In article .com,
"Jane" wrote:


Hmmm - looks like I shouldn't break the spike?

I think I'm in luck with this. The spike is just starting to peep out
so it's only about an inch or so in length. I'll be VERY careful.

well, you know, only if you feel like it. ;-)

--j_a

"Jane" wrote in message
ups.com...
Well - I just did it. It was all roots so I put it in an 8" pot. I
hope it does OK since I think I'm becoming an orchid junkie.

I've been suffering the addiction for about 10 years now. I recently bought
several new ones at 1/2 price at Home Depot - before they toss them in the
garbage. That just kills me......... :*( Rather then keep lowering
the price and allowing someone to enjoy them, and allowing the plant to
live, they throw them away.

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.

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.

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).
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids



"Minelli Family" wrote in message
...

I've been suffering the addiction for about 10 years now. I recently
bought several new ones at 1/2 price at Home Depot - before they toss them
in the garbage. That just kills me......... :*( Rather then keep
lowering the price and allowing someone to enjoy them, and allowing the
plant to live, they throw them away.

"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. :^)

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:23:50 -0500 in Manelli Family wrote:

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. :^)

Someone here (Al?) has mentioned the pitfalls of sales.
If you do a sale once, entirely too many people will never buy again
until the next sale.
I suspect a freebie table would work the same.


--
Chris Dukes
elfick willg: you can't use dell to beat people, it wouldn't stand up
to the strain... much like attacking a tank with a wiffle bat

On 02 Apr 2007 13:37:32 GMT, wrote:

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:23:50 -0500 in Manelli Family wrote:

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. :^)

Someone here (Al?) has mentioned the pitfalls of sales.
If you do a sale once, entirely too many people will never buy again
until the next sale.
I suspect a freebie table would work the same.

Freebie tables have the problem of "returns" -- Someone gets it from a
freebie table but also buys other plants. How do they/you know which
are which in 6 months? Do they remember when speaking to others that
this is from a freebie table and that was a good plant? Easier to
sell good and bury the rest.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/main.php

"SuE" wrote in message
...
On 02 Apr 2007 13:37:32 GMT, wrote:

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:23:50 -0500 in Manelli
Family wrote:

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. :^)

Someone here (Al?) has mentioned the pitfalls of sales.
If you do a sale once, entirely too many people will never buy again
until the next sale.
I suspect a freebie table would work the same.

Freebie tables have the problem of "returns" -- Someone gets it from a
freebie table but also buys other plants. How do they/you know which
are which in 6 months? Do they remember when speaking to others that
this is from a freebie table and that was a good plant? Easier to
sell good and bury the rest.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/main.php

It was just an idea. ) I thought it was better than tossing them simply
because they were out of bloom. Lets be honest. Orchids, as much as we love
them, are not the most attractive plants when out of bloom. Marking them
down 50% or more gives the poorer people a chance to own a few orchids, or
to buy more they couldn't otherwise afford, and lets the plant live. About
a 1/3 of my small collection are mark-downs. I do remember which are which
months later. As for buying only when the plants are on sale. I can only
speak for myself here. If I see a plant that is full price and desire to
own it, I will pay full price! After all, if I wait until they're on sale
it may be gone.

I remember years ago a pet shop was giving away free guppies. My son wanted
some. Well he got his free pair of guppies which cost me about $10 for a
small 2 gallon tank, a heater, fish food...... This pet shop was always
giving away something free that usually cost the person to get the free
fish, mouse, finch... whatever.