Clara

Can't answer most of your questions, but STOP TAKING IN OTHER PEOPLE'S REHABS!! Weren't most of these phals? They are HUGE space hogs. If having all these plants is making you unhappy then don't feel an obligation to keep them. Enough of that.

I think the rules for selling plants out here have relaxed. You just have to be somewhat discreet.

I found Sharry Babies really hard to get rid of, but it can be done. Just remember they are a B to ship and usually kind of expensive too. Make sure you take that into account when making a deal.

Do you have any other plant interests? I've traded orchids on other GW forums for perennials, CPs, aroids etc.

You would probably also have better luck on the OSF, but those people can be kind of nasty if you don't post regularly and only go over there to trade or sell. If you want to sell plants there, be sure to read the rules. You have to get permission I believe and make a donation to the forum.

For our part of the country, there isn't much time to ship anymore. I would say until the end of the month or maybe a bit longer if they are going south.

I always like to send pics of what I'm trading. The other person can find out on their own what the blooms look like if they want.

Make sure to let me know what you're getting rid of. I pay $ if there are things I want.

Glad to hear you're concerned about the cost of lighting all these plants. I'm big into cutting back on energy use for moral reasons, but never hear that mentioned out here.

Kevin

Hey Clara -
Well, I feel the same way about some things I have (notably Gramm. scriptum and Angraecum eburneum, both big honkin' monsters), and I am kind of reluctant to try to sell them commercially (eBay or whatever), but have too many years invested in them to give them away...last year's society 'swap' I unloaded a Schom. undulata that was just a horrible plant - gigantic, with 5-6' inflorescences that produced crabbed, wrinkly unscented flowers that were just so creepy (somebody in our orchid society called them 'exquisite' - hah!). I do really resent the amount of space these plants can take up, though. More so as I grow fonder of miniatures.
I am considering bringing them to an orchid society meeting when they are fully in bud and trying to sell them there. We usually have a few new members who are dazzled by these space hogs, and just don't realize how aggressively they can grow.
Now that I've vented, I feel better - perhaps you could consider either an orchid society or some other gardening group. Talk about preaching to the choir!
Cheers - Nancy

I just had a guy do some odd jobs for me and he did more than I expected. He was thrilled to receive three hybrids and a piece of cork bark as a tip. They were all excess for me and he is primed to come back again.

hello, Clara, how about giving some as presents? like Christmas, or New Years, birthdays.. especially when they are in bloom. And Nancy is right about orchid societies: I have seen people come in just to get the biggest most flamboyant and carry it away like a trophy.
sue

Ha Ha Ha Clara!

Just been there, done that! About 140 down to about 80, so almost 45% decrease. I'm sooooo happy! I have so much room!

For me, I'd lost patience with having to care for so many. Watering was a chore, and I really didn't care for a bunch of them.

So I made the 1st cut list, primarily sold on ebay (I do well there). Then I re-viewed the collection, and found others that didn't make the cut. ebay. (well, all of this was after I offered the best to special friends, for sale). I now have about 6-8 ready to go on the last cut of the season.

It's strange how 'must haves' and favorites suddenly seem unappealing, and then you can't wait to get rid of them.

I did discretely advertise here to trade them for $$. No one complained, and the post is still there (in the past it would have been taken down). For shipping purposes, it will definitely be easier to ship as many together as you can. And Kevin is right, there are other forums, but if you're not a regular, you won't get much of a response, and you typically are asked to donate back to the forum.

So...if you have any phrags that need a new home, give me a holler....

Carolyn

So...if you have any angraecoids that need a new home, give me a holler....

Clara - Yes! Sometimes I want to pitch them all out the window in the dead of the Minnesota winter, but it would hurt too much to know they were dying and I was the perp. (Too much Law & Order? Nah - impossible!)

My biggest cut in the collection came last month when 13 went at our society orchid sale to the public.

I've sold some at monthly society meetings, when members can sell their own orchids. (When a guest speaker has their plants to sell, members can't sell plants. That may differ from society to society.)

Also, society members can donate plants for raffles, which occur each month, no matter what.

Through this forum, I've hooked up w/ folks who did (n't) want to trade but to b--u---y and have reduced the collection that way, too.

Another thing you could do is put a sign on your door saying you have no more room for others' plants. The tough part would be leaving them there to freeze or fry.

I've sold plants to commercial growers. Prices have been low, but the plants have been outta my house.

It helped me to make a list of plants for the annual society sale ahead of time. After a week or so, I took a few plants off, realizing they were keepers for now.

If you have pix of the blossom or the plant, those always help, esp. if you're dealing w/ people who don't know you or aren't super familiar w/ the orchid.

No experience w/ lots.

Because shipping weather is limited now, I'd sell now, rather than waiting for them to darken up. Just provide that info to prospective buyers. I'd love it if a seller had her plants outside all summer.

As for the Sharry Baby - so many of us wanted one at one time, there have gotta be hundreds of people in the same boat. I'd advertise it "loud and proud" in all its humongous glory.

One thing at the society public sale that was very popular was having a culture sheet for each plant sold. Announcing you're including a sheet for each plant might help you move more. (I printed info from the Web, giving full credit to authors/ organizations.)

At the public orchid sale, people bought the biggest plants first. For some, big = the best.

Maybe Carolyn can address reducing your chances of getting cheated on $$. I say in advance I'll pass along the exact cost of materials and shipping, rather than giving a flat fee, but others may handle it differently.

Yes, please post your list on the Exchange site. Your "can't stands" could be someone else's "must haves."

You can do it!

Whitecat8

P.S. to Kevin - one of the reasons I'm going from T8s to CFLs is to reduce energy consumption. We've replaced virtually every bulb in the house w/ a CFL. If they heat the orchid room so the heater doesn't need to be run this winter - woo hoo!

Funny this came up. Over the past couple years I have traded and/or sold off a number of plant divisions or whole plants that either had gotten too big, refused to bloom for me, or just didn't thrill me anymore. I think it is just like anything else (furniture, clothing, artwork, etc) -- sometimes you just get tired of what you have and want something new.

Those I've sold, I know have often gone for less than what a professional grower would get, but since my goal was to get rid of them, I haven't minded. Some of the trades I've made have been 'steals' for the person I traded with [especially for the non-orchids I have sometimes traded for] but again, the goal was to get something I did want for something I no longer wanted. So again, no complaint here.

I find too that I'm pickier about what I buy. The "I gotta have one of everything" stage is history.

I've never sold on eBay. While my plants are healthy, they don't always have those immaculate leaves one can achieve in a greenhouse wherein one can use those heavy duty chemicals. In my apt -- I try to avoid using anything poisonous. After all I have to live here too.

In any event, I do think it is best to provide pics of the actual plant as well as the flowers. Any cultural requirements is also nice to include.

"Btw if ya got any mini's you're clearingout, let me know. :D >

This thread got me thinking about my plants and what I really still want to keep around this winter. You're all going to hate me, but I tossed four plants today. I just wanted them out of my life TODAY and now I feel much better. I just didn't want to go through the hassle of finding homes for them plus they were mass produced hybrids anyway. As they decompose in the compost pile, they will be recycled for the benefit of other plants. A win win in my book.

K

Kevin are you ok? Any one of us would have taken them and probably paid you for them. Don't take your grouchiness out on the orchids. Easy! You are scaring us! All orchids are pretty much mass produced . We know you are the resident phal hater. ;-)

The rehabs ranged from Phals to paphs to intergens. Phals are not space hogs. I have really grow to like them. A 17 bulb Deppi or a yard+ of Stanhopea popping growths from every side, that's a hog and pendulant bottom blooms are tough to juggle in an indoor set up. That isn't really my main complaint, space. Like Paul says, over time you develope a taste for specific forms and don't need everything. If I am not enjoying Sharry Baby, why light it? Let someone else enjoy it. I don't think asco's are really fun to grow in z-5. Love them but that's when I lived in z-10. The service is killing me. I feel like I can't leave for a week. Only Carolyn's curvofoilium is easy for me. The bigger ones are too time demanding to keep on track.

I am going to begin to get it together. I think I am going to do as Carolyn says, 2 rounds. immediate release and then a 2nd release. Some will make me sad. They have been my buddies. But it's time.
Thanks for all the input.

Clara

I love Stanhopea! :oD Living in Florida makes them easy. I just hang them in the branches of low growing trees and bring them into the garage if we get a freeze warning.

I just bought my second one yesterday at the USF botanical sale, a S. wardii The other one I have is S. jennishiana

I have two now. I wouldn't mind more of them either ;-)

Tiring of any type of collection is common in ANY hobby. My main hobby is collecting and showing horse sculptures. I've done it from the age of 5 yrs old and my horse collection is always evolving.

I have to admit to trashing a few orchids in my time. I got tired of fighting meally on a phal and scale on an equitant. Both were pitched.

You are welcome to contact me about that Stan.

I like to swap or give away my extras/not thrilled withs/don't like me orchids. I have made some excellent friends this way and gotten some lovely plants I liked or at least tried without the expense of buying. Well worth listing them here under exchange and see what happens.

susan

I downsized by about 50 this past summer. My bay window will be almost plantless this winter. About 15 went to ebay. A commercial vendor contacted me based on my ebay comments saying I needed to downsize, and eventually bought 35. He was a masterful negotiator who would have made any used car salesman proud. But I haven't spent 20 years as an antique dealer for nothing. I had to thank him for his time and say no deal at least once, maybe twice. But he eventually bought. Mostly immature plants, but he still got a good deal and I didn't feel snookered. I still have 500 to fuss over.
The new postal rates can make shipping large plants problematic. I sold a huge Stanhopea wardii to someone in the Pacific NW. Shipping was $29. I received one plant via UPS ground this summer with no problems. It may be worth another look, especially for the big boys. msflintlock

Good morning:

Well, I did it. Recently my husband and I moved to the dryer climate of Las Vegas, into a smaller home. My collection went from about 120 plants to a dozen. I just could not justify the cost (and space) of lighting, water treatment and the time of care. This was not an easy decision, I really had to struggle on the keep list. But I set my priorities (lower light, compact size, or total affection for a particular plant). If given the right circumstances and location, I will grow orchids en masse again, but here it would be too much of a struggle. I gave most plants to the local orchid society for their raffle (they gave me 25% of the proceeds). Some I sold to friends and a couple I sold on eBay. And yes, I tossed a couple with serious health issues. Now I am getting started with cactus and succulents, a climate-appropriate obsession!

Jeanne

Do I hear ya!

Clara, I've downsized a couple of times at least, most recently this summer. In that case I lucked out and an interested party within driving distance took the lot I was offering. I discounted what I was asking considering the hassle in packing and shipping she saved me. I've sold stuff on ebay successfully but I would only dispose of orchids there as a last resort. All it takes is one plant broken in shipping and your name can be smeared on all the message boards.

Lots of good suggestions above but I'd like to add one: if you live in an area that is served by craigslist it's a great way to unload stuff. You can specify that the recipient pick it up so you don't have to worry about packing and shipping and you're both standing there looking at the plant so there's no questions as to size, quality, etc.

SC - Super suggestion about Craigslist! Another option for downsizing. Thanks, Whitecat8

That is a good idea. This summer when my sister wanted to get rid of the most hideous picnic table you have ever seen, I put an ad on CL for her. Within a day, she had over 100 emails and within 2 days it was gone.

K

Hey Clara...since you are a fellow Chicagoan...I was thinking you could donate the orchids to the Garfield Conservatory. The Lincoln Conservatory is well-stocked and the Chicago Botanic Garden is also well stocked...the Garfield has none. Also, since you put so much love and care, you could donate them to the Shedd or zoos as well. Just a thought..

I think if ever had to relocate I would donate them to those places as well. I like going there and seeing the look on the faces of people seeing an orchid in bloom for the first time.