Sam - That guy was up here in Portland just a couple weeks ago. Your
description matches exactly the description my wife gave me of "a van with
'Bonsai' on the side" holed up on a vacant lot by the highway.

I can't imagine that there are more than 1 of these guys... I hope there
isn't.

Tony.

-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On Behalf Of
sam crowell
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 5:33 PM
To:
Subject: [IBC] Travelling Bonsai Salesman...

Since the local bonsai club dissolved, there has been very little public
display/sale of anything remotely related to bonsai in the Klamath Basin (S.

Oregon).

Yesterday a friend commented to me that there was someone selling bonsai in
a little shopping center parking lot. I was just too curious, and after
tracking down where the guy actually was, I found a white van with "BONSAI"
banners on the sides. Most of the bonsai were some sort of juniper, a
couple of eugenia, a couple olives, and one cotoneaster. I would say that
they were mostly a bit better than mallsai, but nothing remarkable. Prices
seemed reasonable for what I have associated with mallsai. The trees
actually looked pretty healthy.

On the other hand, the pots were nearly littered with little fishermen and
pagoda figures. I didn't want to be poking around in the pots, so I
couldn't swear that the pebble top dressing wasn't glued down. The fellow
was also selling some green fluid in what appeared to be miniature hamster
water bottles labelled "GREEN GREEN" which was from China.

What really warned me off though was that I mentioned that we have a rather
harsh climate, the fellow says "Oh, you can keep these inside"! I smiled
and looked a bit more before wandering off. I can understand someone
wanting to push a sale, but while you can have the trees inside for a few
days, to see "keep" was troublesome to me. Sort of a love-hate thing going
on. Love to see more activity involving bonsai, hate to see advice being
given which will just about certainly end in disappointment. If the club
was in existence at all I would suggest running adds about meetings.
Weather was unseasonably chilly and spitting rain, he didn't have a great
location, so I don't think he sold much (but I saw at least one sale).

I guess it just goes with the territory to be wary of travelling salemen? I

guess I just wanted to share this odd experience which raised such confusing

feelings.

Sam Crowell
Klamath Falls, Oregon

************************************************** **************************
****
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** **************************
****
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++