Dear Brazilian orchid breeders!!!

[John Boy]

Well, if you put it that way, I must stress the point that I don’t want them to sell cheap plants!!! I also don’t mean that because it’s Brazil they have no reason to be expensive. It must have been my wording… The way you put what I’ve said would be extremely offensive, close to racist. I didn’t intend that. When I was talking about pricing and mark-ups, I was basically referring to the changes over the past 10-15 years, and you have to admit that their pricing for the simplest and tiniest of things has gone completely bonkers. I’d be using the word ridiculous here. Infact: their current pricing of plants (Seedlings alone) would be reason enough to boycott what they are doing.

Not to talk things to death: I’m very happy to pay top$$$ for top quality. I never meant that Brazil should be supplying cheap, because it’s Brazil. If that came across like you said: I must apologise. This was never intended to cause offence.

 

[Gcroz]

And still do nt see the difference with German or USAmerican vendors where yo pay a lot and yo get crap!

I'm US American and I don't sell crap!

 

[Kavanaru]

I'm US American and I don't sell crap!

Not all sell crap and some have very good plants, there ore I keep placing orders! But I have had some orders from well known and respectable vendors, which turned out being crap... And the service when I have complained beeing less than miserable! From expensive plants not being what they were supposed to be (e.g. a true division of XXX) to plants of very poor quality... Both from USAmerican and German vendors...

 

[Brian Monk]

Orchids are still affordable, and good plants are available inexpensively. There really is no question of this. I would say that rare color forms are just that - RARE - and so command higher prices. Making seedlings of these rare color forms is quite hit-or-miss; just because you self a L. purpurata flammea doesn't mean all of the seedlings will be the same, let alone if you are sibbing the same varieties. Outrageous prices for these seedlings may be less defensible, but the answer to this is simple - vote with your money. If you don't think it is worth the price, don't pay for it. But don't be surprised if someone else is willing to pay for the privilege of owning that plant. Personally, I think that aggressive orchid mericloning techniques that produce innumerable individual plants from a few cells has resulted in a great number of problems that reach much further than the weak, poor-doing plants seen at a great number of orchid vendor tables.