Did you score any of those rare grafted Ume on Shimpaku literati?
Suthin's bonsai collcetion sale
- Thread starter suthin
- Start date
Timber
Sapling
Let's see some trees!
Did the benches clear on the first day or are there still plenty of trees left over?
Did the benches clear on the first day or are there still plenty of trees left over?
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
There are MANY wonderful trees still available today! What a treat--I was able to buy the tree I truly wanted, but would have happily taken any other home. Kuhn Suthin, Kuhn Donna, and their children were most helpful and gracious. All of the volunteers worked tirelessly. Special thanks to Scott from Blue River Bonsai.
If you're anywhere nearby try to get there today.
If you're anywhere nearby try to get there today.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
I agree, Suthin and all that were there to help out were really great! Scott Lee was incredibly helpful and a great guy! Check him out on Facebook. He always has great stuff for sale.
I made it up there yesterday with only about 10 minutes to spare. Speeding up the I95 corridor, I was forced by a state trooper to make a "pit stop" and later a bad accident, brought traffic to a standstill. I did not think I'd make it before the sale started.
Originally I thought prices were high as I looked over the pre-sale on-line catalogue. Seeing the trees in person, made me rethink that opinion as I quickly realized the level of refinement and work that had gone over the years on most of those trees. Yes they were still "expensive" for most of us, but prices were in most cases "low" for what you were really getting.
There were people there but definitely not as well attended as I had expected. I saw many folks buying lots of smaller started stuff with a few, buying some of the bigger trees. One gentleman from Ohio purchased a Japanese maple priced at $10,000. Before you try and look for it, this tree was not pictured in the catalogue. It was easily Kokufu material. It was enormous and highly refined. I imagine we will be seeing this tree again at the big shows! I just hope to God, this gentleman hires someone to take care of it or he knows what he is doing. This was not a tree to be messing around with!!!
I had three top choices: a hinoki, a Japanese maple and a thuja in no particular order and just needed to see all three in person. I was torn by the maple and the thuja. Suthin advised me to get the thuja due to the fact that I had too many maples already and it was a more unusual small leaf variety. I have been wanting to expand my reach into conifers so I think this was a very good choice for me. Also it does not require much winter care at all and is a real native.
Here is the tree. Sorry for the low quality phone pic. This tree may look a bit familiar. It was shown at the first National exhibition and has appeared in Bonsai Bark at least once.
I made it up there yesterday with only about 10 minutes to spare. Speeding up the I95 corridor, I was forced by a state trooper to make a "pit stop" and later a bad accident, brought traffic to a standstill. I did not think I'd make it before the sale started.
Originally I thought prices were high as I looked over the pre-sale on-line catalogue. Seeing the trees in person, made me rethink that opinion as I quickly realized the level of refinement and work that had gone over the years on most of those trees. Yes they were still "expensive" for most of us, but prices were in most cases "low" for what you were really getting.
There were people there but definitely not as well attended as I had expected. I saw many folks buying lots of smaller started stuff with a few, buying some of the bigger trees. One gentleman from Ohio purchased a Japanese maple priced at $10,000. Before you try and look for it, this tree was not pictured in the catalogue. It was easily Kokufu material. It was enormous and highly refined. I imagine we will be seeing this tree again at the big shows! I just hope to God, this gentleman hires someone to take care of it or he knows what he is doing. This was not a tree to be messing around with!!!
I had three top choices: a hinoki, a Japanese maple and a thuja in no particular order and just needed to see all three in person. I was torn by the maple and the thuja. Suthin advised me to get the thuja due to the fact that I had too many maples already and it was a more unusual small leaf variety. I have been wanting to expand my reach into conifers so I think this was a very good choice for me. Also it does not require much winter care at all and is a real native.
Here is the tree. Sorry for the low quality phone pic. This tree may look a bit familiar. It was shown at the first National exhibition and has appeared in Bonsai Bark at least once.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Congrats, beautiful specimen! Do you know anything about its history? Was it collected from the wild, from a garden, or was it nursery stock?
I'm still learning (or trying to learn) how to manage the foliage on these, but I have a much smaller tree which probably has less room for error.
I'm still learning (or trying to learn) how to manage the foliage on these, but I have a much smaller tree which probably has less room for error.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
This is most probably Mel Goldstein. He has a large collection of very good trees, Walter Pall visits him about every year to work on that collection. If it's Mel, then no worries! Google up his trees, there are some very interesting things.
Nice snag Serg, this is a powerful tree.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Don Blackmond
Omono
I said it when this thread started. Lots of great deals to be had. Trees can be expensive and still be a great deal. Suthin had many trees listed that were expensive but excellent prices. Whether customers have the money to spend is a separate issue.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks Chris! I do not know many of the details. I have messaged Suthin to see how this tree came about? My first guess was nursery material but tough to tell. Studying this tree up close, certainly is a bonsai lesson(s) in itself. The work not only shows Suthin's artistry but his top notch professional work. The bends (tough to tell in the pic) up top are really wonderful and the carving is fantastic even up close. Very natural looking.
Thuja I feel needs to be approached a bit differently. You can't really get the very tight refined look of say a shimpaku or other Japanese natives. If you want that look you might as well forget working with thuja. As you know the growth is coarse. It does tend to work better in larger sizes for said reasons. Having said that, in this particular bonsai, foliage pads can still be defined and cleaned up a bit more. This is not a criticism towards Suthin. After all, he had hundreds of trees to clean up before the sale!!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes now that you mention it Judy it may well be. As you said, if that's the case I am not worried!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
I agree Don. That $10,000 Japanese maple I would have guessed at 20 to 30K at least.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
LOL, I should've said that it was Bill picking up that tree for me... it was our anniversary yesterday after all....
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Wouldn't that have been awesome! I'm hoping Suthin has some nice trees left at decent prices this fall. Missed my opportunity to buy a group planting of chinese quince a few years ago, at a very reasonable price, at Bill's last symposium.LOL, I should've said that it was Bill picking up that tree for me... it was our anniversary yesterday after all....
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
That's why I'm curious, it has characteristics that make it look like both a natural collected tree, and a nursery stock specimen that has been worked over time by someone who obviously knows what they are doing!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
LOL, I should've said that it was Bill picking up that tree for me... it was our anniversary yesterday after all....
LOL!!!
Ok, I'll let you know if I hear from Suthin.
He seems to be selling pretty much everything under his roof! Many trees that were in past National's including last years best in show (American elm) were for sale. I saw someone walking away with it which sold for $7,500. I wonder if he is even exhibiting this year? My guess is yes but then again...
William N. Valavanis
Chumono
SUTHIN will have 6 bonsai in the National Exhibition.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
chicago1980
Omono
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More pics! Suthin has amazing trees! I hope to own one in a couple years.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
I saw quite a few, excellent trees being bought on that day. A friend of mine got two great Japanese maples. Unfortunately, many bonsai folks do not belong to BNut so I would not expect to see many of those trees being posted here.
