Too Many Trees = an opportunity for you!

[thumblessprimate1]

Its pretty clear that shipping is your primary enemy.
Shipping is a thankless task. Many buyers want you to "throw in the shipping cost" because it adds so much to the cost of a tree, right after they've offered you thirty cents on the dollar for your tree. Then they bitch because leaves drop or new shoots bend or foliage/needles are damaged. I sell a lot of prebonsai trees with long sacrifice shoots. These are trees that need to be cut back. I get buyers who complain when these sacrifice branches are bent or broken. It makes no difference to the design, and these branches are there to be removed, yet they want "half off" or some other award of compensation, or else they're going to tell everybody I ripped them off.

So, take that thirty cents on the dollar, throw in free shipping, spend 2 hours packing and shipping that tree, then get bullied into a fifty percent refund, and see if you ever want to do it again. Sometimes it makes you want to put them all into a pile and burn them instead.

I can relate to this.

 

[Don Blackmond]

For the right amount of money, you can ship anything. You just have to be ready to pay the $$$. UPS standard shipping applies to anything you can fit in a box that is 165 inches (length + girth) or less, and 150 lbs or less. That's a box 3 1/2 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide and deep. You can fit a lot of bonsai in that box Wire the pot securely to a board the same dimensions as the bottom of the box, insert bonsai into box, wire board to bottom of box, and fill completely with foam peanuts. Done.

Just be aware that there may be agricultural restrictions depending upon where you are shipping to/from.

Unless you are shipping something very heavy, there is no need to wire the tree into the box if you use styrofoam packing peanuts and fill 100% of the negative space.

How about this: If I pay for shipping, will you give me your trees for free?

Yes, when I'm ready.

 

[coh]

For the right amount of money, you can ship anything. You just have to be ready to pay the $$$. UPS standard shipping applies to anything you can fit in a box that is 165 inches (length + girth) or less, and 150 lbs or less. That's a box 3 1/2 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide and deep. You can fit a lot of bonsai in that box Wire the pot securely to a board the same dimensions as the bottom of the box, insert bonsai into box, wire board to bottom of box, and fill completely with foam peanuts. Done.

Just be aware that there may be agricultural restrictions depending upon where you are shipping to/from.

Do you need to wire the board to the bottom of the box? I was told by someone who ships a LOT of trees, that you just wire the tree to the board and fill with the peanuts...and the peanuts hold everything in place. I guess there could be a problem if the top of the box got damaged and some of the peanuts came out.

 

[johng]

Its pretty clear that shipping is your primary enemy.
Shipping is a thankless task. Many buyers want you to "throw in the shipping cost" because it adds so much to the cost of a tree, right after they've offered you thirty cents on the dollar for your tree. Then they bitch because leaves drop or new shoots bend or foliage/needles are damaged. I sell a lot of prebonsai trees with long sacrifice shoots. These are trees that need to be cut back. I get buyers who complain when these sacrifice branches are bent or broken. It makes no difference to the design, and these branches are there to be removed, yet they want "half off" or some other award of compensation, or else they're going to tell everybody I ripped them off.

So, take that thirty cents on the dollar, throw in free shipping, spend 2 hours packing and shipping that tree, then get bullied into a fifty percent refund, and see if you ever want to do it again. Sometimes it makes you want to put them all into a pile and burn them instead.

Amen Brother!!

 

[CWTurner]

Do you need to wire the board to the bottom of the box? I was told by someone who ships a LOT of trees, that you just wire the tree to the board and fill with the peanuts...and the peanuts hold everything in place. I guess there could be a problem if the top of the box got damaged and some of the peanuts came out.

THIS SIDE UP does not preclude UPS or FedEx from turning a box on its side to maximize loading. Unless the tree will stay put upside down, I would wire it to the box as well.
CW

 

[Don Blackmond]

THIS SIDE UP does not preclude UPS or FedEx from turning a box on its side to maximize loading. Unless the tree will stay put upside down, I would wire it to the box as well.
CW

If you pack it properly, the tree will stay put upside down, without it being wired to the box. I see people do more harm than good when they wire trees into boxes. Granted, not every person does that, but I have seen seasoned veterans screw the pooch by doing that.

 

[LanceMac10]

screw the pooch

A saying not used enough!! Love it!!

I got a tree from Don, great packaging. WeeMac saw the peanuts and went electric though!!
Tight job, his method seemed....heheheee....LOTSSA' peanuts!

 

[abqjoe]

A saying not used enough!! Love it!!

I got a tree from Don, great packaging. WeeMac saw the peanuts and went electric though!!
Tight job, his method seemed....heheheee....LOTSSA' peanuts!

Yea I've received a couple of tree's from Don too and he definitely packs a tree well! Yup, Lot's of peanuts I wish I could kill each and every peanut but it would do no good because their soul less little bastards!

 

[Eric Group]

Its pretty clear that shipping is your primary enemy.
Shipping is a thankless task. Many buyers want you to "throw in the shipping cost" because it adds so much to the cost of a tree, right after they've offered you thirty cents on the dollar for your tree. Then they bitch because leaves drop or new shoots bend or foliage/needles are damaged. I sell a lot of prebonsai trees with long sacrifice shoots. These are trees that need to be cut back. I get buyers who complain when these sacrifice branches are bent or broken. It makes no difference to the design, and these branches are there to be removed, yet they want "half off" or some other award of compensation, or else they're going to tell everybody I ripped them off.

So, take that thirty cents on the dollar, throw in free shipping, spend 2 hours packing and shipping that tree, then get bullied into a fifty percent refund, and see if you ever want to do it again. Sometimes it makes you want to put them all into a pile and burn them instead.

Nahhh it ain't all that bad! I haven't had but maybe 2-3 issues with real damage in the shipping I have done over the past year (dozens and dozens of trees and other stuff). Most of the time even if there are delays or damaged boxes it hasn't resulted in severely damaged trees... I had a pot broken, a few small branches damaged, one pair of tweezers that was squeezed out of an envelope it was shipped in... Other than that all pretty minor stuff like shipped to the wrong address or returned for postage errors by a mailbox store which leads to just a late delivery but no loss... I guess if you are shipping $500-$1000 trees vs the $50-$100 trees (or less) I frequently ship, you get more... Discerning clientele who are a bit more inclined to complain about stuff.

 

[sorce]

I just hope some "you" 's made this an opportunity.

I wish I was a "you".

This is "time to beg, borrow, or steal", type stuff.

This shipping Talk should have been some...

"I got one" 's.

"The ____ is gone"

"You didn't get there fast enough!, I own the______."

Sorce

 

[Don Blackmond]

Nahhh it ain't all that bad! I haven't had but maybe 2-3 issues with real damage in the shipping I have done over the past year (dozens and dozens of trees and other stuff). Most of the time even if there are delays or damaged boxes it hasn't resulted in severely damaged trees... I had a pot broken, a few small branches damaged, one pair of tweezers that was squeezed out of an envelope it was shipped in... Other than that all pretty minor stuff like shipped to the wrong address or returned for postage errors by a mailbox store which leads to just a late delivery but no loss... I guess if you are shipping $500-$1000 trees vs the $50-$100 trees (or less) I frequently ship, you get more... Discerning clientele who are a bit more inclined to complain about stuff.

Actually, its the low end stuff that has the problematic clientele who want something for nothing.

 

[quietobserver]

Actually, its the low end stuff that has the problematic clientele who want something for nothing.

Clichés don't take root without root cause.

 

[Eric Group]

Clichés don't take root without root cause.

The pun is strong with this one!

Actually, its the low end stuff that has the problematic clientele who want something for nothing.

That is just how people work it seems... Makes me wonder sometimes... Is the attitude a side effect or a cause of/ contributing factor to the persons financial situation? Hmmm After over a decade of retail banking I cannot answer that question but frequently I have found through customer interaction with people from all walks of life: positivity, confidence, understanding, compassion... Lead to/ are common traits found in those who have had success in life. Negativity, bigotry, stubbornness, self centered... "ness" (?)- well... They are usually personality traits of the "less fortunate"... Nature or nurture?
Y'all didn't know we was gonna get deep in here did ya?


Maybe I have been lucky or just so excited that people want to buy my stuff it is hard to knock the "happy" off me regardless of how the transaction goes! I think any time money goes into my hand it tends to sweeten my view of how the transaction went! LOL

I have primarily sold through FB groups and the rules there are that the seller is responsible for damages, so I just take that line with every transaction regardless of source. I think it has made me become progressively more cautious with how I ship them. Now I fully wrap the pots in plastic wrap with wet newspaper under it to retain moisture and keep the dirt in the pot no matter how it is tossed and turned. I frequently wire them into the boxes... I have used everything from styro pnuts to crumpled newspaper to inflated bags as stuffing... BTW, where do you get your packing pnuts Don? I cannot find them for a reasonable price anywhere and am relegated to recycling those that came to me in items I bought!

 

[Don Blackmond]

Clichés don't take root without root cause.

please explain.

 

[sorce]

where do you get your packing pnuts Don? I

If you ship that much....

You could put a wanted ad for them on the list....of just cruise around like our friend from Lodi and dive dumpsters!

With a decade of retail banking knowledge....you should know that is an overhead cost for suckers!

Didn't think I was gonna get so deep in here did you!? Lol!

Just follow the Amazon truck around!

Sorce

 

[Don Blackmond]

BTW, where do you get your packing pnuts Don?

Uline

 

[quietobserver]

please explain.

From my experience in multiple industries not bonsai related, low-end stuff seems to always translate to 'difficult' clientele. Our sales people have various terms/cliches used for the low-end buyers I won't repeat

 

[LanceMac10]

So basically, if I don't have a lot of discretionary income, I'm a scumbag? Thanks for the heads-up!
Lemme' guess, Hillary '16? Trump '16? Just as long as its not somebody that just wants a job? Jobs that the government can't let go overseas fast enough?
Then everyone looks around and wonders why people are so pissed off. Not everyone can sit in front of a computer all day. But rooting around for loopholes in the law is a sign of "success"......

What is your idea of success? Wait, don't bother.

" Strive for success in life, but don't pull up the ladder behind you." the most important words my Father ever said to me.

 

[rnbonsai78]

Chinzan Azalea in a Cochoy container...

I purchased about 50 large Chinzans that I drastically pruned. All but 3 have found new homes pretty earlt in the process. This is one of the three that I chose to keep. It has an excellent root spread and is one of the larger trunked domestic Chinzan that I have come across.

Tha root base of this tree is better than 4" across.

And about 14" tall from the table top.

This tree is really ready for someone to take it to the next level!
$350

Did this one happened to be on YouTube?

 

[vicn]

I don't see any problem with the prices, it's just too dang far to drive.