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Rare plants

Every once in a while, someone posts a picture of something that tons of people want.

I had a problem with Phillip recently, that he agreed to correct immediately, and that doesn't happen everywhere.

I was just thinking, that if enough people were to go together to provide seed capital or a deposit or something, perhaps Phillip could import the plants knowing that he wouldn't risk losing lots of money.

Like the book sellers that ask for a down payment, and in return you get the book cheap when it finally comes out.

I for one would be willing to put some money down in advance for some of the nifty things that Rob and others produce, but that someone like Phillip normally wouldn't import because he'd have to buy so many that he might sit with lots of stock that he couldn't sell.

I would be willing to trust that what I ordered would eventually get to me. Perhaps something like a list of people who would give a small deposit for a specimen of that huge Nep that we're all drooling over now.

What do you all think? If we can expand the importance of this board, we attract more people, right? And with more people, the growlists of all the members get bigger and bigger, right?

Comments please!
 
Great Idea Tim. I'm in.
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How much of a deposit do you think Phil would need, if say, 20 people were to pitch in.
 
I think this would be a great idea. I would love to acquire mexican pings like heterophylla, parvifolia,and crassifolia that seem to be almost absent in the U.S, but more common elsewhere.
 
I'd like to know what arethe rare plants we are all interested in first of all.
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I think that it's a good idea too, but I also think that it would be asking a bit too much of phil to do it. I mean, he already has enough stuff to do with what he has already...
I'm not trying to dismiss the idea entirely, it's just that we would need to give phil a big enough incentive to go ahead with this.

MO

Jœl

BTW: I'd really love to get a hold of N pervillei!!!!!
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"I'm not trying to dismiss the idea entirely, it's just that we would need to give phil a big enough incentive to go ahead with this"

I agree entirely, and this was insinuated in my post. There would be enough seed capital, or no orders.

This list is progressing nicely, but the best thing for Phillip, and the best thing for all of us, is for his business to grow, and the forum along with it.

I am only moderately interested in pings, but if I had an opportunity to reserve a rare species for, say a 3 dollar deposit, which would get me a plant at a total of 5 dollars, and there were 30 of us, then perhaps Phillip's costs could be covered immediately, and the rest could be kept in stock to sell for a reasonable proffit.

Or that Nepenthes sib, I would be willing to put a 5 dollar deposit down for the opportunity to get one in, say, 5 months time, when the smaller plants he ordered were properly hardened off, for, say, 8 dollars.

Just a thought.

There must be more that one million people in the world who are very interested in Carnies, and if even 200,000 have access to the internet, then there is huge potential for this site to grow, to Phillip's benefit, and to the rest of us.

Who else is doing it on a large scale? Things like this feed on themselves. With more knowledge, more quality comes. With more quality, more customers, etc.....
 
I'm in for 20, and I'll take two cards.
 
Umm I must admit I really don't follow what your all trying to do when there are already nurseries within the US that import regularly and have many of the 'rare' plants available.
 
Like you Tony
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  • #10
Tim,

How would this process(reserving plants) work? Would there have to be 30 people who want a certain plant???


Many of the 'rare' plants(nepenthes) are available in the U.S.,and can just be bought for a reasonable price at a reputable cp nursury, but rarer plants from other genera(Drosera, Pinguicula, Utricularia, Genlisea etc.) are much harder to acquire. So far, I have never seen plants like U.alpina, reniformis, humboldtii, P.crassifolia, heterophylla, gypsicola, Droserae from S.America and lots more cps, offered for sale in the U.S. In places like the U.K., these plants are very often seen in collections and offered commercially.
 
  • #11
I think Phil is doing a great job now.
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If there are interests in generating additional venture capital, maybe a fund could be set up to allow more flexablity in special purchases. When you purchase a stock plant, possibly add a donation to the purchase, it could be a option added to the check out process.
 
  • #12
You are so funny
no one had ask Phil if he is willing to take it on himself
he for sure doing wonderful job but to throw extra work
on him without asking him or don't you think as a firm
a work has to bring some profit? no one can make a work for free.
I can also add that all of you can see what had happened at the last few mounts
Nearly all the plants so called RARE ones had now Reduced price did I need to give the example N. campanulata from 120$ to 20$ N. hamata from 100$ to 25$ and so on.
As funny as this topic goes people already start to write down which plants they like
come on start to think be4 you post a nsg.
Arie
 
  • #13
Were can I get N. hamata for $20.00
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!!
 
  • #14
you can belive me you can I'm not going to post any address or places but if you would look around and visit the main Nepenthes suppliers you could find it
Arie
 
  • #15
"You are so funny
no one had ask Phil if he is willing to take it on himself
he for sure doing wonderful job but to throw extra work
on him without asking him or don't you think as a firm
a work has to bring some profit?"

Arie, who said that? Nobody was saying Phil had to do anything, or that he wasn't already doing a good job. In fact, I said just the opposite.

People who write books do it all the time. And you should read more carefully, as I specifically said that there should be a profit motive.
 
  • #16
Tim
Have you ask Phil before you put this topic?
How can you do so ? first ask him if he want it at all.
people who write books do so as they do write and want to sell.
you are not going to put an add at the newspaper say let collect money and we offer it to the writer and ask him to write a book and say here is a deposit for it.
The right way is first to go to the man and ask him if he willing to do the work for you and others.
Arie
 
  • #17
I threw the idea out as a complement to him, a sign of solid support and trust for the growth of his company, and that was clear from my posting. He's a big boy, and I'm sure realizes that none of us, or any of his many other customers, believe he is obligated to do anything for anyone. I've been feeding my family through Agricuture for decades, and when you import plants, you have to make big orders to make it worthwhile.

But let's turn it around since ariel doesn't like the direction this is taking. There is a desire on this very thread for some unusual pings. If some member not associated with this site were to find out he or she could get Pinguicula whatever from company X, but would have to buy 10 of them, how many people would be willing to pledge to buy one of them? I would.

But then there is the potential of taking business away from the people who pay for this website, and this was another concern I had when I made my initial post.
 
  • #18
From a business point of view it does not make alot of sense for Phil to change the way he is running PFT. He already imports plants but does not have the facilities to do what you are asking. The only species which has a high enough monetarily value is Nepenthes and to make any money as a distributor it is necessary to import alot of TC/seed grown plants from a wholesaler (who does the TC or grows out the seeds) and then have the facilities to harden the plants off and grow them out until they reach a resaleable size and sell them for a minimal profit to stay competetive. This takes alot of upfront cash and a large enough facility to grow the plants out, waiting a long period of time. during the wait the plants may drop in value (like the N. hamata and N. campanulata did) which hurts the distributor's ability to sell at any profit. It is an expensive and risky business to be in.

For the other species, Drosera, Pings, Utrics, etc. there is not enough value seen in them to make distribution a viable alternative. How many people will pay $30 for a ping? for these species you have to go straight to the folks doing the TC, and unfortunately there are very few of them - TC Labs are not cheap and there just isn't the demand for the plants to outweigh the risk in attempting to produce them.

There are a couple of nurseries who are currently in the process of putting in TC facilities here in the states and some of these species will be more available in the near future (a year or so) - but until then it makes more sense to pool your money and place bulk orders to the suppliers yourselves. Adding in a middle man and expecting them to do all the work without realizing some decent profit is unrealistic and unlikely to happen.

My 2 cents and only what I know from dealing with the various folks in this business.

Cheers
 
  • #19
That was what was called a productive reply. The facilities are absent, so it's a no go either way.
 
  • #20
I was actually thinking along the idea of a group order, where the high cost of shipping and phytosanitary certificate could be split among the people ordering. Plants could be shipped to one trustworthy person, who can distribute the plants(after being paid the shipping cost).

I'm sorry if I caused any trouble.
 
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