Well, while many in this newsgroup might disagree, I have got say I have
found this sentiment to true among non-orchid people. I have learned to
cringe when somebody sends an orchid as a sympathy gift, especially after a
death or illness to a non-orchid collector. It can and does cause a type of
stress they would rather not be dealing with again. Over the last ten years
I have accrued a couple of anecdotes where the poor receipting says "thank
you" to the giver and then spends the next 6 to 8 months calling me (my
number is on my tags) with ever more desperate pleas for advice as the plant
slowly dies in their care and in some cases calls with what feels like
projected anger and denial neither the plant nor I deserve. I wouldn't
think it was strange except it happens on gift orders and more often than
not on sympathy gift orders than it does when the order comes from the
person buying the plants for themselves.

And as an orchid collector, I would much rather have a gift certificate from
an orchid vendor than the average large white Phal or Oncidium intergeneric.
I can take that 50 or 60 bucks you probably got charged and buy something I
can't get myself in spike for $7.50 each in lots of 10 or 12.

"Is this for somebody who collects orchids?"
"Yes, it is!"
"May I suggest a gift certificate because orchid collections are often
grouped according to what the collector has learn they can grow in the
conditions they have. Do you know what kind of plants they grow?"
"Ah, no, but I have seen them and they have some like this one [a Phal], but
I have never seen a white one there before. They'll love it! And besides a
gift certificate is so impersonal."
"Okay.... Well, what would you like me to write on the gift card? How 'bout
this, 'Here's something I know you don't have. Can't imagine why?'"

This one usually works, "Might suggest that the week before Christmas is the
wrong time to ship a blooming Phal to Northern Wisconsin and my no questions
ask return guarantee will only apply if I can choose when to ship and I
probably can't ship there until the spring."

(The week or so after Christmas is kind of fun to, as all the orchid
collectors, sporting new sweaters and socks proudly come through buying the
gifts they wanted ...and often an amazing amount of them... that nobody
thought to give them....)
....but I digress as usual.

On the other hand, I have many customers who received their first orchid as
a gift and are now hopelessly addicted.

Al

"Bill Landers" wrote in message
...
I thought this was pretty amusing:
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1310782006

Bill Landers