Worth $300?

[rockm]

You guys and your opinions. If the OP wants to buy the tree they can. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Uh, did ya notice the title of the thread? It's a question...Questions presumably ask for an answer. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes the price of that beauty is as deep or as shallow as the beholder's pocket. It's worth checking a reference before forking over the dough.

As for the OP's tree, I wouldn't pay that much for it. It's OK, but $300 is the high end price for something like that. From the above photo, the nebari looks like a complete mess. Presumably that is why the high price...The base is impressive, until you start looking at it in detail, lots of stuff that needs to be worked out over years...

 

[Apex37]

Thank you all for your thoughts, seriously! This may be one of my most controversial posts I've made, with no intention of being that way.

Ultimately I'm holding off until I find something I really can't live without. I've been looking for a tree I can start refinement techniques on since every tree I have is in development and I learn best by doing.

 

[Paradox]

Uh, did ya notice the title of the thread? It's a question...Questions presumably ask for an answer. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes the price of that beauty is as deep or as shallow as the beholder's pocket. It's worth checking a reference before forking over the dough.

As for the OP's tree, I wouldn't pay that much for it. It's OK, but $300 is the high end price for something like that. From the above photo, the nebari looks like a complete mess. Presumably that is why the high price...The base is impressive, until you start looking at it in detail, lots of stuff that needs to be worked out over years...

The above photo of the nebari is a different tree (one for sale at $445) than the OP that Lancemac posted as another example of pricing.
I agree the nebari on that second tree is a mess and looks like it might have been an air layer.

 

[rockm]

The above photo of the nebari is a different tree (one for sale at $445) than the OP that Lancemac posted as another example of pricing.
I agree the nebari on that second tree is a mess and looks like it might have been an air layer.

Sorry, went back to the beginning and looked at the photo there. Miiiight be worth 300, based on the visible nebari. It will take an awful lot of development top wise and potentially nebari-wise over the next ten years. Ultimately, I still think it's a bit on the high side as presented in the photo.

 

[River's Edge]

I've been looking for a tree I can start refinement techniques

Deciduous that have been developed with a good base and trunk plus primary branching in place are harder to find for $300 in my opinion. I would expect to pay $250 to $350 for a good base and trunk. By that I mean nebari that can be developed further from a good beginning, a trunk that has some movement and taper without evidence of huge scars but is thinner and needs growing out. I believe this approach makes more sense in that budget range. So I would look for solid beginnings in a younger smaller tree. I would avoid air layers strictly from a tree health point of view over the long term.
I base this approach based on the opinion that good deciduous are not grown quickly with large chop backs, but rather grown more slowly with smaller chops more frequently and then grown out. The slower approach also allows the grower to develop the nebari base from the beginning rather than after grow out. it is my opinion and experience that these growers are not selling online. The amount of higher quality product produced in this manner sells quickly without advertising and promotion. I think your best connections for your areas resources will be with experienced local club members. Ask around for who has the best deciduous trees and seek out their help as to how they acquired them. A lot of experienced bonsai enthusiasts ( older ) are willing to pass on pretty good material for a fair price to younger enthusiasts once they get to know them.
For a lot of growers the dedication and work they put into the slower process means that they want some say in where they eventually end up. I understand this may not be the norm and certainly is not the mass production, high inventory turn over approach. But I would suggest, if you are looking for better than average material that is the direction I would encourage you to take.

 

[LanceMac10]

looking at that base, the tree looks like it might have been air layered?

Interesting, I had wondered what had happened to Hollow Creek. I knew they had gone out of business because I knew the owner was getting on in years and lets face it, bonsai are a lot of work. Thanks for the info

Tree look like it was pulled from a nursery can, given a cursory root-prune and stuffed into a pot! Knuckle poking out, dead roots for show.....bit of a traiwreck, honestly......

 

[coltranem]

No, it is not.


Markedly. They bought up Hollow Creek's stock when the owner retired. Material left to grow feral as the owner couldn't keep up.

Tree is worth about the price of the pot, maybe a little more with the tree.....combo value no more than a hundred US......

Yet still cheaper than Bonsai West. The market has gone up quite a bit in the past 2 years. Demand is high and supply is low. So they can ask these prices.

 

[Deleted member 32750]

Context is important here. This tree is listed at $295 with free shipping on eBay. How much of that price do you think is the shipping costs and eBay fees that the seller pays? What do you think the price of this tree would be if you were to pick it up locally? I’d bet much lower because I have bought locally from this seller before.

 

[Apex37]

Okay y'all, I got a new one! This one is a real deal.

Green Mound Juniper (SCB-20-68)

Green Mound Juniper Height: 9" Caliper (trunk width): 0.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

Whatcha think? Worth $300?

P.S. this is the only bonsai shop near me in just about all of DFW.

 

[erich_raudebaugh]

Okay y'all, I got a new one! This one is a real deal.

Green Mound Juniper (SCB-20-68)

Green Mound Juniper Height: 9" Caliper (trunk width): 0.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

Whatcha think? Worth $300?

P.S. this is the only bonsai shop near me in just about all of DFW.

Yikes! More like $30 max for the pot. The trident you posted isn't bad, but $300 is still too expensive. I would not pay more than $100 for it, but I live in a state with lots of clubs, a couple good nurseries, and nice trees are not too hard to find.

Finding good material is a big challenge in this hobby, outside of collecting many nice trees can be had from other people and connections made through clubs. It takes years to find these, and I notice that people often guard their sources.

 

[Cosmos]

Perhaps you are right and that is why they sell for higher amounts, you said it yourself.
" absolute garbage selling for 150-300 regularly"
Makes a poor choice seem better perhaps.
As for where to find it for a certain price, that is up to you and the amount of effort you are prepared to make or the time you are prepared to spend growing and developing your own material.

This is a non-answer, sorry. Value in bonsai is relative, this thread is about the bonsai market at the moment for tridents, which the OP has a hard time finding.

The question is not "should I buy this tree or grow one better from seed"? Not to mention that developping material from seeds or cuttings is an art itself which most bonsai practicioners do not master.

Assuming the OP has the money to buy the tree (never go in debt or sell a kidney to buy bonsai!), I'd rather him get the tree and do bonsai then be left with his money but equipped with nuggets of wisdom like "grow one better yourself" or "you can find a better tree depending on the amount of effort you are willing to make".

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Yikes! More like $30 max for the pot. The trident you posted isn't bad, but $300 is still too expensive. I would not pay more than $100 for it, but I live in a state with lots of clubs, a couple good nurseries, and nice trees are not too hard to find.

Finding good material is a big challenge in this hobby, outside of collecting many nice trees can be had from other people and connections made through clubs. It takes years to find these, and I notice that people often guard their sources.

Yeah too much! why spend that much in that tree? just go for nursery material makes more sense to me

 

[Paradox]

Okay y'all, I got a new one! This one is a real deal.

Green Mound Juniper (SCB-20-68)

Green Mound Juniper Height: 9" Caliper (trunk width): 0.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

Whatcha think? Worth $300?

P.S. this is the only bonsai shop near me in just about all of DFW.

That is definitely NOT worth $300

I've gotten better for $20 at a garden/landscape nursery

 

[Honor]

View attachment 431286

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Wellcome to crazy!!

In @sorce we trust

 

[coh]

That is definitely NOT worth $300

I've gotten better for $20 at a garden/landscape nursery

Holy crap, that place has some ridiculously priced trees. People talk about facebook auctions but come on...did they mistype the price on this one or am I missing something?

Japanese Black Pine (SCB-21-04)

Japanese Black Pine (SCB 21-04) Height (not including pot): 13" Canopy Length x Width: 20" x 15" Caliper (trunk width): 1.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

 

[DanaWhicker]

Holy crap, that place has some ridiculously priced trees. People talk about facebook auctions but come on...did they mistype the price on this one or am I missing something?

Japanese Black Pine (SCB-21-04)

Japanese Black Pine (SCB 21-04) Height (not including pot): 13" Canopy Length x Width: 20" x 15" Caliper (trunk width): 1.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

What the heck!?!?

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Holy crap, that place has some ridiculously priced trees. People talk about facebook auctions but come on...did they mistype the price on this one or am I missing something?

Japanese Black Pine (SCB-21-04)

Japanese Black Pine (SCB 21-04) Height (not including pot): 13" Canopy Length x Width: 20" x 15" Caliper (trunk width): 1.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

WOW! We're all rich!

 

[Paradox]

Holy crap, that place has some ridiculously priced trees. People talk about facebook auctions but come on...did they mistype the price on this one or am I missing something?

Japanese Black Pine (SCB-21-04)

Japanese Black Pine (SCB 21-04) Height (not including pot): 13" Canopy Length x Width: 20" x 15" Caliper (trunk width): 1.5"

www.sandersonbonsai.com

if that is worth that much, I have one with a 3 inch caliper that must be worth 10K lol

 

[WavyGaby]

You can get this testicle JBP for $325! Lol