Today was the local society's orchid auction. What a blast!

Put a flower on the end of a stem and people will pay outrageous prices for
them. There were clearly two groups in the crowd.....the average Joe who
was just looking for a blooming plant and the society member who had very
particular tastes.

It was great fun watching the average Joes bid up phal prices to twice what
they would pay normally. Even the scruffy plants that had some wear and
tear on them went for top dollar if they had a bloom on them.

Some of the collector plants were bid up by the society members.
Competition is a dangerous thing. People did not want to lose a plant and
would bid more than it would cost to get the same plant elsewhere just to
make sure they did not lose.

Personally, I donated six plants and returned home with 5...well technically
one of the five was one of Al's flasks with 25 plants (but they take up less
room than the plants I donated).

One of the plants I gave to the auction was a piece of the Bakerara
Everglades Hunter "Swamp Buggy" HCC/AOS. Last September I bought a big pot
and while repotting it a piece fell off that I putted in a 4 inch pot and
put it on the bench where I had forgotten about it. Last week the little
piece was in spike. It sold for $32.00.....I only paid $18 for the whole
plant!

Now I'm off to divide everything I have and sell it at auction. I'll be
rich!

Good Growing,
Gene

Auctions are weird and scary things. I guess a person can't let somebody
else get a plant he/she wants especially when all they have to do is raise a
plate with a number on it and 'win'.

My tags were in my donation plants and they have my website address on them.
Some of those poor people are going to go home tonight and look up the plant
they paid a week's salary for and be very embarrassed. Well, at least they
can console themselves that it was for a charity...or at least a 'non-profit
organization'

There were ringers among the bidders, I'm sure. :-)

Ken was so kind to keep plugging my business. I don't think anybody should
tell him he kept getting the name wrong. It can our secret. :-)

I bought nothing. I had food on my plate and every time I tried to raise it
I spilled salad on my lap.

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Today was the local society's orchid auction. What a blast!

Put a flower on the end of a stem and people will pay outrageous prices
for
them. There were clearly two groups in the crowd.....the average Joe who
was just looking for a blooming plant and the society member who had very
particular tastes.

It was great fun watching the average Joes bid up phal prices to twice
what
they would pay normally. Even the scruffy plants that had some wear and
tear on them went for top dollar if they had a bloom on them.

Some of the collector plants were bid up by the society members.
Competition is a dangerous thing. People did not want to lose a plant and
would bid more than it would cost to get the same plant elsewhere just to
make sure they did not lose.

Personally, I donated six plants and returned home with 5...well
technically
one of the five was one of Al's flasks with 25 plants (but they take up
less
room than the plants I donated).

One of the plants I gave to the auction was a piece of the Bakerara
Everglades Hunter "Swamp Buggy" HCC/AOS. Last September I bought a big
pot
and while repotting it a piece fell off that I putted in a 4 inch pot and
put it on the bench where I had forgotten about it. Last week the little
piece was in spike. It sold for $32.00.....I only paid $18 for the whole
plant!

Now I'm off to divide everything I have and sell it at auction. I'll be
rich!

Good Growing,
Gene

Hmmmm.....let me check....

Flask +$10.00
lowii - $13.00
Eugene Conroy (Parkside) -$10.00

The other two plants are unknown source. So, it looks like I saved
$13.00....Yippie!

Gene






"Al" wrote in message
...
Auctions are weird and scary things. I guess a person can't let somebody
else get a plant he/she wants especially when all they have to do is raise
a
plate with a number on it and 'win'.

My tags were in my donation plants and they have my website address on
them.
Some of those poor people are going to go home tonight and look up the
plant
they paid a week's salary for and be very embarrassed. Well, at least
they
can console themselves that it was for a charity...or at least a
'non-profit
organization'

There were ringers among the bidders, I'm sure. :-)

Ken was so kind to keep plugging my business. I don't think anybody
should
tell him he kept getting the name wrong. It can our secret. :-)

I bought nothing. I had food on my plate and every time I tried to raise
it
I spilled salad on my lap.

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Today was the local society's orchid auction. What a blast!

Put a flower on the end of a stem and people will pay outrageous prices
for
them. There were clearly two groups in the crowd.....the average Joe
who
was just looking for a blooming plant and the society member who had
very
particular tastes.

It was great fun watching the average Joes bid up phal prices to twice
what
they would pay normally. Even the scruffy plants that had some wear and
tear on them went for top dollar if they had a bloom on them.

Some of the collector plants were bid up by the society members.
Competition is a dangerous thing. People did not want to lose a plant
and
would bid more than it would cost to get the same plant elsewhere just
to
make sure they did not lose.

Personally, I donated six plants and returned home with 5...well
technically
one of the five was one of Al's flasks with 25 plants (but they take up
less
room than the plants I donated).

One of the plants I gave to the auction was a piece of the Bakerara
Everglades Hunter "Swamp Buggy" HCC/AOS. Last September I bought a big
pot
and while repotting it a piece fell off that I putted in a 4 inch pot
and
put it on the bench where I had forgotten about it. Last week the
little
piece was in spike. It sold for $32.00.....I only paid $18 for the
whole
plant!

Now I'm off to divide everything I have and sell it at auction. I'll be
rich!

Good Growing,
Gene

I guess you did all right. I remember an auction where some of the people
were setting in the back of the room with a pile of catalogs and were
looking up the prices of items when they could identify where the plant had
come from. I have overbid for plants before and it way to easy to do so I
suppose this is why I have learned to keep the number on my bidding plate
covered in salad.

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Hmmmm.....let me check....

Flask +$10.00
lowii - $13.00
Eugene Conroy (Parkside) -$10.00

The other two plants are unknown source. So, it looks like I saved
$13.00....Yippie!

Gene






"Al" wrote in message
...
Auctions are weird and scary things. I guess a person can't let
somebody
else get a plant he/she wants especially when all they have to do is
raise
a
plate with a number on it and 'win'.

My tags were in my donation plants and they have my website address on
them.
Some of those poor people are going to go home tonight and look up the
plant
they paid a week's salary for and be very embarrassed. Well, at least
they
can console themselves that it was for a charity...or at least a
'non-profit
organization'

There were ringers among the bidders, I'm sure. :-)

Ken was so kind to keep plugging my business. I don't think anybody
should
tell him he kept getting the name wrong. It can our secret. :-)

I bought nothing. I had food on my plate and every time I tried to
raise
it
I spilled salad on my lap.

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Today was the local society's orchid auction. What a blast!

Put a flower on the end of a stem and people will pay outrageous
prices
for
them. There were clearly two groups in the crowd.....the average Joe
who
was just looking for a blooming plant and the society member who had
very
particular tastes.

It was great fun watching the average Joes bid up phal prices to twice
what
they would pay normally. Even the scruffy plants that had some wear
and
tear on them went for top dollar if they had a bloom on them.

Some of the collector plants were bid up by the society members.
Competition is a dangerous thing. People did not want to lose a plant
and
would bid more than it would cost to get the same plant elsewhere just
to
make sure they did not lose.

Personally, I donated six plants and returned home with 5...well
technically
one of the five was one of Al's flasks with 25 plants (but they take
up
less
room than the plants I donated).

One of the plants I gave to the auction was a piece of the Bakerara
Everglades Hunter "Swamp Buggy" HCC/AOS. Last September I bought a
big
pot
and while repotting it a piece fell off that I putted in a 4 inch pot
and
put it on the bench where I had forgotten about it. Last week the
little
piece was in spike. It sold for $32.00.....I only paid $18 for the
whole
plant!

Now I'm off to divide everything I have and sell it at auction. I'll
be
rich!

Good Growing,
Gene