What is the big deal on giving the price of how much one paid for a tree.

[Smoke]

I absolutely do not have a problem telling anyone, either here or in person how much I paid for a tree. In fact I find it especially rewarding when I can turn a piece of crap into something much better for a very small price.

I don't pay much, relatively speaking, for my material. Now I know that there are those in flyover states and eastern states that pay three times as much as what I would pay for the same thing here in California.

I was recently reading some older threads and people would ask what one paid for the tree they were working on, and they would get all kinds of answers like, I'll PM you the price, or ignored entirely, or "not much" or etc., etc.

I find the price of a piece of material to be helpful in;

1. what material is going for around the country
2. what people with knowledge background are willing to spend, (helpful when offering help in looking for material, or helpful when telling someone to look for something better.

This also goes for those that come here seeking advice on finding material. When asked what their budget is...the silence can be deafening. Just shoot it out there. No one is going to laugh because your budget is 50.00 for a tree. You will get some feedback on what you think you can get for 50.00 but that's part of what this forum is all about.
What up with this?

 

[milehigh_7]

You are 100% right. Especially when the pat answer is normally "buy better material". Obviously, that does not equal spend more money as you can spend a bunch of money and still wind up with crap.

 

[Shima]

It's something about..."oh we don't want to talk about money here. That's bad form. Looking down the nose. Sniff.

 

[shinmai]

Some of the most magnificent trees I've seen were collected for free in the wild, or salvaged from landscaping that was being replaced. And as new as I am, I've seen what to me, at least, seem like exaggerated, overblown, aesthetically crappy trees that people are proud to have paid a fortune for.

 

[leatherback]

maybe people are slighty embarassed to admit they gotsucked into paying more than they know it is really worth? Or people are just not into sharing online what they spend on trees. In a way, there is a risk in exposing these things online.

 

[shinmai]

To Smoke's point about turning a piece of crap into something better, Burgess Meredith had a line in one of the 'Grumpy Old Men' movies about turning chicken $#!+ into chicken salad. I've had a world of enjoyment, and learned a lot, from my very first purchase, a $12.95 Home Depot rhododendron azalea.

To shima's excellent observation, I believe it was Thomas Aquinas who wrote that 'the most dangerous failing of all is humility, because it is such a close cousin to pride'.
Or it might have been Mr. Miyagi.

 

[Dav4]

The only time I'm reluctant to list an exact purchase price for a tree is when I feel... or know... that it will piss off the seller and/or put them in a bad position with other potential clients.

 

[Jake]

I've happily overpaid for a tree before. At the end of the day what's £30 for something you like and will get satisfaction from for potentially a lifetime- regardless of it being "worth" 20.

I think a lot of people would be wary of having more experienced enthusiasts pointing out that a "better" specimen could have been sourced cheaper. It could also be embarassing justifying that you are prepared to spend, or not bothered by spending, significantly more money than others.

Each to their own though. A tree is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it.

 

[Anthony]

Back in the 80's locally purchased junipers 4" pots - less than $ 4.00 US
today ------ ha ha - $ 20.00 US with the words ----- Pre-bonsai written on the price.

Sorry Al, seeds / cuttings and roadside cut downs.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[miker]

I could see being hesitant to state on a public forum that I did, would (or could) pay 5 figures for a single tree. I, of course, could never come even close, but maybe at a certain level, it would become bad form. What would be the response, for example, if a forum member admitted to paying $86,000 for a killer JWP with an interesting history? Or $168,000 for an ancient yamadori specimen from Japan, originally collected almost a century ago?

 

[milehigh_7]

The only time I'm reluctant to list an exact purchase price for a tree is when I feel... or know... that it will piss off the seller and/or put them in a bad position with other potential clients.

This is also a very good point.

 

[jacob letoile]

Back in the 80's locally purchased junipers 4" pots - less than $ 4.00 US
today ------ ha ha - $ 20.00 US with the words ----- Pre-bonsai written on the price.

Sorry Al, seeds / cuttings and roadside cut downs.
Good Day
Anthony

This is why no-one wants to talk about price they paid. You can count on someone being dismissisive and condescending.

 

[JudyB]

I think it is also the polar opposite, lots of people look down on some of us who spend a fair amount of money to get a good piece of material. Because it's not "our work" even when the tree is worked and changed by us. At least I've come across this. I don't pay a lot for every tree I have, and have bought much raw pre bonsai, but I do spend $$ for good trees too.

 

[petegreg]

I have no problem to state how much the tree/starter/pre-bonsai was. It's interesting that some of them come from old western EU countries and are for "better money" than available here, or better material and much more to pick from... If we are cheap guys and want some advanced stuff, collecting from nature or garden is the way to go.

 

[milehigh_7]

I think the real important thing here is to mention that the price of packing peanuts has doubled in the past year and a half.

But I digress...

 

[Mihai]

Well, to be quite blunt, the whole hush hush attitude is really frustrating for someone getting started. As a buyer, where's the shame in spending money on the hoby? As a seller, where's the shame in asking a sum for your work and vision... I don't get it... After only a couple of years in bonsai it's still hard to gouge the worth of a tree (and the how much it's worth depends on what potential you see in the tree answer doesn't cut it). This makes it super hard to actually look at something I love and would love to own and work on without knowing or at least having an inkling of what it costs. Not to mention the frustrating little imp at the back of my head telling me i might be getting ripped off every time I want to buy a tree. And what gets me the most is a lot of nurseries or bonsai artists posting stuff for sale without a price. Don't know about you but I feel a little uncomfortable always having to ask for a price, maybe ten items in a row and maybe deciding that i can't afford a single one in the end. The eleventh time i'll be to ashamed to ask even if there's a chance that i would be willing to buy it.

 

[Clicio]

One of the problems is that the prices will be widely different from place to place.
We can get most tropical trees almost for nothing in Brazil, for example.
But even in the same garden center, one juniper in a plastic pot can cost 10 times less than the same juniper in a "bonsai pot" labeled Bonsai.

 

[Don Blackmond]

maybe their significant other doesn't know and they are afraid he/she might see the thread/post....
Actually, I'm being serious. I frequently am asked to NOT include an invoice or anything showing the price with the tree when I ship. I have people who must coordinate delivery so its concealed. People have had serious marital strife over this stuff. Sounds crazy, but its true.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I recall a thread awhile back...when price came out what they paid. It got sort of ugly. The value of a tree is whatever the person feels it's worth to have it sitting on their bench. If they were comfortable with the sale...then, bottom line. Who cares what price tag it is.

The only time I'm reluctant to list an exact purchase price for a tree is when I feel... or know... that it will piss off the seller and/or put them in a bad position with other potential clients.

I can see this as well...

 

[Shima]

Some of the most magnificent trees I've seen were collected for free in the wild, .

Some of the most magnificent trees I've seen were collected for free in the wild

True. A high percentage of the best bonsai in Japan were collected. It's also my favorite part of bonsai.