how cool is this thread :) my friend always has the tedious task of having to be with me whenever we go orchid hunting and always stares at me cuz i compare EVERY single plant on my own point system.
This is how it goes down:

Firstly, i already have a list of EVERY plant i'll ever want and buy made. I chose the genera i like and choose what i want from each like color, shape of flowers, and growth habit. for example, right now, my phal collection is complete except for ONE which is a dtps. taida salu or something similar. the other genera are still missing quite a few slots to mark off the checklist and until then the search is off. i know it sounds silly but im pretty sure when the list is completely crossed off, im no longer going to collect them and just start a new hobby. i WONT buy duplicates. only one of each

second, i choose plants by the way theyre growing. plants that are crooked or aesthetically unpleasing are no-nos. what i look for is a plant that will look nice in the house while in bloom and match with the decor. i like spikes when theyre centered and straight not flopping over and only one side of a plant. it has to have some symmetry and the size: bigger is better. i dont buy super unnatural colours like BRIGHT magenta phals or pastels. pinks are almost never welcome less i REALLY want one or i have another blooming plant with yellow and red. it has to have a huge WOW impact so when i see it i dont second guess myself for buying it. i always switch the containers too. if i can find a pot that will look good in the house then its gonna come with. the house ALWAYS needs something in display for the living room so i always pick up something big, and symmetrical no matter what genera and in either crimson, red, yellow, or white to add a splash of colour to the the otherwise muted colors of the decor.

after finding several plants that i like or i can cross off from the list, the last checks are price and nametags. if i have to chose between two plants, the one with the tag will get priority. not that it matters but idk, i just get a false sense of value with a name. the price has to reflect the size of the plant. im not going to fork over 14.99 for a mini phal on ebay excluding shipping when i can go to trader joes and get a HUGE oncidium in full bloom for only 10 bucks. i cant afford to always splurge. and finally, i take my mom into consideration. my mom doesnt really like purple and she likes whenever i bring a plant home that she can use to decorate. i always call it a "gift" for her so i can just sneak them into the collection.

and to think that all those thought processes go on in about 5 minutes while im scanning the orchid bench. my collection has many noids and many random crosses that wholesale nurseries make so the names are like "Phal. monkey butt x pencil sharpener 867799-c #12", some common hybrids and a few species and they all came after passing my test. ive never analyzed my critique til just now and even IM tired from rambling. thanks for bringing it up :)

I wasn't too picky when I started collecting orchids but I've become much more selective over time. I like orchids that put on a show when they bloom. Lately I've become more interested in fragrance also. I don't fight them either. They either like my growing environment or they don't. If they don't do well I give them away. Over the years I've developed favorites for different reasons. Some have large beautiful flowers. Some have wonderful fragrance. Some have an abundance of smaller flowers. I don't care about their heritage. I only care about how much I enjoy them when they are in bloom. Out of my 70 or so orchids I probably have 20 that I won't give up for any reason. Good luck.

I grew up in a family that had orchids. My Grandmother and her sister both collected and had large greenhouses in Tampa. My Great Grandfather owned a cigar box factory in Tampa. Some of the boxes were constructed from wood that was imported in from Cuba and South America so it was easy for him to add in bareroot collected plants in a shipment for his daughters.
I was the only person in the family that was bitten by the bug and was very lucky to have been passed down most of both of their collections some 30 odd years ago.
I mainly grow Cattleya alliance species. I not a big fan of hybrid flat-faced blooms, all though I've bought some in recent years after seeing some of the Asian releases.
I like antelope type dendrobes and have started a very small collection.
Most of the plants I have I could never part with as they were passed down from both my Grandparents. I cherish them.

LOL My Habits in regard to collecting Orchids are ...Grab that one quick thats nice ...if its a noid its a noid ...if I like it the name is less important than just knowing what kind it is in general...BUT LOL the OB OCD in regards to orchid names is contagious I will look for a name tag and try for a tagged one first if possible....

Bob sees-bob likes-bob buys


You can call me Bob ;)

Of my 6 current orchids, 4 are named varities, 1 is unregistered but the tag lists the parents, and the other is a true NOID. I tend to like compact to miniature plants, and half my orchids are in this category. I only buy orchids that I absolutely love. My tastes aren't wildly expensive with my most expensive orchid coming in at $30 for a 4 growth Paph. The only orchid I'm in love with that I don't have is the species Neofinetia falcata. Haven't seen any locally.

I love all the answers here. All of them. They all speak to me for one reason or another! :)

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::r ofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

what can i say??!!? :rofl:

Your orchid collecting habits
 

snappyguy: Clown Alley in Pasadena had Neos.
Beverly A.