Dollar (or any currency) "value" of orchids?

[quiltergal]

I think the OP is asking what makes some orchids more expensive to buy than others. It's not really a philosophical question. At least I don't think it is. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

As has already been pointed out awarded plants can command a higher price.......for a while. After they have been excessively cloned over time the price goes down. You will always pay more for a division of an awarded plant. Some plants that are slow or difficult to grow will be more expensive because there are fewer of them. As mentioned slippers cannot be cloned, so you have to grow them from seed. There is a huge amount of variability in seedling blooms even among siblings. As NYC said a good number of them may be just so so. The ones that show very good color and form will be more valuable, and you will only be able to get one just like it by purchasing a division of that plant. Many growers are doing a lot of line breeding so the percentage of nice flowers per seed pod is going up. While they will not be identical they will be more similar

If you have a $15 seeding that you mature and bloom that you think is pretty good post a picture of it and ask for feedback. There are a lot of judges from all over the world that frequent this forum. Most are more than willing to tell you what they look for in a particular plant, and if your plant meets those benchmarks.

[jeremyinsf]

Such great answers on here, and differing points of view, I love it!

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Calbears

A bit off topic, but why can't certain orchids be cloned by tissue culture? Which genera can or can't be mericloned?

Some have been found to be more difficult than others to get the mericlones to take. Generally they say Slippers can't be but I was told by a grower that mericlones had been successfully made, however the plants took just as long to grow and a lower success rate than seeds... therefore growing from seed was still preferable. Slippers tend to be more expensive because they can't be grown in such mass numbers as something like mericloned phals.

[iammadeofdreams]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

I think the OP is asking what makes some orchids more expensive to buy than others. It's not really a philosophical question. At least I don't think it is. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

As has already been pointed out awarded plants can command a higher price.......for a while. After they have been excessively cloned over time the price goes down. You will always pay more for a division of an awarded plant. Some plants that are slow or difficult to grow will be more expensive because there are fewer of them. As mentioned slippers cannot be cloned, so you have to grow them from seed. There is a huge amount of variability in seedling blooms even among siblings. As NYC said a good number of them may be just so so. The ones that show very good color and form will be more valuable, and you will only be able to get one just like it by purchasing a division of that plant. Many growers are doing a lot of line breeding so the percentage of nice flowers per seed pod is going up. While they will not be identical they will be more similar

If you have a $15 seeding that you mature and bloom that you think is pretty good post a picture of it and ask for feedback. There are a lot of judges from all over the world that frequent this forum. Most are more than willing to tell you what they look for in a particular plant, and if your plant meets those benchmarks.

Is this one of the reasons that it is so cheap to buy sedlings? I think the idea of not knowing quite exactly what the flower will be like is kind of exciting.

[quiltergal]

That's exactly right Nikki. You are rolling the dice when you buy a seed grown seedling. You never know what you will end up with until it flowers. If it's great you win the jackpot, if it's not then you aren't out a lot of money. Growers will often tell you what they are hoping for in the cross and that may give you an idea of what to expect. But only a small percentage of those seedlings may present what the grower is looking for. The rest are genetic surprises.

[The Orchid Boy]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

That's exactly right Nikki. You are rolling the dice when you buy a seed grown seedling. You never know what you will end up with until it flowers. If it's great you win the jackpot, if it's not then you aren't out a lot of money. Growers will often tell you what they are hoping for in the cross and that may give you an idea of what to expect. But only a small percentage of those seedlings may present what the grower is looking for. The rest are genetic surprises.

That's why I, and many others like to buy flasks. You get many seedlings from one cross, grow them up, bloom them, and keep the best for yourself.

[quiltergal]

Buying a flask certainly increases your odds of getting something fantastic. I don't have enough room for a bunch of flasklings though.

[jeremyinsf]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

I think the OP is asking what makes some orchids more expensive to buy than others. It's not really a philosophical question. At least I don't think it is. Please correct me if I'm wrong. ...
If you have a $15 seeding that you mature and bloom that you think is pretty good post a picture of it and ask for feedback. There are a lot of judges from all over the world that frequent this forum. Most are more than willing to tell you what they look for in a particular plant, and if your plant meets those benchmarks.

I think part of it is that I don't really understand the 'awarding' process yet. I suppose I need to learn more about that to get a better sense. I think some of the other comments on this thread are spot on with my own experience - "If I want it, I will buy it", having had some that were very cheap and are favorites, the 10x the value, but it was a gift etc.

Another part is me learning about the difference between 'mass' orchids - ala Home Depot etc, where just about any orchid is $18.99. Then others that I can get at specialty shops here in the San Francisco Bay area that are indeed rare, and at times are shockingly cheap. And then the Ebay ones that can run $75 for a little baby plant that has a name, but won't grow a flower for at least another year. These markets are all very different, and I suppose Orchids are (or can be) so specialty that it really does make sense on the price differences. I'm just trying to understand it better :-)

Having said all that, does anyone have opinion on the value of the two I attached? The Paph Multi has two spikes, and six fans (does the size of the plant i.e. growths make a difference in value?) but no name tag. The Phrag caudatum has two mature spikes, a new one just emerging, and a total of nine fans.

THANK YOU ALL.

[The Orchid Boy]

Yes, the size of plant and number of growths affects the value. I'm not to good at guessing the value of orchids but here's my guesses (they may be way off )
Phrag. caudatum- $150-$200
Paphiopedilum- $100

[NYCorchidman]

Here in NYC, at a florist in a "good" neighborhood where everything is on the high side, paph like that with no tag (or just about anything) is sold at around $100. People don't really care about the specific name but only the look of the plant.
Then at a flower distric here, you can get a paph like that at $35-50 depending on which store you go to.

Phrags are not very common here at all.
I've seen only one (forgot the name) but it was taller than 5 feet. The seller was asking $75.
but I think your phrag has lots of growth with multiple spike, so I would say it should be at least over $100.

For paph, unless it is a rare or awarded plants, anything over $50 per plant (especially without ID) is a rip off I think.
or at least I don't pay that much unless I find a very good reason myself.

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 PM ----------

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Buying a flask certainly increases your odds of getting something fantastic. I don't have enough room for a bunch of flasklings though.

My sentiments exactly!

more room!!!!!!

then I'd see if I get lucky here and there.