8th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, Rochester, NY, USA, September 9-10, 2023

[namnhi]

PS: I love my Mary Lai tiny pot. @Sansokuu

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Didn't know how tiny these are until you held it up. The details is crazy... I could do a magic trick to make it disappear with that size.

 

[Sansokuu]

I drove 12 hours to get to the exhibition to see the vendors and support their business. What I hear from the organizer on Friday? he was telling people if you are not a vendor you have to leave, the show will be open tomorrow.

I invest my time and money to buy the best stuff and that usually sells out on Friday when the vendors are setting up.

For this reason this year we decided no presales Friday. I made literally just two exceptions (I really could not say no to Young Choe, and it was a pot that did not sell at a previous event and I really wanted her to have it. The other was a mame pot John Romano needed because his accent planting was too big, so it was a last minute exhibit display he needed to tweak. The pot he picked out I had five variants of).

If more people give Bill and Diane an earful about forbidding Friday presales Im sure he will make more of an effort. He was kicking people out to prevent presales but then the vendors were buying amongst themselves (he should also kick out vendors who are done setting up). He does this to take into consideration folks like yourself, so it is a vendor issue if they do these Friday sales. Maybe one or two private sales to good friends is ok, but not a good chunk of your offerings. Plus it doesn’t look great when your vendor table is half cleaned out at the start of the event..
I mean, I didn’t even see Sara Rayner’s stuff until it was half gone late friday...

 

[Vincent Tanner]

Didn't know how tiny these are until you held it up. The details is crazy... I could do a magic trick to make it disappear with that size.

A fellow magician? I’m an amateur professional close up magician myself…

 

[IzzyG]

A fellow magician? I’m an amateur professional close up magician myself…

Am I considered a magician when I make my own money disappear?

 

[Vincent Tanner]

Am I considered a magician when I make my own money disappear?

The story of my weekend at Nationals!

 

[Wood]

If more people give Bill and Diane an earful about forbidding Friday presales Im sure he will make more of an effort.

It's a cultural thing for Nationals now. Everyone comes expecting to buy things between each other beforehand and you're the odd one out when you don't

 

[IzzyG]

The story of my weekend at Nationals!

Other than pots for trees that I have, I was good and didn't get anything else! A couple of exhibitors did approach me to purchase their trees(partly cause they don't want to haul them back) but they didn't fit in the collection so I passed.

 

[Vincent Tanner]

Other than pots for trees that I have, I was good and didn't get anything else! A couple of exhibitors did approach me to purchase their trees(partly cause they don't want to haul them back) but they didn't fit in the collection so I passed.

I was good until Sunday. There were some beautiful gems left at Roy Minarai and Gayle Fiato’s table… I couldn’t resist! Posting some now in the “Recent Purchases” thread.

 

[coh]

I was good until Sunday. There were some beautiful gems left at Roy Minarai and Gayle Fiato’s table… I couldn’t resist! Posting some now in the “Recent Purchases” thread.

I was drooling over some of Roy's pots late on Saturday but didn't buy one. By the time I got back to the show on Sunday he and his pots were long gone. That's what indecision does!

 

[yashu]

I for one, deeply appreciate fine craftspeople who price to keep their wares attainable by most folks. This also leads me to resent those who take advantage of this as I hardly doubt the creator’s intention is to allow for higher profits for resellers.

 

[Maiden69]

I could understand the vendor-to-vendor sales on Friday, but to a limit. The only reason I think it would be ok is because you will be tending your table from opening time, so maybe you won't have time to browse and buy something you want. But on the other hand I think that will get carried away as well, as was he case of Sara's pots. I didn't get to go, but it is a shame as some of the vendors have "closed" their commissions and website offerings to sell at the event, where you have guys traveling from all over the country to probably have a chance to buy a decent "X artist name here" pot, to just find out that their material was half gone the night prior to opening. Not to mention the vultures...

 

[Ruddigger]

I could understand the vendor-to-vendor sales on Friday, but to a limit. The only reason I think it would be ok is because you will be tending your table from opening time, so maybe you won't have time to browse and buy something you want. But on the other hand I think that will get carried away as well, as was he case of Sara's pots. I didn't get to go, but it is a shame as some of the vendors have "closed" their commissions and website offerings to sell at the event, where you have guys traveling for all over the country to probably have a chance to buy a decent "X artist name here" pot, to just find out that their material was half gone the night prior to opening. Not to mention the vultures...

Precisely.

 

[namnhi]

Other than pots for trees that I have, I was good and didn't get anything else! A couple of exhibitors did approach me to purchase their trees(partly cause they don't want to haul them back) but they didn't fit in the collection so I paspass

I could understand the vendor-to-vendor sales on Friday, but to a limit. The only reason I think it would be ok is because you will be tending your table from opening time, so maybe you won't have time to browse and buy something you want. But on the other hand I think that will get carried away as well, as was he case of Sara's pots. I didn't get to go, but it is a shame as some of the vendors have "closed" their commissions and website offerings to sell at the event, where you have guys traveling for all over the country to probably have a chance to buy a decent "X artist name here" pot, to just find out that their material was half gone the night prior to opening. Not to mention the vultures...

I can understand if you buy a couple to keep. Not hoard them to resell for a profit the next day.... when the potter is still there. That's low.

 

[Maiden69]

I can understand if you buy a couple to keep. Not hoard them to resell for a profit the next day.... when the potter is still there. That's low.

This is something that could be brought up to Bill... kick out any vendor that does this. You want to make more money, take them home and sell them at an auction. I think it is disrespectful the way that was done.

 

[Vincent Tanner]

Oh, gosh… I didn’t realize you guys meant they were resold at Nationals the next table over… Yikes.

 

[yashu]

I for one, deeply appreciate fine craftspeople who price to keep their wares attainable by most folks. This also leads me to resent those who take advantage of this as I hardly doubt the creator’s intention is to allow for higher profits for resellers.

That was supposed to read “highly doubt”, not “hardly”

 

[namnhi]

This is something that could be brought up to Bill... kick out any vendor that does this. You want to make more money, take them home and sell them at an auction. I think it is disrespectful the way that was done.

I admire some people that can do things like that. I can't. Nothing illegal but morally is just wrong... disrespectful!

 

[penumbra]

Interesting reading this thread. I would have liked to have gone, but there were some minor health issues that I don't want to push to major health issues. This is being addressed very soon and I will be at the Winter Silhouette Show. I digress, after reading all of this I come away with mixed feelings and it is probably best that I missed it at this stage. Too darn much drama. Hopefully I will steel myself for next years event, but we will see.

 

[mwkohler]

This was my first time attending. Even after reading much of the valid criticism, the show was great. Having been alive long enough to notice this, even a perfect show will have disagreement over specific trees being in the show or getting awards.

Running an event of this size is a ton of work and I have a lot of respect for everyone that made it happen. I think the show can be even bigger but it needs a bigger group running it, if not an outright person dedicated to nothing but. Rochester has a very nice convention center that would be a great host.

I attended both Corin and Koji's demonstrations and thought while both were good, the sound needs work.

A question I meant to ask and didn't get to, does anyone know who Gerald works with in the US to distribute trees? His material for shohin trees looks really nice.

 

[Ruddigger]

This was my first time attending. Even after reading much of the valid criticism, the show was great. Having been alive long enough to notice this, even a perfect show will have disagreement over specific trees being in the show or getting awards.

Running an event of this size is a ton of work and I have a lot of respect for everyone that made it happen. I think the show can be even bigger but it needs a bigger group running it, if not an outright person dedicated to nothing but. Rochester has a very nice convention center that would be a great host.

I attended both Corin and Koji's demonstrations and thought while both were good, the sound needs work.

A question I meant to ask and didn't get to, does anyone know who Gerald works with in the US to distribute trees? His material for shohin trees looks really nice.

Bonsai West in Massachusetts. I had the opportunity to speak with Gerald and Koji-san, along with Zuma who works at Bonsai West, at the hotel bar last night about it.