# eBay Vendor Question



## Cklinger (Apr 8, 2022)

Anyone have experience purchasing from suzysslippersfl? Just curious, her prices seem really good, so I just wanted to check.


----------



## mrhappyrotter (Apr 8, 2022)

How much experience do you have with recently deflasked seedlings? Most of that vendors' items that I've ever noticed look like they are the size of newly deflasked seedlings, individually potted up. Typically at that size, most people would place them into compots for easier care and greater survival rate. I think even some more experienced growers would struggle with the plants individually potted up (and then sent through shipping hell).

The seedlings are "cheap" but I suspect that if you aren't experienced with very young orchids, then it's going to be very hit or miss as to whether you will succeed with them. And I suspect this vendor's business approach is to target the "but it's cheap so I don't care if it lives or dies" crowd. Granted, they probably do have some things that aren't freshly deflasked seedlings, and you might have better luck with that sort of thing.

At the very least, it seems like most of the plants they sale are from flasks purchased from Flasks by Chuck Acker, so if you do succeed with them, they're probably going to be good to great quality. On the other hand, I'd rather just spend the money to get the whole/half flask directly from Chuck so I can keep the best of them for myself.


----------



## Bob in Albany N.Y. (Apr 8, 2022)

I agree with everything that was said above.


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 8, 2022)

mrhappyrotter said:


> How much experience do you have with recently deflasked seedlings? Most of that vendors' items that I've ever noticed look like they are the size of newly deflasked seedlings, individually potted up. Typically at that size, most people would place them into compots for easier care and greater survival rate. I think even some more experienced growers would struggle with the plants individually potted up (and then sent through shipping hell).
> 
> The seedlings are "cheap" but I suspect that if you aren't experienced with very young orchids, then it's going to be very hit or miss as to whether you will succeed with them. And I suspect this vendor's business approach is to target the "but it's cheap so I don't care if it lives or dies" crowd. Granted, they probably do have some things that aren't freshly deflasked seedlings, and you might have better luck with that sort of thing.
> 
> At the very least, it seems like most of the plants they sale are from flasks purchased from Flasks by Chuck Acker, so if you do succeed with them, they're probably going to be good to great quality. On the other hand, I'd rather just spend the money to get the whole/half flask directly from Chuck so I can keep the best of them for myself.


I've done well with seedlings themselves, and just divided a compot, but nothing as new as a newly deflasked seedling. I purchased a couple of the same hybrid and they said it's about a year until blooming size, so fingers crossed. If they're really just newly deflasked and give a lot of trouble, then I'll probably just pay the extra to get a compot/half flask.


----------



## Tony (Apr 8, 2022)

I bought a couple dozen seedlings from her a few years back just to have a handful of Phrags without committing space to full flasks. As said above they are fresh out of flask so if you're comfortable with that or don't mind experimenting then go for it, everything that has bloomed out for me seems to be labeled accurately and grew out without any problems.


----------



## NYEric (Apr 9, 2022)

Lots of variety, way more than she posts on eBay. Small plants. Not easy but, good prices.


----------



## Dekejis (Apr 9, 2022)

I've bought a bunch of plants from this vendor and I also regularly buy flasks off of Chuck (Whom I highly recommend if you ever decide to go for flasks).

As many of the others have said, many/most of the plants are small seedlings of varying ages, mostly less than a year or so from deflasking. Some I've purchased have been quite small; others have been larger plants - pay attention to the descriptions and any pictures. None that I have gotten have been as small as the plants I get fresh out of flask from Chuck. In my observation the plants have looked good roots have tended to look pretty good too.

If you've not worked with small plants before, this is possibly a great first step towards picking up your own flasks and raising your own seedlings. Nothing beats the value of (and opportunity to grow on and pick out the best from) flasks. But if you don't have the space to devote to it/missed out on a flask you wanted/want to try out just a few, this isn't a bad way to go.


----------



## Kalyke (Apr 10, 2022)

Me, I would check to see that they are not being sent from China or something-- Long time in a shipping container could kill them. I've recently bought a phrag from eBay. I bought a lot of plants from e-bay. No experience with the person/company, BUT I definitely would check where the location is for the safety of the plant.


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 10, 2022)

Tony said:


> I bought a couple dozen seedlings from her a few years back just to have a handful of Phrags without committing space to full flasks. As said above they are fresh out of flask so if you're comfortable with that or don't mind experimenting then go for it, everything that has bloomed out for me seems to be labeled accurately and grew out without any problems.





Dekejis said:


> I've bought a bunch of plants from this vendor and I also regularly buy flasks off of Chuck (Whom I highly recommend if you ever decide to go for flasks).
> 
> As many of the others have said, many/most of the plants are small seedlings of varying ages, mostly less than a year or so from deflasking. Some I've purchased have been quite small; others have been larger plants - pay attention to the descriptions and any pictures. None that I have gotten have been as small as the plants I get fresh out of flask from Chuck. In my observation the plants have looked good roots have tended to look pretty good too.
> 
> If you've not worked with small plants before, this is possibly a great first step towards picking up your own flasks and raising your own seedlings. Nothing beats the value of (and opportunity to grow on and pick out the best from) flasks. But if you don't have the space to devote to it/missed out on a flask you wanted/want to try out just a few, this isn't a bad way to go.



Good to know that they're accurate, as that was something I was also worried about. After I should receive them tomorrow, but I had also reserved a flask from Chuck Acker since I'll have enough space for a project like that, so I believe it should be ready around October (CA912 since I love white/pastel varieties). 



Kalyke said:


> Me, I would check to see that they are not being sent from China or something-- Long time in a shipping container could kill them. I've recently bought a phrag from eBay. I bought a lot of plants from e-bay. No experience with the person/company, BUT I definitely would check where the location is for the safety of the plant.



Yeah, I always check to see where they ship from, I always purchase from inside the US to support "local" vendors and also get them in a timely manner.


----------



## Happypaphy7 (Apr 10, 2022)

The description for everything she sells says one or two years from blooming which I believe is not correct. They all look like fresh out of flask as Tony said. 
I bought a seedling of Paphiopedilum hangianum (regular x album) a couple of years ago. No one else was bidding and so I got it at a starting price of 12. If I were to buy a whole flask, which is not even available in the US, it would cost me a few hundred dollars, so that was a good purchase. The seedling is doing well for me.


----------



## Tony (Apr 11, 2022)

Happypaphy7 said:


> The description for everything she sells says one or two years from blooming which I believe is not correct. They all look like fresh out of flask as Tony said.
> I bought a seedling of Paphiopedilum hangianum (regular x album) a couple of years ago. No one else was bidding and so I got it at a starting price of 12. If I were to buy a whole flask, which is not even available in the US, it would cost me a few hundred dollars, so that was a good purchase. The seedling is doing well for me.



I bloomed the first couple from my batch a week shy of the two year mark, Micropetalum Phrags can be pretty fast growers.


----------



## Hien (Apr 11, 2022)

suzy


Cklinger said:


> Anyone have experience purchasing from suzysslippersfl? Just curious, her prices seem really good, so I just wanted to check.


Suzy s Slippers LLC | eBay Stores
is Suzyquec a fellow slippertalk member .








suzyquec







www.slippertalk.com




I bought plants from Suzy before , I think her plants are hardening off and grown for some time before she releases them on ebay (not just out of flasks)
If you don't have success with growing from flasks, or do not want to buy the whole flask , her plants are good alternative.
I bought whole phrag dalessandroi flask and can not keep them alive, after that , I bought 3 dalessandroi seedlings from her , they still alive today .
A flask contains tender baby plants, in that group there are some weak seedlings too . Buying her plants , one skips the first stage of raising them , also the plants that she sells are the ones which made it ( not the weak ones)


----------



## Happypaphy7 (Apr 11, 2022)

Tony said:


> I bloomed the first couple from my batch a week shy of the two year mark, Micropetalum Phrags can be pretty fast growers.


True. 
It's just that her description says "one or two year from blooming" for everything if I remember correctly.


----------



## eOrchids (Apr 11, 2022)

I bought several seedlings from her as well and they are all doing great!


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 11, 2022)

Hien said:


> suzy
> 
> Suzy s Slippers LLC | eBay Stores
> is Suzyquec a fellow slippertalk member .
> ...





eOrchids said:


> I bought several seedlings from her as well and they are all doing great!



Just received the 2 I ordered and they came in great shape! Just had to top off the pots, would definitely purchase from her again.


----------



## suzyquec (Apr 12, 2022)

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions are requests on my EBay listings. I have been working hard on listings larger seedlings as well as more mature orchids. Thanks to all of you who have purchased from me over the years! 

Also note that I hold USDA import and CITES licenses so if I list a plant from Taiwan or any other country they have been brought in legally and inspected in the United States. The same goes for shipping to states like California, Texas and North Carolina, I hold Florida Department of Agriculture licenses certifying that my nursery is registered and nematode as well as some other pests free. Without this license shipments to California can be held and destroyed.
Suzy


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 12, 2022)

suzyquec said:


> Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions are requests on my EBay listings. I have been working hard on listings larger seedlings as well as more mature orchids. Thanks to all of you who have purchased from me over the years!
> 
> Also note that I hold USDA import and CITES licenses so if I list a plant from Taiwan or any other country they have been brought in legally and inspected in the United States. The same goes for shipping to states like California, Texas and North Carolina, I hold Florida Department of Agriculture licenses certifying that my nursery is registered and nematode as well as some other pests free. Without this license shipments to California can be held and destroyed.
> Suzy



That's awesome! I look forward to purchasing more in the future


----------



## NYEric (Apr 12, 2022)

Repot into your favorite media and clear pots.


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 12, 2022)

NYEric said:


> Repot into your favorite media and clear pots.


I was seeing a lot of new root growth, so I was thinking about repotting it into a clear pot with rockwool and perlite! However, it would be my first time using rockwool other than cloning plants at work, so I'm a little worried.


----------



## awesomei (Apr 12, 2022)

I agree completely with Mr Happy Rotter. I have purchased a few plants from Suzy. Yes, They have all be extremely small. I buy flasks directly from Chuck and have had much better luck raising those than the ones from Suzy. So, I have simply stopped, even it is a cross that I missed from Chuck!
George


----------



## BrucherT (Apr 13, 2022)

I like SuzySlippers’ plants. I have a few. All were small but all were heathy, all survived except one and that was solely due to a shipping mishap; she promised to replace the lost plant and this week, my new plant will arrive. This is a quality, honorable vendor. For those of us who don’t have the space or $ to grow out whole flasks, this is a great resource. Of course it’s a lottery when it comes to what one plant in a flask will do in the long run but isn’t it always? I will continue to order from her as the mood strikes for a one-off must-have.


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 13, 2022)

BrucherT said:


> I like SuzySlippers’ plants. I have a few. All were small but all were heathy, all survived except one and that was solely due to a shipping mishap; she promised to replace the lost plant and this week, my new plant will arrive. This is a quality, honorable vendor. For those of us who don’t have the space or $ to grow out whole flasks, this is a great resource. Of course it’s a lottery when it comes to what one plant in a flask will do in the long run but isn’t it always? I will continue to order from her as the mood strikes for a one-off must-have.


I agree, everything came in healthy and would definitely purchase from her again. I also purchased my first flask from Chuck Acker and should arrive in October.


----------



## BrucherT (Apr 14, 2022)

Cklinger said:


> I agree, everything came in healthy and would definitely purchase from her again. I also purchased my first flask from Chuck Acker and should arrive in October.


YUM! What’d ya get?


----------



## grubea (Apr 14, 2022)

I have bought quite a few plants from her and never had any issues. I don't think they are directly from the flask. I think they are hardened off for a while.


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 14, 2022)

BrucherT said:


> YUM! What’d ya get?


I got CA912 since I really love pastel/white cultivars, the cross is *Phragmipedium Manzur la Aldea flavacolor x Acker’s Dawn flava. *


----------



## Cklinger (Apr 14, 2022)

grubea said:


> I have bought quite a few plants from her and never had any issues. I don't think they are directly from the flask. I think they are hardened off for a while.


Yeah, these were in great shape and definitely hardened off. It’s been a little over a week since I’ve gotten them and I’m seeing some healthy new growth


----------

