Sources of inexpensive raffle plants??

[wuness]

We are a small orchid club that has an orchid raffle at each meeting. We've been offering 5 orchids at each meeting and take in $40 (give or take). We are looking for a source of inexpensive plants that can be purchased for $5-6 a plant (hopefully including shipping). They need not be blooming size but should be in reasonably good shape. Any ideas?

wuness

[DeaC]

Originally Posted by wuness

We are a small orchid club that has an orchid raffle at each meeting. We've been offering 5 orchids at each meeting and take in $40 (give or take). We are looking for a source of inexpensive plants that can be purchased for $5-6 a plant (hopefully including shipping). They need not be blooming size but should be in reasonably good shape. Any ideas?

wuness

At my club,members bring in good,clean plants of there own for the raffle table but another member has also gotten some from Trader Joe.Don't know what she spends but the assortment is pretty nice.

[katrina]

If you can do bulk orders in prep of those meetings then Kalapana Tropicals might be an option. I don't know what the pricing is but I know you have to order by the case. Our club has used them a number of times for plant give-aways and for sales. Kalapana Tropicals Orchids - Hawaiian Live Orchids

Although I don't know their pricing structure but Carmela's does large quantity orders and they even have small plugs or small plants. It might be worth the time to give them a call and ask. * Volume Purchase - Quantity Orders

Lastly, Carter and Holmes also sometimes has specials on small seedling sized plants and the prices can be really great. We used them last fall for our annual plant give away we do in November. Welcome to Carter and Holmes Orchids Home Page

The only downside to doing these larger orders is finding a member or two (or more) that has the space to house them until they are needed.

[wuness]

Thanks for the info, Katrina.

A problem we have with members providing plants for the raffle is that we have two plant sales a year where we buy each others' plants. Since we are a smaller club, we tend to have many/most of the plants that our members would bring in. At a typical raffle, most of the plants I see are already in my collection and my raffle money is just a donation. We could use more variety.

wuness

[Leafmite]

Not sure where you live but if you have a local orchid vendor or even a florist, you may be able to enlist their help. Sometimes they can get great deals and don't mind ordering a few extra, especially if you are a regular customer of theirs. Even an online vendor you use frequently might be willing to work out a deal for you. If that is no go, you can talk to other members and decide that when anyone does an order, your club will pay for a few extras and raffle those.
Good luck!

[estación seca]

One of our members buys out-of-bloom plants from Trader Joe's for our raffle table. They're almost all NOIDs but people still take them home from the raffle.

[fishmom]

My orchid society has used Exotic Orchids of Maui. They do offer a discount to societies, but they have a minimum order, so it may not work for you. Read the "wholesale" section on their site.

[Leafmite]

Exotic Orchids of Maui is a great place. I was amazed at the quality of orchids they sent.

[AnonYMouse]

Is $40 net? For 5 plants? I think you need to rethink the economics of the raffle. $5-6/plant isn't going to get you a "prize".

What will your members fork out more money for (buy more tickets for)? That is what you need. Given a chance to "win" a $75 plant, I'd buy $20 in tickets.

[stonedragonfarms]

Most of the societies that I've belonged to have had some sort of raffle; most of them have relied on plants that members bring in--usually divisions of plants or things that they could not get to bloom; one society I am a member of also tasks the program chair with providing one "nice" plant every month to contribute to the raffle table--$20/month is allocated to this; as mentioned above, many members are willing to purchase more tickets in the event that they might get the "prize" plant (though I find it's about 50/50 as to whether the person who has the honor of the first draw will actually take the "prize" or select something else)...
As far as inexpensive plants go, Olympic Orchids has a range of them (be warned that they are not blooming size), as does Carmela Orchids and H&R (though the latter have minimum orders if memory serves).
Curious as to whether you are using the raffle as a means to make money for the group, or as a way to build everyone's collections..?
Adam