B78E.jpegDDFE880E-BCB2-4BC4-BDE9-795DD96A602C.jpeg8AD7DFC9-8AF8-42B8-853B-818913B9A365.jpeg
 
I can see why you say that. Most of us will never have tress like a few here do have. On the otherhand, I love what I do have. I think the most I have spent on a single tree is $135. I have spent more than that on a pot.
At times (many times) I catch myself wishing I could go purchase a $4.000 tree. At my age (73) and considering where I live, it is my only hope of having a noteworthy tree. It helps that You almost can't import from outside the USA. It would be painful if Japanese and European trees were in everyone else's collection and not mine. I do love this hobby though and daydreaming hasn't become a taxable vice yet.
 
I'm reluctant to share my expensive stuff online because I don't want my stuff stolen. I would be devastated to have some of my tress disappear.
We lived in Birmingham, AL many years back. The botanical garden there had a very nice Japanese garden, with a wonderful Donor gifted Bonsai collection. They were displayed on open tables, under a Japanese style pavilion, right beside a city street separated by only a few feet and a tall fence. One night, someone parked beside and climbed the fence, then took maybe 10 of the very best bonsai in the collection. I guess they knew what they were doing, because they took the most valuable pieces. Now the collection is much smaller, and the benches are enclosed with burglar bar cages. Really sad loss for the garden. Always wondered where (to whom) the trees were sold.
 
While acting as a sort of docent at our club show last October the two most asked questions were “Hold old is it”, and “How much is it”.

I like to answer for price in years spent in training. It’s worth however much 20 years of your time and hard work is worth.
 
Price is always a question for people unfamiliar with bonsai, and with a lot of other stuff they're not familiar with. People make all kinds of assumptions about sky-high values of exotic things they don't see every day.

I have fielded question dozens of times about all my bull terriers, along with my trees. IMO, It's not a polite question to ask in ANY circumstance unless you have known me personally for a while, or you're going to make me a firm offer to buy whatever you're asking about. Call me old fashioned, but those details aren't any of your business. I have trees that cost me $3 and trees that cost me over $900. Their actual worth is very hard to pin down.

If asked out of the blue by someone I don't know about what a tree --or my dogs--cost, I assume they could be a thief--bull terriers and bonsai are stolen all the time. It puts me on guard and makes me cautious about talking any further. You may be asking innocently enough, but consider the position you're putting the owner of whatever you're asking about in. There is no terrific up side for them in their answer, only a down side.

I try not to be rude in response, I sometimes deflect with "how much you got on ya?," or "they're not as expensive as you might think"
 
We lived in Birmingham, AL many years back. The botanical garden there had a very nice Japanese garden, with a wonderful Donor gifted Bonsai collection. They were displayed on open tables, under a Japanese style pavilion, right beside a city street separated by only a few feet and a tall fence. One night, someone parked beside and climbed the fence, then took maybe 10 of the very best bonsai in the collection. I guess they knew what they were doing, because they took the most valuable pieces. Now the collection is much smaller, and the benches are enclosed with burglar bar cages. Really sad loss for the garden. Always wondered where (to whom) the trees were sold.
About that pavilion, it’s now a fairy garden or maybe a miniature railroad garden. It’s a shame, and was a disappointing surprise to the bonsai club, since one of the early club members actually donated the money to build it to house bonsai.

The problem was that the garden was responsible for daily care/watering, but the garden’s employees actually work for the city of Birmingham. Nobody actually had to water, since the cages were under an automatic watering system. They just needed to check each day that they had been watered. Several years ago, we were in a draught, and all watering systems were shut off by the city. It took a few weeks for the club to become aware of the issue, and by that point many trees were damaged and some were killed.

The club met with the gardens and they were unable to guarantee watering, so we made the decision to move the trees to members’ homes to receive rehab and care. Once the draught ended, we would reopen the discussion with the gardens about moving trees in. Which we did, and still we had times where water would be shut off and we would arrive to find dead trees. So they were moved out again, at the objection of the gardens. Over time, we decided to sell the trees and hold the money in preparation for building a new collection when the gardens were able to ensure a constant water supply.

Here are some of those trees from back then.
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The club always participated in the Cherry Blossom festival, and we would solicit members to bring trees to display in the pavilion, since the pavilion was in the Japanese Garden area, and so were many of the cherry trees. One year (2017?), a bunch of members showed up to display trees, and lo and behold, all the cages had been cut down, and little plants had been inserted in the gravel beds. No more bonsai pavilion. No notice. The “powers that be” must have gotten word that the trees were sold, and decided to commandeer the pavilion for other use.

Recently, one of our members has established a new bonsai garden at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover. I have not been, but have heard the display is nice.
 
I respect all the views expressed here. Truly, if you have a bonsai or a hundred bonsai, there is no reason why you should share any information regarding it that you don't wish to share. I get that.
I guess I am a throwback. If you visit my house I don't mind telling you the price I paid for any item, bonsai or otherwise. It simply makes no difference to me.
When spring rolls anyone who wishes to can come by for a visit and test me on this. I guess I am kind of an open book. Not necessarily a good book and certainly a flawed book, and not particularly easy to understand.
 
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