Survey about orchid spending

[CTB]

I guess I'm the cheapy, I haven't spent over $45 for a orchid and that was mounted, huge, and had 32 blooms. But at the shows I do spend 150.00 easy on several orchids.

[jeffg]

In the last 2 weeks I have upped the ante beyond what I thought I would ever spend.

The first plant was an HP Norton Fritz Schomberg (kovachii x besseae) 2 growths and in spike for $100. Then, last weekend, I was seduced by another Phrag (serious weakness here) Phrag Lutz Rollke specimen size with 2 spikes for $125. Before that, the most I ever spent or thought I would spend was $75. What has happened to me, I'm not sure, but the trend has me concerned.

[jrodpad]

My per orchid costs are fairly low - it's the bargain hunter (cheapo) in me. I don't think I've ever spent more than $50 on a single orchid. I've received a few for free and paid as little as $4.50 for rescue orchids from my local grower/greenhouse.

But it's the aggregate costs that I'm not too proud of. My collection has around 40 orchids now and at an unscientific average of $25 per orchid.... yikes.

I don't think I'd ever spend more than $50 for an orchid. It would have to be something really special. That said, we have a big orchid show coming up next week, and.... well, anything could happen.

- J

[fotofashion]

I get a bit antsy when the price approaches $50. I have seen some plants at a nearby GH that were priced above that and after thinking about it a few minutes, decided to pass. I guess I'm not into rare, expensive and perhaps hard to grow orchids. It hurts too much when even a relatively inexpensive one dies, let alone an expensive one.
Beverly A.

[Daethen]

I am on the cheaper side. Haven't spent over $50 on a single orchid. It would depend on what it was and how bad I wanted it plus my funds at the time as far as a top limit on a single goes. I think my largest single order has been about $120.

[Duane McDowell]

The most I ever spent on an orchid was $2,500 (in 1989 dollars) for a division of Paph. Skip Bartlett 'White Pepper' HCC/AOS. Let me emphasize that this was a business investment for the company I was working for at the time (Inverness Greenery Orchids). I made some hybrids with it and the company recouped more than the cost of the plant through the sales of flasks within 2 years.
More recently, I spent $125 on a select Soph. coccinea from J and L orchids. I spent north of that on the first division of Slc. Seagull's Apricot 'Cupid' AM/AOS (a real bargain!).
I'd rather buy one great plant than 20 seedlings that probably won't yield one that's as nice.
Right now, I probably wouldn't spend much over $50 on a plant. The only plants I'm adding to the collection right now are species Lepanthes - they're easy enough to kill that I won't spend more on them!

[Orchidreamer]

Interesting to hear from you all!

Haha, I've been on the "low cost" side--my most expensive to date is $36. Many of my orchids are only in the $15-20 range.

I started this survey to personally justify spending much more than usual on two orchids that I absolutely fell in love with. Ah, what can I do. That's what I get for looking around websites too much. Now I can barely sleep.

Keep the replies coming!

[Barbie_J]

I spent $35 or $40 for a big NOID Dendrobium at Costco that I later found had two different Dens in it. Still does, because I haven't figured out how to divide it so that the two different plants are separate.

That's the most to date. I've had two others at $30 and $35 each, but the rest are much less. $16, $9, $18, etc.

There have been other, more expensive ones that I've wanted, but not to the point where the cheapskate in me was able to give in.

I should mention I've never been to an orchid show.

[RJSquirrel]

75 bucks for an andean tears phrag which by the way is growing like a weed in my phrag tank...

Tried to obtain a Specimen sized paph well into a few hundred from SBOE, but nay they dont answer emails from curious would be INQUIRING customers who have more money than sense. Yeah I could call but thats not the point.

I look for package deals on the plants I like, phrags and paphs...you know buy 4 and save 20 or 30 bucks.I still havent figured out how I just spent 150 bucks and I saved money...You Get more plants and they cost you less to experiment on em ..(Ive only killed one paph out of 30)...Everything else is dEAD DEAd dEAD and no they arent just resting.

Dont care bout much else orchid these days but paphs and phrags.
I enjoy blooms and good looking leaves.No more crap in a pot for me.

When I order online I go for at least a round 100 dollar figure...not worth their time for anything less IMO.

Look for the package deals and SaVE SavE SaVE

[Paul]

I think $40 or $45 is the most I have ever spent on a chid ... sad part is I can't even remember what that orchid was.

Anywho, at a show I have spent as much as $150 or so. Unfortunately for me, just because the plant is a mini that doesn't mean its price tag is too.