Most Expensive? - Orchid Board

Pelepel · #1 03-25-2012, 10:53 PM

I was curious if anyone knows what the most expensive orchid ever sold was? I've read it was a Neofinetia falcata, but can't find information any longer on it. Others say it is a Paphiopedilum Rothschildianu "Gold of Kinabalu" at $5,000 a stem. I'm not sure if they are referring to the flowers only and not the plant itself.

Would love to hear what it really is.

Wjs2nd · #2 03-25-2012, 11:09 PM

I know orchids limited has the Phrag besseae they use for breeding for sale, $15,000.00 USA. He also has a few other things in the 3-5,000 dollar range.

Pelepel · #3 03-25-2012, 11:14 PM

Wow! It's a really lovely phrag. Let me just go get a hammer to the ole' piggy bank......

Carl Austin · #4 03-25-2012, 11:16 PM

I doubt anyone will buy the $15,000 and $3,000 to $5,000 ones you mention. As a rule, his plants are over priced. The ones you mention are ridiculous.

I know Terry Root has sold some plants at a pretty good premium but I only know the numbers by rumour so I won't mention them.

Carl

Pelepel · #5 03-25-2012, 11:25 PM

Is he the same person mentioned in the book Orchid Fever? (VERY good read!) He runs OZ?

Carl Austin · #6 03-26-2012, 12:12 AM

I haven't read the book but it seems likely that they would be the same person. It's not a common name.

Carl

Sirius · #7 03-26-2012, 03:50 AM

Someone from Japan might buy those plants.
They pay ridiculous amounts of money for certain succulents. Especially variegated plants.

tucker85 · #8 03-26-2012, 07:54 AM

I don't see it discussed very often but, just like a litter of puppies, orchid plants can be the pick of the litter or the runt of the litter. When breeders discover a hybrid that has some qualities that make it very desirable as a parent for breeding, then exceptional individual plants of that hybrid (the pick of the litter) become valuble to those breeders. There are certain individual plants that a breeder may not be willing to part with for any price because it's so valuble to him or her as a breeding plant. Those are the plants that you sometimes hear of selling for thousands of dollars.

Pelepel · #9 03-26-2012, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tucker85

I don't see it discussed very often but, just like a litter of puppies, orchid plants can be the pick of the litter or the runt of the litter. When breeders discover a hybrid that has some qualities that make it very desirable as a parent for breeding, then exceptional individual plants of that hybrid (the pick of the litter) become valuble to those breeders. There are certain individual plants that a breeder may not be willing to part with for any price because it's so valuble to him or her as a breeding plant. Those are the plants that you sometimes hear of selling for thousands of dollars.

Never thought of orchids in the same category as AKC pups! So, out of a "litter" of orchids, how is it determined a prized specimen is produced? As I know in dogs, you'll have a standard of perfection. Those dogs are judged against their standard (people mistake against each other) and the dog most close to said standard more often wins (also depends on the judges of the day).

So, does the same hold true in orchids? Can one plant produce different offspring opposed to its "brother"? Colors, size, so on? Hence why a stud becomes so prized and valued? Never really thought about the breeding aspect. I know the difference between clone and cross. Just curious what makes an orchid $10,000 opposed to $40 for the same species.

tucker85 · #10 03-28-2012, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelepel

Never thought of orchids in the same category as AKC pups! So, out of a "litter" of orchids, how is it determined a prized specimen is produced? As I know in dogs, you'll have a standard of perfection. Those dogs are judged against their standard (people mistake against each other) and the dog most close to said standard more often wins (also depends on the judges of the day).

So, does the same hold true in orchids? Can one plant produce different offspring opposed to its "brother"? Colors, size, so on? Hence why a stud becomes so prized and valued? Never really thought about the breeding aspect. I know the difference between clone and cross. Just curious what makes an orchid $10,000 opposed to $40 for the same species.

Some orchid breeders have given presentations at our orchid society meetings and they've spoken about selecting breeding plants. When orchid hybrids are grown from seed the plants are not all the same. There can be big differences in color, shape, vigor, disease resistance and ability to produce quality offspring. When a breeder finds an individual plant that has superior color and shape he or she might try to use it to cross with other orchids but it takes years for them to discover if the plant produces good offspring. Plant vigor is another quality they look for. Of course once they get something really good they can use stem propagation to produce exact replicas of the plant. Breeders of quality orchids have breeding stock that are very valuable to them. They might sell a division or a stem propagation of a prize breeding plant for thousands of dollars.