Disappointing nursery visits

[Qitianlong]

I hear ya Graeme and Bonbon, there's always a creative solution to any problem.

For me it's a little simpler, I go there and I see amazing trees. End of story. I'd rather go to a nursery without any price tags but had amazing trees than one that was fully priced with rubbish. Agreed?
Obviously he has his reasons for doing things as he does, he's a smart guy. He also has spent hours with me for free talking about the tree I wanted to buy, different styling options, even doing work with me on them. Total generosity. I don't know why he keeps going with it, when I hear of beautiful trees (with price tags) that have their branches broken (he can't watch the whole place at the whole time) and then he's told 'oh, this tree is pretty crappy with broken branches, i'll give you $5 for it'. I would just give up, close down to the public and operate via private appointments only. Problem solved.

If you go to Padre's, what you do is pull out all the trees you want (some are priced, just not all) and then ask Nic 'how much for these trees?'. Simple.

[Bonbon]

If you go to Padre's, what you do is pull out all the trees you want (some are priced, just not all) and then ask Nic 'how much for these trees?'. Simple.

That is simple!
In real life, though, knowing the price of the trees is a very important factor to determine which one I want! It may be the biggest dilemma in human history . We all have a budget and even worse, a wife, right?

Without the price factor, I may need two days to pull out 500 as there are so many nice ones, wait three days for him to analyse and name the price, then spend two days putting 499 back ( from my experience of the price he asked). That is a total of 7 days!

I just want to provide my humble opinion of how he can run the nursery better so that we all get mutually benefited. Please let me know when he put the price on his trees and I will be the first to go there.

[Jason]

I think feedback is a great thing, so long as it doesn't go too far Maybe you should drop them an email with your thoughts and suggestions?

The 'no price' thing has irked me at regular nurseries before (non-bonsai nurseries), mainly when you can't find anyone around to ask the price. Thats usually because I've got the missus waiting in the car, and my time is short though otherwise I don't usually mind, I'm quite happy to have a chat with the owner and ask after the price.

I went to Ray's last year when I was over, and was in my own little bonsai heaven. Honestly, couldn't say a bad thing about them even if I wanted to. HEAPS of stock, more then double any bonsai nursery in Perth, all priced and a massive variety. Plus a really awesome cat Also had a chat with Ray for nearly an hour, which he showed me his collection and took me for a wander around. I left there with a really good impression, and will be organising another visit the next time I'm over for sure

I really think that all bonsai nurseries need all of the support we can give them, even a bad nursery is still A nursery, which is in my opinion, better then nothing

Otherwise, I'm still too new to the art to really constructively comment

[Bonbon]

I think feedback is a great thing, so long as it doesn't go too far Maybe you should drop them an email with your thoughts and suggestions?

Be assured, he is reading all these.
So no email is needed.
I did tell him all my humble opinion before face to face, man to man Just post this to know what others think. Luckily, I am not that abnormal to feel the need of proper pricing.

[kez]

When I am at a nursery I like to just go about my business, quietly take in my surrounds and look around at what is in my budget for the day, and admire the trees that aren't. If i ask for help I am very appreciative of any that is given because I have a lot to learn, and I dont want to take up to much time with noob questions.

My biggest issue with trees not having prices on them is there may be a tree that I like, and who knows how much it is as every nursery is different, so one goes and asks the owner/staff, and if the trees price is over my budget and I have to return it to its spot after asking the question, my worry is that the message I have sent is that either i think the tree isn't worth the price, or that I'm not prepared to pay what is being asked. Now there are trees for everyones budget, and they all have a worth, but I dont want to offend anyone, and with prices, I could just focus my attention in my price bracket. (also one would hate to miss out due to the assumption that a tree will be worth more than what the owner is asking, but due to the above the question isnt asked)

Anyway,

I love bonsai nurseries I wish there was more

Kez

[bodhidharma]

O.K, i have been reading this thread and have noticed that most Nurserymen have avoided contributing (and dont blame them). I will give you a for and against list(from my experience) and see were it goes.

AGAINST.. 1) it takes me a full two days to price my trees which would be time better spent working on them.
2) They have yet to invent a marker that does not wear off in a month.
3) putting a tag in the pot does not work so you have to cable tie them to a branch.
4) why doesnt a tag in the pot work, well, they blow away and yes, people take them out. Putting a cable tie tag on a branch gets in the way when you prune a tree so sometimes you have to cut them off and replace them. when rewiring a tree they have to definitely come off.
5) labelling costs and you have to add that to the overall price of your tree.
6) people always want to knock down the labelled price anyway.
7) A price on a tree can turn people away (especially new to the Art people) when it starts to exceed the 250 -500 mark. They make up their minds on the spot that they cannot afford it which negates any sort of negotiation.

FOR'S.. 1) people dont have to come and get you to learn the price of a tree but that stops negotiation.(see above.)
2) It lets me continue working but stops interaction with a client and i prefer walking and talking with Bonsai people. All my customers get personal time and discussion on the tree they are interested in.

So on a personal note, some of my trees are priced but some are not and i havent had a negative feedback that i know of. Some of my trees exceed the 1000-2000 dollar mark so negotiation is very personal between the client and myself and i like to keep it that way.

[jarrod23]

Why is the bonsai industry so different to any other business? Imagine going to the supermarket and having to ask the price of everything! The only excuses i have heard are very lame and not even worth the time spent explaining them, maybe the time could be better spent putting prices on merchandise.
Cant speak for others but i am done with going to this type of business. Thankfully ausbonsai has started what will likely be an annual event worth traveling, planning and saving for.

ps...when will one be held in Melbourne.....

[Qitianlong]

perhaps a difference is that supermarkets are big businesses with many employees, a bonsai nursery is a small part of the larger nursery trade, catering to a small group within society, and are often run by just one or two people, with hundreds of trees in all different stages of development. Maybe we should be paying more for our bonsai/pre-bonsai so the owners can afford to hire more staff to then price the trees for us to then pay more for??

[cre8ivbonsai]

Why is the bonsai industry so different to any other business? Imagine going to the supermarket and having to ask the price of everything!

It's not, in fact a lot of business aren't open weekends, and the only way to get a price is for them to quote your entire order ...

The only excuses i have heard are very lame and not even worth the time spent explaining them, maybe the time could be better spent putting prices on merchandise.
Cant speak for others but i am done with going to this type of business.

So I guess you'll enjoy buying your barcode 'bonsai' from bu$$ings then Good luck with getting any even remotely correct form of advise there let alone decent stock, or good value

And we'll keep popping in to our friendly bonsai nurserymen (and women) who are always a rich source of knowledge, and happy to have a chat and give personalised serviced. Not to mention unique products on offer

[Slothman]

Ymmm...Quick question.

I thought the ACCC made it clear that advertised products (pretty much anything for sale) had to have a clear single price on them???

The only reason I ask is when I had my own retail store (not nursery) I was told that was the rules...but things might have changed...it was a few years ago.

[Jason]

Not having a price wouldn't stop me from buying something, or supporting the nursery, just to clear myself up I'm just thankful to have a bonsai nursery period

[GavinG]

Thanks for your feedback Bodhi, clear and useful as usual. Your situation may be a little different - people have to travel to see you, and know they will get your full attention when they arrive. In a suburban nursery that you might visit on the way to somewhere else, the priceless thing can just get very frustrating. I don't go back.

Gavin

[Aquaman]

I guess we will all make our own decisions about whether we want to see price tickets or not and then vote with our feet/wallets.

There are clearly a number of people on this forum that won't be visiting a nursery because there are no price tickets. I just wonder if in future nurseries that exclude so many people will be able to survive.

Competition from online stores must already be hurting them.....for the purchase of tools and accessories at least.

It will be a shame if we lose all that knowledge.

When I visited Ray I loved his thorough labeling because as a newbie I didn't recognise some of the species.

I was in another store recently and spotted some bonsai scissors that weren't priced. I thought I must remember to ask how much they are. But I got chatting to the owner and forgot about them. If they had been priced I probably would have just chucked them in my basket and bought them.

[bodhidharma]

Thanks for your feedback Bodhi, clear and useful as usual. Your situation may be a little different - people have to travel to see you, and know they will get your full attention when they arrive. In a suburban nursery that you might visit on the way to somewhere else, the priceless thing can just get very frustrating. I don't go back.

Yes, i guess this is true Gavin. My Nursery is more "Intimate" and i rely a lot on return clientèle to keep myself afloat. It is, as stated earlier, a very select thing that we do and therefore our turnover is small, or mine is anyway. I rely more on the experience the visitor is having and the exchange of conversation to create a sale. Our property is worth the visit on its own just to walk around and look. Having said that i have not sold a tree for a month so maybe i will have the time to price ALL my trees . It is a good thing i do not have to rely on my Bonsai to stay afloat or i would have gone under a long time ago. Having said that i am not renewing any more stock and when they are gone they are gone. I am so glad i am not doing this in a large City. Not a whinge either as i love what i do and who in this day and age can say that.

[bonsaisensation]

does anyone know where to get labels for the pricing gun that the printed price does not fade in the weather, not going to be eaten by slugs and snails overnight, and does not come off too easily?