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kendal_gw

Ok, this person has to be joking, upright maple worth $7,500?

kendal
15 years ago

I know dwarf mature maples are worth a lot, to get one my size and age would cost me $2,000, but since when do people sell their upright maples for $7,500? Can someone please tell me if this tree, they say is 50 years old is worth that amount. Now someone said to move it would be $5,000 so maybe they are mistaken that it is worth that much. I asked if they were joking.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/grd/674228196.html

Comments (5)

  • alley_cat_gw_7b
    15 years ago

    I wouldnt pay 7500.00 for it.

  • mattnova
    15 years ago

    Things are worth what people pay. To give you a idea... a local nursery sells a mature- 8 foot tall crimson queen for $2500-$3k plus delivery. They don't sell many but the occasional person who wants a instant mature showpiece will always pay a very hefty price.

    I would never even buy a tree that old. The smaller trees transplant better, reach a near mature size in less than 20 years and look very nice in 5-10 years and are often under $65.

    I think a 3-15 gallon is a perfect size for the average joe, especially me on a budget. I couldn't bring myself to spend more than $100-300 on a front yard specimen tree(that isn't very rare) and much less on the rest of them. What if you buy a 7k tree and it dies? Get a guarantee on that? I doubt it, at least not for the full amount. I have also seen a 15 year old Bloodgood for $2000 or more. People buy about 1 a year from a nursery in the affluent parts of the county.

  • Embothrium
    15 years ago

    Plants as objects, like sculptures. To be used in yards where everything is a specimen, a focal point.

  • philipw2
    15 years ago

    Exactly the kind of prestige item you could sell to an internet millionaire.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    15 years ago

    Large, mature specimen-sized trees have a limited market but there is also a strong demand. For those that want immediate impact and can afford to pay the very high prices that accompany it, $7500 for a 50 y.o. Japanese maple is chump change. A local, high-end landscape architect runs a nursery sideline that specializes in these impressive specimens and they can run multiple thousands of dollars even before the additional cost (sometimes equal to or more than the cost of the tree) of transport and planting. I recall one on display at the NW Flower and Garden show several years ago that had a $80,000 price tag.

    Generally the more sculptural and intricately branched the tree, the higher the price. While the example is not overly distinctive, its size, canopy spread and apparent good health would justify the price tag, provided there was an interested buyer. btw, there is no particular reason why a weeping Japanese maple should be worth more than an upright form - both have their place and their value depending on the specific characteristics of the tree.

    Here is a link that might be useful: big trees = big bucks

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