Suthin sale

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That’s some good advice @Leo in N E Illinois!

I read something similar from you in the “How to become a good bonsai beginner” thread and started to pick up some better trees along with the developing sticks in many pots over here.

So I’ve got a big foot in the ‘stick‘ pot and a smaller one in the ‘better trees’ pot. Over time the plan is to let the balance shift more towards older trees as I sell off the smaller trees that I don‘t think have as much promise and use that seed money to fund a few bigger trees.

Good luck on the used car. I‘ve had a number of 20 year olds cars, the oldest 25 and finally managed to move up to a newer model.

cheers
DSD sends

LOL - Thankfully, I have a brother that worked as a SAE certified auto mechanic for a good 30 years. Now he is an insurance adjustor for an auto insurance company. Arthritis means he had to get away from turning wrenches every day. I know he'd rather be turning wrenches than doing paperwork. So he repair cars in the driveway for his wife's family and for me. A bottle of a nice bourbon for his birthday and I get free repairs for another year. (I do pay for parts). He lives close enough that dropping in is not a problem. Though I have never had a car towed to his place, I thought that would be tacky. If I need a tow truck, I have a couple "real repair shops" that I use.

Ryan neil in particular has shown the way i think, in that you can pick up reasonably priced nursery material, develop it into semi trained/pre bonsai then either keep or sell on for more than what you paid. win win
do that a handful of times and use the money to buy better trees.

I used to do the buy-sell-trade routine with the orchids. There was a point where it had pretty much become a second job. The pandemic was a good way to "shut it down". Right now I am not looking forward to having to "hustle" and try to upsell everyone on something every time I see them. I enjoy not having to "do the salesman routine". With the orchids I was beginning to feel like a used car salesman. I'm enjoying my time off the sales circuit, I don't want to do it for bonsai, or at least not beyond the hustling I'm already doing with the fertilizer.

It is fun when you get sales up to the point where it supports the hobby. I remember how that first felt. Now, I just don't want to work that hard. Though next month our Milwaukee Bonsai Society will have its first in person meeting, so things will be getting back to something more like normal.

 

[penumbra]

It is fun when you get sales up to the point where it supports the hobby.

That is the way I feel about my pottery.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I absolutely love his work! If I knew anything about pine I would definitely get one!
that fat ficus is outstanding too- but it’s pick up only. A little too large for me but wow!

 

[badatusernames]

I spoke to him today - while I’m tempted, I think I’m holding off to see what is at nationals in person. My assumption is these or ones like it will be there, and more to see as well. Given how close the event is I may as well wait and look in person to be 100% certain it’s what I want.

plus, it’s undeniably a lot of money for a plant, even if the work is worth every penny and more.

 

[Paradox]

Yea I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted.
His trees are definitely worth the price.
But I am going to refrain. I have enough to work on right now

 

[Potawatomi13]

For the number of years, time and effort Suthin invested in these trees, the prices are quite reasonable.

I am definitely thinking about one. But don't know if I will follow through. Such a purchase would use up two or three years worth of my "bonsai budget". If anyone was paying attention, I have not been buying pots on 99 cent bonsai for quite a while, so I have saved up a little in my "bonsai bank account".

I am not wealthy by any means. My income is below the national median income for a family of 4. Actually I'm probably closer to the poverty line for a family of 4. But I live inside my means, carry little or no credit card debt. I drive a 20 year old auto, which I need to replace soon. I will probably buy a 5 to 10 year old car and drive it another 10 years.

If found quite a while ago that buying lots of "cheap nursery projects" really adds up over a year. And all those "nursery projects" were taking up time and space that could go for fewer, but better trees.

Really, once you get to the point where you don't feel the need to buy another $10 juniper on sale at the local nursery, you can save up for better trees. I used to spend $20 to $50 a month on cheap trees, and about the same amount on booze. I quit buying cheap trees, quit drinking and my "mad money" account became my "buying better bonsai" account. It means once a year I can make a $200 to $500 purchase. And I did not make a purchase in 2020, so I am thinking about a purchase from Suthin. Though I should probably upgrade the auto first.

Seriously, once you have "learned bonsai" enough that the horticulture is not a limit, it is possible to focus how you buy, and even on a limited income, you can save up for better purchases. Better trees take more time to maintain. Detail wiring takes a lot of time, sometimes a whole day or more. One does not need many better trees to keep yourself busy.

I can do all the bonsai techniques possible on 100 sticks in pots in less than 100 minutes. Really, either a quick chop or one twist of wire, and you're done for another year. One the other hand, a $500 satsuki or JBP might need 4 or more hours of detail work two or three times a year. You don't need as many of these better trees to fill your time. The danger is your cheap sticks in pots will distract you from putting proper care into your better trees.

SO once you are confident about keeping a tree alive, and have a basic idea about how to train a tree, stop buying nursery stock, and start picking up older, closer to exhibition quality trees. But only use money that you would normally use on a hobby. Instead to constantly dropping $5, $10 or $20 every month, stash it away, build up a reserve. Make fewer but better targeted purchases. And start thinking about selling or gifting away some of your "sticks in pots" that you are not as interested in.

Many excellent points. Fewer better trees once horticultural skills become relatively exemplary.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Suthin sale with some nice little pines.

SALES | suthin2016

www.suthinbonsaistudio.com

Any idea what is in black logo cans next to shohin trees?

 

[LanceMac10]

I spoke to him today - while I’m tempted, I think I’m holding off to see what is at nationals in person. My assumption is these or ones like it will be there, and more to see as well. Given how close the event is I may as well wait and look in person to be 100% certain it’s what I want.

plus, it’s undeniably a lot of money for a plant, even if the work is worth every penny and more.

He should have a table at the national exhibit. Don't imagine the selection there would be as numerous. Try to get down to Stoughton in person if possible. I would not spend unless I had a chance to view in person. Surely the trees are of the highest quality,, but a purchase of this magnitude should be done in person. I don't have a lot of "play" money but I do pay extra every week in taxes that I get back at the end of the year. So it's a tidy sum as I've squirreled it away for the last three years our so.


Should go without saying, but you should consider your abilities before laying out this kind of serious money. Especially these JBP's, and their small size. Trust me, that get's factored into my calculations!

Working with JBP for nine years....so far I've learned how not to kill them...

 

[LanceMac10]

wealthy matured Americans

.....uh-oh....I can only "check one"....

 

[LanceMac10]

Any idea what is in black logo cans next to shohin trees?

Tab?

 

[vp999]

I think the prices are very fair, look around on eBay, there are trees thats nowhere near as nice as these and selling for much higher prices. This is when Im kicking my self for buying too many "cheaper" trees instead of using the money for a few nice ones.

 

[Timarsen]

.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Me!! Hell, I'm holding back from buying 2-3!!! 'Course the 900 smackers put into the truck for inspection helps to temper the desire!!

I'm always around, always watching, waiting for you to sell that pot to me

 

[Bonsai Nut]

look around on eBay, there are trees thats nowhere near as nice as these and selling for much higher prices

Just because they are listed at higher prices, doesn't mean they are selling at higher prices. If they were, you should buy every tree and relist it immediately

 

[coh]

Definitely tempted by a couple of Suthin's pines, though a couple of the ones I liked most have now sold.

 

[vp999]

Just because they are listed at higher prices, doesn't mean they are selling at higher prices. If they were, you should buy every tree and relist it immediately

Very true.