How much did you pay for that?

[larlamonde]

I was wondering if it is in bad taste to ask what someone paid for a tree? I think it is one of the questions, especially newer persons often wonder. What does a tree cost? Worth? Is it a good deal? It seems like most members are average Joe's and dont have money throw around. Anytime I see someone post a tree I wonder, "what did they pay for that". It would be nice to know. Obviously value is in the eye of the buyer. You mostly only hear the price when someone gets material from a clearance at a nursery. I am going to make a point of letting people know what I paid for a tree whenever I post and extend that invitation to all who wish to join me.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I wouldn't mind seeing how much something costs, but I'm wary of posting prices I pay just because it seems kind of tacky or uncouth? I dunno. If I get a great deal on something I'm probably more inclined to post the price. I feel like if I were to say, yeah this juniper was $800 I'd be rubbing it in the faces of people working on big box store and close out material. Not that I would take it that way myself, but I don't want to come off that way to anyone.

 

[lordy]

My gut is that those who place importance on spending a lot will be proud to say how many hundreds/thousands they spent on a given tree, as if to insure a world class tree. Others will try to come off as getting a great tree for pennies. The bulk of people who pay for trees will have gotten anything from seedlings to decent pre-bonsai for what some of us consider a good price, and rest consider a ripoff. Then there is the collected stuff.
But I understand why you want to know. Me too.

 

[Cadillactaste]

There is times I too am curious to what value a tree was purchased. To get an ideal of the going price for good material. Or...different look...prebonsai and such. A gauged so to speak...to know when we do see a good deal...we are knowing it. Or...knowing if a certain material is highly marked up.

 

[jk_lewis]

I was wondering if it is in bad taste to ask what someone paid for a tree?

Of course it is. It's bad taste to any someone what anything they own cost them.

That has never seemed to hinder anyone on BN from asking though. (And you do NOT have to tall them.)

Besides, these days, "bad taste" is very. very "IN."

Anyway, people here seem proudest of how LITTLE they paid for something, as if that was a badge of honor. And, 99.99999% of the time, I think they got exactly what they paid for -- not much.

 

[Stan Kengai]

I would likely share what I paid for material if asked because I am a bargain shopper, and while the term bargain can be relative, I am a true cheap a**.

I don't think it would be in bad taste to send a private message to someone asking "if you don't mind, how much did you pay for that tree?" That way, they have the choice to deny you, ignore you, cuss you, or tell you. With the private message, people won't look like they are showing off or rubbing it in, if they paid a lot.

HOWEVER, there is something bigger at play here, and that is regional price differences. West coast bonsai are more affordable than anywhere else in the country. By Far! Northeast/New England bonsai are probably the most expensive. So that's something to keep in mind.

 

[berobinson82]

If you've a relationship it should be okay.

Or if you ask in a PM and will accept a "I'd rather not say" as a response.

 

[fourteener]

In my back yard I never want to tell people. Now that I'm into upgrading my pots, I really don't want to say. My other issue is so much of my stuff is Yamadori, I'd just be able to offer an educated guess.

 

[jkd2572]

I only post the price if I get a ridiculousness low price for something. I would tell anyone who asked In a pm what I paid for something. It gives them a ball park of what something might be valued at and helps them determine the price of something they want.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I often think of bonsai as a tree that people have poured time into. Time = money.

Even yamadori cost money. You don't just "happen" to wander out into the Mojave and come back with an amazing bonsai.

In the case of pre-bonsai, you have to spend the time into preparing a young tree for life as a bonsai. This also assumes that you have spent decades yourself learning just how and what to do.

I never spend more than $500 on a tree, and often far less. This is because I prefer to develop my own trees. However I don't begrudge someone going out and spending $5k on a tree because they think it is beautiful and want to take it home and just look at it and not change a thing. Don't get me started on how much I spend on pots, however

 

[larlamonde]

I was wondering if it is in bad taste to ask what someone paid for a tree? I think it is one of the questions, especially newer persons often wonder. What does a tree cost? Worth? Is it a good deal? It seems like most members are average Joe's and dont have money throw around. Anytime I see someone post a tree I wonder, "what did they pay for that". It would be nice to know. Obviously value is in the eye of the buyer. You mostly only hear the price when someone gets material from a clearance at a nursery. I am going to make a point of letting people know what I paid for a tree whenever I post and extend that invitation to all who wish to join me.

Thanks to everyone for replying. Seems like most of us want to know to help in the presuit of material. Bragging or boasting never entered my mind. I look at the members on this site as family when it comes to discussion of bonsai.

 

[bonsairxmd]

I'll start (since I recently was going to pay too much for a procumbens ). I paid $260 for this root over rock trident and $150 for this 1.75" diameter trunk pre bonsai shimpaku that is 3 feet tall. Then $260 for the radioactive arakawa JM with a 3" trunk.

Next.....

 

[ChrisV]

I think people pay to much for trees. Nice material doesn't have to cost a lot.
Especially not if you do it for a hobby or just starting out.
But because people want fast results they let the less developed trees for what they are and go for trees that are easier or closer to a finished image.

All these trees here cost me under $100 some even for free or less than $20.
This goes for 70% of my collection.

 

[Dav4]

Good material generally costs a bit...generally. But not always...

This tree was dug from my in law's yard- free.

This tree either cost me 10 or 30 bucks at a landscape nursery.

I got this one at NEBG for sale during their summer sell down sale...70% off and less then $600

This one cost close to 3 grand

All these trees were essentially raw, unstyled material when I acquired them, except the imported azalea, which was trained in Japan for at least 40 years as a pre-bonsai. I've been working with these for up to 10 years at this point. My point in posting them is to show everyone that good material is out there and can be had for little or a lot of money. The deals are there if you look hard enough/long enough. And at the end of the day, you still have to work on them, whether you spent 10 bucks or 3 grand, to make them better. Good luck on the hunt.

 

[berobinson82]

I think people pay to much for trees. Nice material doesn't have to cost a lot.
Especially not if you do it for a hobby or just starting out.
But because people want fast results they let the less developed trees for what they are and go for trees that are easier or closer to a finished image.

All these trees here cost me under $100 some even for free or less than $20.
This goes for 70% of my collection.

I wish my prices were comparable here in Central VA, US!

 

[larlamonde]

I'll start (since I recently was going to pay too much for a procumbens ). I paid $260 for this root over rock trident and $150 for this 1.75" diameter trunk shimpaku that is 3 feet tall. Then $260 for the radioactive arakawa JM with a 3" trunk.

Next.....

Chad that maple is really nice!

 

[larlamonde]

Good material generally costs a bit...generally. But not always...

This tree was dug from my in law's yard- free.

This tree either cost me 10 or 30 bucks at a landscape nursery.

I got this one at NEBG for sale during their summer sell down sale...70% off and less then $600

This one cost close to 3 grand

All these trees were essentially raw, unstyled material when I acquired them, except the imported azalea, which was trained in Japan for at least 40 years as a pre-bonsai. I've been working with these for up to 10 years at this point. My point in posting them is to show everyone that good material is out there and can be had for little or a lot of money. The deals are there if you look hard enough/long enough. And at the end of the day, you still have to work on them, whether you spent 10 bucks or 3 grand, to make them better. Good luck on the hunt.

Chris this is exactly what I was looking for when I started this post. Thank for sharing. You are spot on with your explaination.

 

[fore]

Dave, seeing your yew just reminds me of what I lost last yr! Hell, this yr there was absolutely nothing that looked good to collect off craigslist. Last yr was like a bounty

I've paid anywhere from 1500- 10$. All unstyled and raw. If I find an expensive tree I like, I try to find a way to slowly finance it. I too am a believer of you get what you pay for...in general that is.

 

[Paulpash]

The trees I value the most aren't the most expensive - they're the ones I've grown from cuttings & air layers. Investment isn't just financial - it's the care you've given it to get it to where you're proud to have it on your bench. And it's "yours" - not grown or created by an unknown hand as part of a production line in Japan.....

 

[Adair M]

This is always a touchy subject.

Supply and demand. Location matters.

Lets say I want a JBP, with a fat 8 inch base, 12 inch nebari, but only 14 inches tall. They don't naturally grow in people's back yards that way. Someone had to have the vision 25 years ago that someone would want something like this 25 years later. So someone had to have faith they would be rewarded eventually, and go out and plant some seedlings, water them, weed them, prune them, etc. eventually, they dug them up, worked the roots to be able to be put in a flat or pot, and then sell them as "raw" material.

How much is something like that worth?

And now that I've purchased it, can I consider it mine? I've pruned it, decandled it, let some sacrifice branches run, cut other branches back, I've grafted it, repotted it, wired it, etc.

Yes, it's great material. Does that mean I'm not a good artist because I didn't start off with a stick in a pot? (Many on this site imply that "anyone" can make a good bonsai out of great material, that using great material is somehow "cheating".)

The fact is, since I wanted to have a bonsai with the characteristics I described above, I had to pay handsomely for it.

I can appreciate how not everyone can afford expensive stock. Most of my trees, like Dave4's, are not. But, I do occasionally splurge on something really special.