Flipping Orchids?
 

I will go on Ebay and look at orchids from time to time. Many times I will find a few orchids that looks like they picked it up at trader Joes for $8.00. Now they are selling it on ebay for $17 + shipping..... Are people flipping orchids? Do I just sound like a crazy person or is this a thing?

I know a nursery owner in Las Vegas. A person comes into his nursery during slow times, photographs plants, and posts them to E-bay at once from his phone. When the auction closes he buys the plant, slips it into the box he has prepared, and takes it to the post office.

I agree that flipping does occur. I can certainly see someone buying / enjoying a plant in bloom then selling it on Ebay when the "show" is over. I don't see the practice as either a good or bad thing. (Well . . . maybe I see it as somewhat beneficial)

I see it here with 'Ikea' orchids, NOID phalaenopsis and oncidiums that cost £8 retail are then sold for about £17 on ebay. I guess it's caveat emptor and if people pay for it then no harm is done.

Right on, OW.

Let's get real here, folks. If someone is willing to pay for those plants, what's the issue? Maybe they live where there are no Home Depot or Ikea stores.

If you think about it, the vast majority of orchids sold online - most of mine, for example - are purchased for resale - "flipped", if you will - yet nobody seems to take issue with that.

Is it the price? Over the years, I have seen the same plants from the same source I purchase and resell for "$X", sold by other vendors for as much as three times that. Am I fair and they're flipping?

Yup. I used to sell lots of live corals online, and at the time local prices varied widely. Pieces that would sell for $50 here in the Philadelphia area would often bring twice that amount from people living in flyover country. People on the west coast, where most corals entered the country at that time thought my prices were high. Know your local market, because information is power.

I've seen some obvious bag babies recently on eBay. From the comments here, not everyone has access to bag babies- or pretty much anything at their big box stores. Maybe an occasional NOID Phal. So perhaps for these people, the flippers are providing a welcome service. As long as they know what they're getting (and without having opened the ads, they look as accurate as the hang tags allow) no harm no foul.

I never said I had an issue with it. I just found it kind of funny. I Never thought to do it. Now I am thinking Maybe I should get in on this orchid flipping.

I have found some really nice orchids with tags at stores near me for a good price. I know other parts of the country are not so lucky to find the plants I do. So it helps out some people. With summer on the way I have lots of extra space because many of my orchids vacation outside. only problem is I get attached to my plants. I know its weird.

I buy a lot of my orchids from ebay and I'm sure some are "flipped", but there is nowhere near me to buy most of the ones I am interested in. Locally all I can find is unnamed phals. I have been mostly happy with the ones I have gotten from ebay.

I do live in an area where only grocery store phals are available. I am sure that people buy these orchids, possibly keep them a year or something, and then sell them. No harm, no foul. I get orchids with tags from various orchid nurseries.