What are the issues?

Just saying let's all be friends doesn't raise the awareness of the issues
> for the newbies, now does it?

It's a bummer. I read the thread "Is there money in orchids" and made no comment. As I see it, here are some of the issues.

Utility costs have quadrupled in the last 2 years.
Taxes have doubled.
Water quality. Most areas the water is treated before application to the orchids, some areas it is tested and treated again before being allowed to be removed
Chemicals. Insecticides, fungicides, fertilizer, hormones, and supplements
Lighting. Natural, supplemented, or artificially supplied. There is the cost of the fixture, replacement bulbs, expense of operation, type, spectrum, and meters to test all of the above.
Hardgoods. Pots, mounts, medium, clips, stakes, blades, hangers, etc the list is endless and it all adds to the cost or price.

7 Space and equipment. I've allowed about 1 square foot for a mature catlleya, I can go vertical, but have to protect against overspray and drips.

Time. Inspection, watering, transplanting/dividing. That's just time spent with the orchids. If I hire locally there is training.
Environment. I like miltonias, but have left them alone, have mostly intermediate to warm growing, low altitude orchids.
Breeding. Eventually want to make my own cross, but then there is time and uncertainty. However we all recognize the Krull-Smith, Hauserman, Orchidview, Mendenhall/Oconee, Carmela, and Baldan to name a few. Those are some of the "big guns", it doesn't mean there aren't others trying it on their scale that haven't been recognized yet. There is a bit of "Walter Mitty" in all of us.
Promotion, exhibition, control. I saw an online ad for a "recently awarded" orchid for sale, ,000. They weren't selling divisions, they were selling rights to mass produce, before a leaf, root, or stem got hijacked.
Marketability. Obscure species are interesting. Most sales however aren't for orchids that you need to have magnification to see or smell like road kill.

I know, I've left out a bunch of stuff. But it is a start. What are some of the other issues?

Nancy

I know that some things have been left out of this lift.

We started e baying different stuff available locally and one orchid that didn't sell. There's a lot more that goes into it than meets the eye at first glance. The listing charge, final value fee, Paypal fees, packaging and shipping. The value of an e bay store v cost of individual listing, etc.

The break points for product acquisition (price break for quantity and cost of shipping to your location). You said 1000 plants per flask order on your end. (Don't anser, comes under the heading of NUNYA) That could be 10 flasks @100 or 50 flasks @ 20. You know the flask style, your cost, condition, and have a pretty good idea of the shelf life of the flask before it breaks down and has to be potted out. Do you have enough time to sell before the expiration date? Do you take a chance and sell at auction or for a fixed price with a margin for your time?

I"m trying to grow from flask. Stupid me, but I've received deflasked, jumbled, overgrown, small plants, as well as really premier quality and condition. The first 3 have to be dealt with immediately, the small plants might be held for a while, recipients option. The last gives the best results for survival obviously. Now I'm suspicious of the out of flask or overgrown. It's bad enough that the estimated mortality is

25% without adding the extra handling 4 days apart for the deflasked (one order deflasked was very nice) or plants that are already deteriorating in flask. Jumbling is outside the control and a chance you take. Heck, even you take that chance unless you can pick up your order and drive them yourself.

Then there's the hype. In your case the uniqueness and objective of the cross. Are the parent plants awarded, were they clones, blah blah? Can you provide an off site link of the photos to minimize the price of the ad? Do you have photos of the parent plants and blooms, pod development, maybe a photo of the lab? You are selling dreams in addition to orchids. You know the hype, limited availability, every plant will have a different bloom, etc.

Here I am back in the fray.

Nancy

Susan Ericks> >