Flipping Orchids?

[AnonYMouse]

I don't know for fact but I suspect some Ebay sellers have divided plants for maximum profit. I've seen listings for 1 growth/pbulbs being sold. Not a problem for monopodials but sympodials are another matter.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

I don't know for fact but I suspect some Ebay sellers have divided plants for maximum profit. I've seen listings for 1 growth/pbulbs being sold. Not a problem for monopodials but sympodials are another matter.

This does make be a bit angry. I don't buy from anyone who does not sell a big (multi bulb) vigorous plant. The only exception is obviously young paphiopedilums. Then I will buy them with one fan. They also must show the exact plant they will be selling. None of this, "you will get a division of this big plant, and by the way, this is not the actual plant you will receive -- I wish you luck."

The proper division size of a sympodial is supposed to be three pseudobulbs and one new growth. When I see a seller trying to pop one p-bulb into a pot I put the seller on my "avoid" list, for the most part. So far my list of ebay sellers is rather short.

[Ray]

When it comes to paphs, single growths may not too bad. Purchasing them wholesale, that's often what you get, but those single growth are often very close to blooming, if not in bud.

Under certain conditions, as single growth may grow large and mature before putting out new growths, while under other conditions, those emerge when the plant is smaller. I suspect genetics plays a role, too.

[My Green Pets]

i know someone who is starting to flip just after a year of owning their first orchid. it seems the bug bit him in a slightly different way than it did me.

something about buying and selling orchids for profit doesnt sit right with me.

[wintergirl]

I might "flip" a few seedlings when they get bigger, especially if my orchid collecting changes direction.

[dendro king]

If people are willing to buy them there really isn't a problem? If it looks dodgy then don't buy it

[gumbii]

it's funny that someone mentions corals... because in the local coral forums, "flipping" is frowned upon... especially since we are a close knit community... we know how much this one person paid for said creature, only to turn around and post i for 3 times the price...

but i think plants are different... i flip them all the time... i go to a grower that sells succulents at 6 for 5 dollars, put them in a glass planter with stuff i have laying around, and make 20 bucks off of it... if someone can do that with an orchid, so be it... there's plenty to go around.. LOL...

[theloyalplum]

As an economist-in-training, I don't see a problem with it. They are providing a service by providing plants (bag babies) that otherwise couldn't be obtained at a premium. I use Ebay as window shopping because sometimes some really interesting things pop up - and sometimes they happen to get mailed to my door! But as long as there's a market for the plants it will exist.

I do, however, have issue with people going into small nurseries and doing the whole ebay-bit without first purchasing the plant, but what can you do?

As for the divisions issue, as long as they're GOOD divisions it's fine. They provide premium orchids at a cheaper price, but if it's one-bulb divisions like some I've seen... I don't know.... I guess it all depends doesn't it!

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by gumbii

it's funny that someone mentions corals... because in the local coral forums, "flipping" is frowned upon... especially since we are a close knit community... we know how much this one person paid for said creature, only to turn around and post i for 3 times the price...

but i think plants are different... i flip them all the time... i go to a grower that sells succulents at 6 for 5 dollars, put them in a glass planter with stuff i have laying around, and make 20 bucks off of it... if someone can do that with an orchid, so be it... there's plenty to go around.. LOL...

Please explain exactly why plants are different.

[gumbii]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Please explain exactly why plants are different.

i'll give you an example of flipping...


so this guy walks into this store called reef collection... this shop has these rocks with little polyps... guy wants 30 for 10 polyps... so some guy sees them, and picks up 4 rocks... he then tells an online vendor to pick up another two rocks...

then he goes into the forums, and has the online vendor price them at an INSANE price of 1,000 dollars a polyp... LOL... then he calls them utter chaos, and sells them on a local board for 800 bucks a piece... says he only has two available, yet sells 20 of them...

that's what started the whole "flipping" is bad thing in our hobby... plus, like i said, we all know eachother... we all talk to eachother and find out who is in it for the money, or in it for the love of the hobby... i have given away some crazy high end pieces in the past... just like my plants... i give them away to my neighbor's all the time... but corals is way different... anyone can setup frag tanks in their garage, and stat making big bucks selling corals... i don't think people can do that with plants... anyone can buy from the wholesale now and days... there are 2 guys in my reef club that do that... nothing wrong with it... they are selling, not flipping...

now that's the difference between real coral flippers and people just doing it to make a quick 4 bucks... LOL...