"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
Dear Minelli Family: At some price point, the big box stores (and for
that matter, any business, even one as small as mine) will
find it uneconomical to pay a cashier to ring up a bargain basement orchid
[although it may not seem like it, the boxes do have some kind of program
in place to monitor the lines, around here I think the criterion is "how
long can we let it get before people start to walk without buying?" :( ],
much less to continue to afford it very valuable/expensive space in their
retail sales area.

This is true I'm sure. Someone working in these stores is ordering more
orchids than the local market will bear. They almost always have as many
bloomed out ones to mark down or toss as those in bloom. It seems no one
water's them either.

Chances are, the big boxes won't actually pay for the plant anyway, if the
barcode doesn't cross their scanners in a sale. The grower who "sold" the
plant to the box store is more likely to suffer the loss.

What a shame as those tossed are almost always nice healthy looking, if
thirsty, plants.

We maintain a small "Bargain Basement" section most of the time, and a
more extensive "Sratch-n-Dent" sale once a year (Ad: coming up in April,
local only, no shipping). But we do also toss plants here, when they
become more trouble than they're worth -- even tho unlike the box stores,
I see actual $$ going into the trash can when I have to pitch a plant.
Unpalatable fact of life (or at least business).

You can always have a FREEBIE table. One small area set aside for whatever
you would toss. I think it would make good will, and as word got around,
people who come to maybe get a freebie and you can sell them a pot, some
orchid mix and fertalizer... etc. and make a few bucks. :^)