Looking for eBay Orchid Vendors

[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

Originally Posted by Marissa

Speaking of Bill_Asia or ROC, what happened to his store? I happened to check the other day and it was close and say due to winter season or something? I also purchased my first Ebay orchids from him a few months ago and not a very pleasant experience, dead roots and shipping took forever.

I think he may be operating under another user name now. I came across several listings the other day that were incredibly similar to his (policies, shipping, wording etc) and the seller had abysmal feedback. I can't remember the user name, and who knows, it could be another person all together. But, I did notice that Bill Asia all but disappeared shortly after Ebay changed it's feedback policy so that sellers can no longer leave negatives.

[ces797]

I just purchased a Cattleya from Kawamoto and have to say so far they are tops in my book. I asked a question from the listing AFTER I won and paid so I was definitely thinking I wouldn't get a quick response and lo and behold not even 3 hours later I got a response. Also got an email same day saying my order had already shipped.
I won the listing on a Tuesday, they shipped same day and I'm getting this Thursday. Which is JUST crazy considering I'm in Ohio and they are in Hawaii! I think they also have a retail website.

Also purchased a Stuartiana Phal from efgorchids which was in pristine condition. I've never seen a phal that looked this good.

Now we just have to get these darn Florida and Hawaii vendors to start potting in bark! I can't keep anything alive in moss

[Jerry Delaney]

I can't imagine that everyone out there doesn't already know this, but "Pea and Shell" is the name Carmela Orchids uses on eBay. One of my all time favorites!

[Libo]

Originally Posted by MuscleGirl'sHobby

I think he may be operating under another user name now. I came across several listings the other day that were incredibly similar to his (policies, shipping, wording etc) and the seller had abysmal feedback. I can't remember the user name, and who knows, it could be another person all together. But, I did notice that Bill Asia all but disappeared shortly after Ebay changed it's feedback policy so that sellers can no longer leave negatives.

My advice, don't buy from that store...unless you are a big fan of saving half dead orchid...

[SOS]

Has anyone ever bought a Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis for Taiwan? Im always wishing I could get one of those giants for a lesser price.

mini catts or Sunset Valley Orchids are awesome too. Peter Linn is an awesome guy and Fred Clarke is on top of his breeding game.

[Ray]

<soapbox>

Personally, I avoid eBay sellers in favor of "brick and mortar" establishments with websites, or at least online lists, or yes, that also sells on eBay. I am not saying it is bad to buy from eBay vendors, but philosophically, I still lean the other way. it's simply caveat emptor, and I am more wary than some.

Some of my chief concerns are related to sanitation, reliability, and longevity.

A grower of plants has to be wary of insects, bacteria, fungi, and especially viruses, as it can threaten his entire livelihood. A reseller, on the other hand (which covers the majority of eBay folks - especially the smaller ones) probably has not been around as long, so may not have the knowledge, interest, or resources to manage that.

Similarly, anyone can become an eBay vendor, and as you have all mentioned or (unfortunately) experienced, some - having little stake in the game - have no real concern about their reputations.

Last, but not least, is the fact that the more we divert our spending dollars from those established orchid nurseries, the fewer of them will survive, and where do you think all of these nifty plants come from?

In the 35+ years I've been growing, the number of large, innovative nurseries has dwindled terribly. Kensington, Stewarts, Rod McClellan, and Jones & Scully - all gone - to name but a few. Zuma Canyon used to be THE place for innovative phalaenopsis hybrids, but they are relegated to finishing and reselling Taiwanese plants now.

One might attribute Zuma Canyon's fall to the fire they had, or Jones & Scully's demise to the Benlate incident, but had the economics been there, they probably would have stepped up to the plate again.

Even the issue of delivery (mentioned much earlier) is affected by experience and reputability. If a plant is healthy to start with, and is packaged properly, a couple of weeks in transit (although admittedly an extreme case) may not be an issue. It's all a matter of planning for what might happen. I recently sold a blooming paph to someone in rural southeast Texas. Normally that would encounter a 4-day transit time by FedEx Home Delivery. Courtesy of a lazy subcontractor, the delivery took 8 days. Courtesy of my knowledge of how to pack, and my consideration of the weather conditions (here, mostly), I did not have to upgrade to the much-more-expensive 2- or 3-day express service, and the plant arrived without even damage to the blossoms. What is the likelihood of that happening with a typical eBay vendor?

</soapbox>

[etex]

I wholeheartedly agree with Ray! The Texas order he spoke of was mine. It was so frustrating dealing with fedex day after day. All they had to do was keep it at the warehouse and I would pick it up!Every day it went on the truck and they could not get ahold of the driver.Many phone calls to customer service at fedex and ended up with their customer advocate who could not understand why the tracer wasn't effective, why it wasn't held and why it wasn't delivered. Finally, I met the driver, a temp, at our local post office and got my plants(The poor driver was looking at a map when I pulled up- no GPS)! Thanks to Ray growing healthy ,vigorous plants and his packaging expertise, the plants were fine. I posted on the lovely Paph Judge Philip that was in that shipment!A real beauty!
I feel it is so important to support our vendors, otherwise we'll have to get our plants at the big box stores or mass produced overseas. Personally, I would rather buy from someone who grows their own plants, cares for them,is knowledgeable and has experience with all aspects of orchid culture and grows with a steady hand. I have only been growing orchids for a year and a half. I know a well grown plant that comes to me has a much better chance to flourish under my care! Thank you for reading this!

[ag_roe]

The Orchid Gallery is a fabulous vendor: eBay My World - theorchidgallery

They are in my area, and I have been to their greenhouse. They are a small, two-woman operation specializing in masdevallias. Very good quality specimens!

[Wrebbitrocks]

hi abby. i haven't been able to go to the tos yet. im trying to find a meeting i can go to.

anyways, i just bought a psychopsis from shermantp and im hoping its gonna be great. if i can keep it alive that is. he shipped it 2 days ago and the tracker says its at the tucson post office as we speak so im just waiting a few hours for the mailman to come and knock on my door with my late x-mas present from myself i havent even slept with anxiety O_o and a couple years ago i also purchased a beautiful paphiopedilum in bloom from him. fast shipping excellent packing.

i have also purchased from mijo730 (a phal) and from someone formerly named boston orchids which no longer shows up but i bought two odontoglossums and was very pleased. all are gone by now of course.

nia22 can't ship to az so dont even try. ive sailed on that boat :/ neither can larrys_orchids and a couple of others mentioned here. and theyre the ones with the BEST deals and awesomest variety. oh well. :/

Bill_asia: this one is mixed reactions. My very first orchid was from him and it was VERY healthy. new roots, plump green foliage, new growth, and a spike: it was one of the dendrobiums from when he used to have auctions for dens in spike and it'd be a total surprise what you'd get until you read the little label number and matched it to his inventory names (like x447= Dendrobium burana stripe, or whatever). i ended up getting suwan gold or something along those lines. too bad that i had to move a couple of weeks later (late november) and i had to leave it behind while the movers brought our stuff and they left it outside thinking it was just any old plant and when i came back for it a few days later, it was frozen and dropping its last wrinkled yellowing leaves :'( nonetheless, the nice plant encouraged me to buy again. so then i bought a vanda 'in spike' and recieved it a couple weeks later with the spike browned and cut off (? idk why), some leaves rotten/spotty/yellow, the bottom leaves broken off and very ratty old dead roots wrapped in shredded paper and inside a flat box (think pizza box size). very dissapointed. and when i asked a refund (fast communication from a lady named Miriam), they demanded pictures and return shipping. i sent the pics but never got my money back and slowly watched the plant die. i still didnt give up hope. later a bought 2 small size dendros "beenana yellow" and was satisfied. very small but healthy with new growth but packed in a plastic baggy with wet newspaper shreds which made some of the roots mushy but not too bad. and back then, his prices were VERY reasonable: $.99 for 2 small plants plus $6.50 shipping and the blooming size ones were $4.50-6.50 range with shipping $9.50-12.75. now the small plant combos can go for up to $6.50 just the plant!!! idk why he jacked up his prices. the economy is no excuse since the other ebay vendors still have the same great deals. overall im neutral. good for small plants maybe but not worth the prices if ur going to risk a blooming plant. ask for a picture of the plant ur getting perhaps? hes knowledgable. he's on orchidforums too and was very nice and shared advice.

my favourtie vendor is trader joes cheap, healthy, pretty and good quality if u get there early enough.

[peeweelovesbooks]

I agree with Ray with the following exceptions:

1) some ebay vendors sell exclusively on ebay, and the ones I buy from are specialists--i.e. 4331 Steven sells on ebay, and he's a catt/laelia specialist. I can't get his stuff anywhere else for the most part.

2) a lot of brick and mortar stores don't have what I'm looking for, and if they do, they aren't very professional.

I'll give you a prime example--I have been trying to get in touch with a specific nursery that is based in Florida for 2 YEARS. Why? I am interested in their historical division list. I'm willing to shell out the bucks for these plants.

But, if I'm going to drop 100-500 or more for a division, I expect courteous, responsive service. I expect that the seller isn't going to drop dead with anger if I ask him or her for virus testing. In short, I expect more than the normal amount of customer service.

Why haven't I been able to buy from them? Because even after 2 years of continuous emails and phone calls, I have not gotten a response . NOT ONCE.

Now, let's face it, how many vendors have a stud division list, at least in Florida? I can think of maybe 4: Miranda, Canhaima, Indian River, and Grezaffi's.

So, What do I do if I want a divison of a Henrietta Japhette if the nursery that sells it won't call me back? I go online. I'll probably go on ebay. There, I a) get to see a picture of the plant, b) get a prompt response from the seller should I have any questions c) look at their feeback, and d) have paypal and credit card protection in case there's a problem.

So maybe the failure of specialist orchid nurseries can't be blamed on the public.