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Possible new items at flytrapshop.com... Are you interested?

adnedarn

I'm growing CPs in the Desert of Tucson, Az
Admin
Hello everyone, as you know flytrapshop.com is still small. But I'm always on the look out for new stuff to carry. But at the same time, I don't want money tied up in stuff that won't sell, I'd rather have stuff that people want. But since this opportunity has arisen I figured I'd put the feelers out. Please only say you're interested if you are REALLY interested. If I end up buying some of these, and sitting on them it will take up a lot of resources that could be used to keep the hunt for plants. But if I can blast through some, it would open more funds up for plants. I think we all know how it works.... ;)

So what am I talking about? Those 2 new books that you may have seen Stewart McPherson mention in previous posts ( http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114098 <---DETAILS ) Could people who are interested just go to the site he mentions and buy the books? Sure. But since the books are in another country, you're looking at more than double the cost for shipping. That site says shipping is about US $24, from the weight he told me they are, I should be able to ship them for $8.50-10.50 somewhere I think (priority). The price of the book would likely be the same though (well, close to at least due to the price exchange at any given time) For either book ( Lost Worlds or Glistening Carnivores ) the books will sell for $59.99 for a unsigned copy and $63.99 for a signed copy.

So if enough people are interested I would be happy to have some shipped in and send them out to you all. I just need to see if enough people are truly interested to make it worth the effort. So if you know you're interested in either (or both) books please let me know and if you'd be interested in the signed or unsigned version... (pm is fine). If you think you may be interested feel free to tell me that also, but tell me maybe... Obviously I won't hold you to a promise to buy (unless you give me a promise to buy ;) ) but I would really like no false hopes on this.
Thanks!!
Andrew

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I am interested in the lost worlds but I would likely not buy it since I am trying to save money. I think it's a good idea but you need more people who can commit to purchase first.
 
i would buy one, but Im saving money as well to buy out your whole stock and start my own Carnivorous plant store.
 
I'm not too sure on the books but how about some more woolly sundews.
 
I might buy the Lost Worlds one...But I need to save my $ to get sarrs from you when I get my bog garden up....
 
Definitely one (signed)... maybe both but can only commit to the one at this time (prob lost worlds)

so many bills, and so little money :blush:
Av
 
You should be able to ship them for $8-10, just put them in a flat rate shipping box. I have the Pitcher Plants of the Americas book and it is pretty awesome so I am sure these won't disappoint!
 
Im deff interested in the lost world book. My mom buys all my reading material lol...
 
The LACPS is discussing a group buy of these very books from overseas so you may or may not get interest from LA area TF members.

But I think it's a great idea to offer other CP related items such as books.

Media Mail is the most economical way to ship heavy books. The drawbacks are: it is slow and handling can be rough - package very well in thick cartons. Flat rate priority I believe you are limited to using the USPS boxes so finding a carton the books will fit in maybe a problem.
 
  • #10
I was able to get the hard back - Pitcher Plants of the Americas for $49.99.
I was looking at the hard back - Glistening Carnivores to ship here and it would have cost me around $85.00. That's too much.
You are even talking about the book costing around $70.49 with shipping. I really want this book, but is too much.
I'll wait till it is hopefully mass imported and get it for around the $50.00 mark.
 
  • #11
i would pay good money for nepenthes seeds, cuttings, or just more nepenthes

i would buy those books but money is a little tight right now
 
  • #12
I'd really diversify your limited plant selection if I were you. The truth is you have VERY some stiff competition. While your niche is the beginner market, you still don't have a wide variety of beginner plants. I realize the costs of operating a small business, but plants sell better than books and increase in value as they get older (larger). Books depreciate until they go out of print, and then if there were few to begin with and a demand for them they go up in value. Don't base a decision on the chances of that happening.


I just don't think it's a smart business move to buy a quantity. Your niche is the beginner market, and most beginners aren't going to spend that kind of money on books like this. They're going to buy The Savage Garden and maybe (hopefully) Growing Carnivorous Plants. Most people don't require books to grow plants, beginner or otherwise, and given the current state of the economy, I can see how some beginners with less income would be less inclined to buy these books NOW then they would have been before the recession started. That's a tank of diesel. Buying them on an as-requested basis to resell would be nice of you and wouldn't hurt your business (but may negate any discount that would prompt you to consider this in the first place), but don't go out and buy dozen copies hoping to sell them quickly.

Someone mentioned the Petiolaris complex. These are always popular sellers and the demand is great, and the most prominent seller of these has been gone for a while. You just happen to live in Arizona, and you already have experience with them. Should you choose to go in this direction, you'd have yet another niche that no one else has really embraced since the absence of the E-bay seller.
 
  • #13
NotaNumber said:
The LACPS is discussing a group buy of these very books from overseas so you may or may not get interest from LA area TF members.
There goes half the membership! lol PM me- maybe if you guys can't come up with enough to order, together with you guys and some that are interested here, I could still order them, then send a bulk shipment to you guys to distribute or something...

I'll wait till it is hopefully mass imported and get it for around the $50.00 mark.

The price I was quoted to get the books in mass including shipping comes to just a tad more than that per book... So you'll probably be waiting for a bit. Maybe the second print will be cheaper ???

Buying them on an as-requested basis to resell would be nice of you and wouldn't hurt your business (but may negate any discount that would prompt you to consider this in the first place), but don't go out and buy dozen copies hoping to sell them quickly.


Exactly, I'm not going to. I just need to see enough people seriously interested for me to get the bulk discount. (Then probably take preorders) Otherwise, I can't even do the prices I mentioned above. So far it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

As far as more plants IE pet complex... Saying "get some" even having the money to be able to "get some" is by far easier than finding a place to "get some" from ;) Competition is stiff. Especially when all the bigger places have the TC places in their pocket for all the "good" stuff. So they get dibs and there is none left by the time it gets to little ole me. (Feel free to PM me if you know of some secrete place though) I've talked to a few people here about providing TC material for me.... But as of yet, have not been contacted back. soooo ???

I also have to be selective on what plants I do get. Since any plant for nursery sale coming into my state needs to be inspected. One of the tests includes ripping roots off random plants (quite a few actually) and testing for nematodes. I lose a decent amount of initial stock due to this... :censor:

anyway- thanks everyone for your views, and we'll leave this open a few more days and make sure it's not of interest.
Andrew
 
  • #14
You could take that money you were going to invest in books and start your own kitchen-TC lab, you know.
 
  • #15
I gota agree with Clint on this, deffinately go with a more wider selection of plants. People are always looking for the best place to shop/order thats has a nice selection of CPs and or supplies. Now on the other hand if your looking to do something good for this community/forums/website try having a yrly calander that members can order/purchase, members can post up there best shot of one of there CPs and after a certain amount of time everyone can vote which pics are the best and then use those 12 pics to create your calander, have you gave any thought as to your own site/forums/community T-shirts or coffee mugs and hats, i know those would sell as us as members would deffinately want to show them off with pride.. You could always take any small amount of "ANY" profit you make off these items and use it for not only helping run your biz but also to help keep the site running and or donate a small amount to saving CPs in the wild and so forth.. I know many people dont realize its hard running not only a biz but also a website for the community and most the time we as biz or website owners dont make any profit and normaly take a bad loss the first half to a yr alone befour making a real go of it. Alot of expence is out of pocket and people dont realize how hard it is to keep things going.
Just my 2 cents worth...:blush:
 
  • #16
I agree with everything JLAP has said. You should branch out on different plants and tc.

Especially tc. :grin:

As for the books, personally, I wouldn't buy a signed copy. You might be better off selling only unsigned ones at a lower price.

Actually, I wouldn't buy either.
 
  • #17
Yeah, I would be interested but the prices certainly are on the steep side (damn, it feels like we're paying with pesos lately). Is there any way around it? Say, if several titles were purchased at the same time -- so that only one kidney would be removed and some healing could begin? There was another title by the same author listed on the Red Fern site, Carnivorous Plants of the World which appeals more to me than the Glistening Carnivores or the Lost Worlds book. Any notion about a release date on that one?
 
  • #19
Are you sure that wasn't by James and Patricia Pietropaolo?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images...00-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU02_AA240_SH20_.jpg

If so, it's so outdated it's not funny, and endorses poaching :p And it SUCKS if you like pictures.

No, no, not that old book. On the Red Fern site, McPherson is releasing a book with that very same title, along with the sundew book and the tepuis . . .

http://www.redfernnaturalhistory.com/books


Andrew,

I would be interested in unusual highland / intermediate Nepenthes, Heliamphora -- species which are not all that common in cultivation and would never be found at Lowe's. Those interested in growing them will happily pay for a good product . . .
 
  • #20
Oh, OK. I didn't know you could do that lol.
 
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