What do you you use for search keywords on eBay?
Where do you buy online???
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Bonsai, and I go from there.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Fair, Honest, safe, healthy....lol!
Good luck!
@rollwithak go roll with AK in Fresno!
$60 in gas can net you way more than $60 in shipping.
Plus.....
You're getting opinions from people with opinions.
Some of those opinions don't mind paying premium prices for shitty trees, or working with shitty humans with decent trees.
With Al, you'll see what youre getting, usually at great prices, and get good advice.
Sorce
Is there anyone in particular you regard as untrustworthy? My biggest fear was always having someone provide the wrong species or variety name, intentionally or not.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
I haven't had a problem and I have dozens of plants from eBay sellers. I ask questions generally before I buy. On eBay this year alone I have purchased about 80 succulents, many from overseas. Well over a hundred 2 and 3 year seedlings of Trident maples, black gum, Japanese larch, Korean hornbeam, Chinese hackberry, bald cypress, Amur maple, Japanese maple, European beech, and several more scarce plants. Probably about 30 plus pre bonsai, plus several dwarf conifers and 16 grafted Japanese maple. Mortality rate is under 10% across the board.
I have also bought about a couple dozen bonsai pots, but be warned that many of them are overpriced even before shipping. But there are some deals to be had.
I will not by seeds off eBay except under very rare circumstances.
BuckeyeOne
Chumono
The majority of their trees are on grafted stock, but are from cultivars that they have procured over many years for propagation. They maintain the parent stock to be able to keep the cultivars true. I've read up on the stock they offer and many times the cultivar is not readily available elsewhere, if at all.
The trees I have received, all the grafts are fairly low and should minimize over the coarse of a few years. Also, they publish the age of the trees and send pictures of the tree when you commit to purchase. If you don't like that you see they will issue a credit towards another tree to your liking. WHO DOES THAT!!!
Many sites, it's a you take the chance as to what you receive.
Buck
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
I've had many good experiences buying pre-bonsai or young material from Brent at Evergreen Gardenworks. Reliable, you get what you ordered and material always arrive healthy. He's also the only guy i know of in the country to have such a great variety of ungrafted prunus mume.
I've bought soil components from various ebay sellers depending on who has what I need. I've purchased akadama multiple times from House of Bonsai on ebay, but it is softer than other varieties. The past two seasons i've bought soil stuff from FB auction pages and through my club. If you can join a club you should be doing it, especially if you are in California as it will open up many doors.
I've purchased tools from American Bonsai and have been pleased thus far.
I've bought soil components from various ebay sellers depending on who has what I need. I've purchased akadama multiple times from House of Bonsai on ebay, but it is softer than other varieties. The past two seasons i've bought soil stuff from FB auction pages and through my club. If you can join a club you should be doing it, especially if you are in California as it will open up many doors.
I've purchased tools from American Bonsai and have been pleased thus far.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
I had a bad experience with them. I bought off eBay and House of Bonsai sent wrong size, not at all what I ordered. I told them and they tried to convince me that what they sent was what I needed. It was not, I needed what I paid for, the finer grade. I even measures the pieces and told them that it ran from 5 to 9 mm. Again they tried to lecture me. Finally I said screw it and returned it through eBays return policy. At no time did House of Bonsai try to make it right. I will not buy from them now at all.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Wow i'm surprised. I never had an issue but admittedly haven't bought from them in a few years.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
I ordered a ton of wire from Stone Lantern this past summer when they had a nice discount and free shipping. It took a bit for it to come in, but I was in no rush.
I purchased some trees from Wabisabi Bonsai this last spring. All Conifers and deciduous were poorly grafted and up high. One maple started turning yellow right after I received it. On several he had used the wire strangulation method to get the big trunk, but then you have the deep wire mark to deal with. When I called to talk to him about it, he did agree to refund me for one tree that was dying, but got a bit crazy when I asked him about the grafting and the wire marks. I would never deal with them again.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
I've bought plants from Brent at Evergreen Gardenworks. Great service, great shipping, never a problem. Highly recommend. I've also bought from Meehans and same thing, excellent service.
Have bought a few times from sellers on ebay and never had a problem. One time a plant was shipped to me in a somewhat flimsy box and not packed well but it survived and is doing fine. I always look at the feedback for ebay sellers, if there are more than 1 or 2 (depending on how much they sell) recent negative reviews I take that as a bad sign (but always read what the complaints are, sometimes it's obvious the buyer is the problem). And I'll send questions to the seller if anything is unclear, like what species the plant is, etc. The type of response is indicative of what kind of seller you're dealing with.
Have bought and sold on the facebook auction sites (mostly 99 cent bonsai). No problems with trees (I did have one non-paying bidder but he was dealt with). Have had issues with pots, two sellers shipped me pots with inadequate packaging and the pots arrived in pieces. They both refunded the cost without any argument, but I doubt I'll buy from them again. In contrast, I bought a couple of pots from Bonsai Mirai and they came so well packaged that you could possibly drive a truck over them and they wouldn't have been damaged.
Wire I get from Julian Adams (copper) or Stone Lantern (aluminum). Great service from both.
Edit to add - have also bought things from ForestFarm.com and Matt Ouwinga (kaedebonsai-en.com) and recommend both.
Have bought a few times from sellers on ebay and never had a problem. One time a plant was shipped to me in a somewhat flimsy box and not packed well but it survived and is doing fine. I always look at the feedback for ebay sellers, if there are more than 1 or 2 (depending on how much they sell) recent negative reviews I take that as a bad sign (but always read what the complaints are, sometimes it's obvious the buyer is the problem). And I'll send questions to the seller if anything is unclear, like what species the plant is, etc. The type of response is indicative of what kind of seller you're dealing with.
Have bought and sold on the facebook auction sites (mostly 99 cent bonsai). No problems with trees (I did have one non-paying bidder but he was dealt with). Have had issues with pots, two sellers shipped me pots with inadequate packaging and the pots arrived in pieces. They both refunded the cost without any argument, but I doubt I'll buy from them again. In contrast, I bought a couple of pots from Bonsai Mirai and they came so well packaged that you could possibly drive a truck over them and they wouldn't have been damaged.
Wire I get from Julian Adams (copper) or Stone Lantern (aluminum). Great service from both.
Edit to add - have also bought things from ForestFarm.com and Matt Ouwinga (kaedebonsai-en.com) and recommend both.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
I was surprised too. You know I don't really care if mistakes are made. We all make them and hopefully learn from them. It was their stinking attitude I resented.
jimib
Shohin
I bought akadama from them off eBay.
It took 30 days to get it...Even though there was a tracking number that said it was in transit the entire time. I figured it must’ve got held up in the mail.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
augustine
Chumono
I've had good online buying experiences from Evergreen Garden Works, Stonelantern, Dallas Bonsai, New World Bonsai ebay store and Zach of Bonsai South.
New World Bonsai owner Andrew is a good guy, he'll answer all your questions (quickly). His product, packaging, delivery and prices are excellent. Of course Zach and Brent are great guys also and very responsive to their customers.
I would recommend any of the suppliers I've listed.
New World Bonsai owner Andrew is a good guy, he'll answer all your questions (quickly). His product, packaging, delivery and prices are excellent. Of course Zach and Brent are great guys also and very responsive to their customers.
I would recommend any of the suppliers I've listed.
So I have a question in regards to wire...I don't use copper wire simply because I have not purchased it as yet. Do you folks who use copper wire not use al. wire, just copper? Is all bonsai wire annealed or does it need to say "annealed" verses me assuming it is?
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
I use both copper and aluminum. Copper for evergreens and guy-wires, aluminum for d-trees and tying in trees to pots.
River's Edge
Masterpiece
I use both. The primary use is copper for conifers and aluminum for deciduous trees. Aluminum for tying trees into pots/containers. Copper and stainless steel for guy wires! Some exceptions with aluminum in place of copper for Fir on occasion , particularily a young tree with very soft bark and gentle bends.
Aluminum or copper for beginning initial movement in very young trees, branches. This is where i tend to reuse wire if i get the opportunity and have the time to fiddle with straightening.
