eBay seller Bestorchids-2009

[jkofferdahl]

After Susan reported her success with a foreign seller, I decided to try my luck doing the same. A company in Thailand, Bestorchids-2009, offered Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi (Breda). Well, I have no idea what the "Breda" part is, but cornu-cervi is possibly my favorite orchid and so I ordered three.

Naturally, the plants arrived at my office on Friday, the day I left town for the weekend, and so I didn't get to pick them up until yesterday (Monday) afternoon. What's a couple of days, though, after a couple of weeks in a box? Anyway, I opened the box as soon as I got home and found three quite healthy plants, two of which had multiple, bloomed spikes. A couple of the spikes were yellowed, but I strongly suspect that they were already before the plants were packed.

The bottom line, though, is that the plants are quite nice, in very good condition, and will make nice additions to my little cornu-cervi corner. Great seller.

[stefpix]

how much? did you have to pay for paperwork as well?

[cb977]

[BikerDoc5968]

I visited the site... well, I think it was the same. The cornu-cervi was selling for 5£ ~ $8.50, S/H is about 6£ ~ $10.00. So J, about how large were the plants you received and did they charge you just one shipping cost, did you have to pay for CITES and about how long was the turn around?

[stefpix]

Checked - It is not cheaper than US sellers... did you have to pay CITES or was it packed in a somehow "anonymous" way?

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by BikerDoc5968

I visited the site... well, I think it was the same. The cornu-cervi was selling for 5£ ~ $8.50, S/H is about 6£ ~ $10.00. So J, about how large were the plants you received and did they charge you just one shipping cost, did you have to pay for CITES and about how long was the turn around?

Hi Doc, the plant price was as shown, and the shipping cost covered all three plants - the prices you saw are what I paid, so I'm guessing you visited the correct seller. I didn't pay for CITES, no; the box was marked as being "silk". (I suppose that's not a good thing ethically, but since I'm basically low-rent scum I didn't worry too much.) The plants were shipped from the seller three days after I paid for them and took about 8 or 9 days to arrive here. All three plants were blooming size (leaf span of perhaps 5 inches), and two of the three have spikes, while all three have new growth coming. The root system of one is slightly iffy but the plant itself is the largest (and had 4 or 5 spikes though I trimmed three) and pretty healthy looking, so with a bit of TLC I'm sure it will be fine.

I don't know if the "Breda" indicates a variety different from what is available here, but the blooms pictured are slightly different from what I've been able to obtain which is partly why I placed the order - the other reason being that I wanted to see what sort of condition plants would arrive in and figured that for the price I really wasn't going to lose much (remember, I'm low-rent).

-John

[trdyl]

Talk about getting lucky that you actually got it. But thanks for the warning I know not to order from this seller. Granted it will cost more. But I would rather aquire what I want legally.

[BikerDoc5968]

Also, John, how far off of I-75 are you and where do you grow your chids?

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by BikerDoc5968

Also, John, how far off of I-75 are you and where do you grow your chids?

Hey, Howard, I'm not far at all from I-75. The town I'm in, Smyrna, is right by a section and my house is maybe 4 miles from the junction. So I'm pretty close! If you're ever coming through Georgia on I-75, let me know!!

I grow my orchids in a primarily West-facing room of the house where they are greatly urged along by a bunch of lights.

[BikerDoc5968]

I travel to visit family in Florida so I go right past you. Which exit?