amany, this is the least of it. When I saw cylindrica sell for $350 it just blew me away. I bought a lovely large cyl. for $5.50 at Lowes. The ebay seller gave it a slightly fancier name but cylindrica by any other name is still cylindrica.
That doesn't stop me from using ebay. In any buying situation the buyer should have knowledge of the general pricing of that article. Or you might get a $350 plant worth $5.50.
People never cease to amaze or appall me.
Johanna

amany,
My concern is not only the ridiculous pricing, but the condition of the plants upon arrival. I've ordered succulents and cacti before from a place in California and two of my four plants died a couple months after I got them. One of the cacti they sold me was halfway dead and it later completely died. One of the lithops I got was all cut up and it later died. So, I could only imagine what a sans would look like once someone got it... packing plants seems a difficult task for me... also had some air plants (bromelaids) I ordered online from Kentucky... they arrived in better shape, but still had broken leaves, tips, not the best condition.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, I have gotten many sans in the mail. Common sense and having a big bag of styrofoam peanuts go a long way. True, not everyone has common sense, but sans are not hard to mail. Now, pottery is a bigger problem. I have horror stories on that. Before mailing always shake the box. If you hear stuff move, it will be broken in the mail. I am sure anyone mailing $100+ plants probably shake the box. Probably.
Johanna

Johanna,
Oh... Well in that case, I'm glad to hear someone had a plant arrive well in the mail, especially a sans. I must have ordered from the wrong people lol.

Elizabeth

There was a guy I used to order sux from on Ebay. I won't mention his name...

His plants were always beautiful, well established, arrived in great shape and never had insect problems. He grew plants from cuttings in two inch pots. They'd usually be around $2.50 a piece. Shipping was $6.00 and $1.00 for each additional plant. So, if I bought 4 or 5 plants from him I'd spend around $20 - 22 all together. Now his plants in two inch pots are $10 with free shipping. What I used to pay about $20 - 22 for would now cost $40 - 50.

Now at Lowes and HD, I'm finding a lot of the same sized, or larger, plants for $2.47. Granted the root systems aren't as well developed as the ones on his plants. Plus you have to get them right away before people who work for Lowes and HD kill them. I can't imagine spending 4 times that amount though. Besides, the root system on the HD and Lowes plants develop in time.

I guess plants are like gas,medical, and everything else--if some will pay a lot for it, sellers will charge as much as they can get. It is the American Way.

Well, since you put it that way Johanna.... lol

Then I wouldn't change a thing. If a person can get an outrageous amount of money for a $2 or $3 plant, then they should. I will, however, shop around. ;-)

Plsnt leaves do not travel well in the wrong season. Soft leaves have difficulty. I do not sell plants I buy them just like you do, I have sent plants however, and I don't feel that I am responsible for thie plants being knocked around with larger packages on top. Most people don't want to pay the shipping cost. I have never had a San. damaged that bad, nor any other plant. I have Hoya come in from Hawaii, like green pea soup, however it was an exchange. Don't thip this time of year in plastic, do not ship when damp, do not ask for shipping the wrong time of the year. Ship only in newspaper, it protects them from the cold in winter, and dampness in the summer. Do not ship or receive plants in weather extremes, we all need to use common sense. Don't order plants that drop their leaves this time of year. When you observe how others pack, then you will know how to ship, and how not to send. Norma

amany, Have you seen the $455 Bally striated on ebay? Makes a person wonder if there isn't a shill in this bidding list. Appalling. This buyer is going to feel stupid when he starts showing off his New Prize. Someone is bound to clue him in.
Johanna

The best shipping I had on a plant was an aspidistra. The guy put in a hard cardboard box with the roots bare wrapped in newspaper with a few water gel things around it. I thought the guy was crazy but the plant came out fine and had no signs of shock. In fact it took off like a weed.

I think there are two schools of thought. One is to ship with as much original dirt to protect the roots and one is to ship bare to encourage new growth in it's new home. In this case the second worked fine.

The all time craziest!! ebay bid--$1,755.00 for a sansevieria striolated pinguicula. More Money than Sense.
Vulgar ostentation!
GAWD!!
Johanna

*looks at flicker* *dies* WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE.... NUTS?!

Elizabeth

flicker,
If I'm looking at that same bid... it went up to US $1,925.00.

Elizabeth

This plant went finally up to US $2,550.00 :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Sansevieria pinguicula variegated - sold on eBay

I read that the buyer was from Thailand. Probably a grower.

The thought occurs to me that we're being overly critical here...

Perhaps we should get into the spirit of this. Whenever we see not-too-common $3 - 10 sansevierias being offered at box stores, we should call them rare and list them on Ebay for $1,000. If they're common, we can label them "hard to find" and sell them for $500.

We're the ones with the problem. We simply need to evolve.

;-) j/k

The people who buy them are nuts. I know the seller. It cost a lot of money travel to Africa to search for new plants for us to buy. I have mever received damaged Plants. It is illegal to ship with soil. Nost of the time when when plants die it is our fault. We don't know how to tale care of a new pant upon arrival. Norma

Norma, why do you say it is illegal to ship with soil? Do you mean native soils?

I have received many plants from companies who ship in pots of soil....

I'm guessing Norma means shipping internationally, as in from Africa to the US, but just guessing.

I don't know either of these 2 eBay sellers, BUT I know who they are! One of them is the world-reknowned expert on Sansevieria. Waaaaaaaaaaay outta my league. I can only look at those plants on eBay and dream. The other one, topic of this post, is someone we all know too. It is kinda disheartening to know that people pay this much for plants that you can buy off the website store for much less. But, it's not the seller's fault. People NOT in the know drive these auctions waaaaaay up and pay these ridiculous prices. Makes ya wanna go screaming into the night!!!

I didn't catch this as it developed, however...I have an urge to respond.

The sans you're seeing sold by one of those eBay sellers are commanding great prices for a few reasons. He's an author of at least one outstanding book on Sanseveria, an avid collector, breeder, and propogater of sans. He imports from around the globe, and he travels to where the plants grow. He's also president of the International Sanseveria Society. So...his plants are something I definately covet. I don't go hog crazy like some of those folks on eBay do, however, some folks do.

I collect plants, mostly cacti and succulents. I do not live where these are grown and sold or even where most of the plants I collect will grow. So I'm used to paying a bit more in price for a plant, and more for shipping.

Many auctions on eBay are driven up by buyers who do not understand the concept of eBay I my opinion. It's not about who bids the most or the highest, which in turn raises prices to astronomical levels.

I do the eBay thing. I set my limit for a plant and I do not bid until the closing of an item I want and only if it's still in my budget. I'm what's referred to on eBay as a 'Sniper' bidder.

Oh, lastly, before I humbley get off my soap box here, I'd like to say that Juan selling the sans on eBay is not out of your league to whomever posted that. Join his Sans society. Well worth the greenbacks. Heck, join a local plant group that interests you.

Ok, I'm not done. Soil Shipping is a no no. There are a few states that inspect plant shipments. For insects, pathogins, soil, etc. This is done to control what comes into their state. California is one such state. Soils can harbor many problems, disease, bugs, eggs, larve, etc. These problems could potentially ruin our agriculture as we know it, our greenhouses, the way we live. I know it's not pretty, it's not fair, and it's hell to deal with when shipping plants into and out of such states as Cali, however, it's necessary because not everyone is as careful as they should be, not everyone knows the destructive problems that could arise. I trade plants. I do not ship soil or any type of growing medium on my plants. I wash soil/growing medium off, let it dry, then pack plants for shipping.

Sorry I have a damaged right hand typing is very difficult for me. I can't hit the keys just right. Folks eBay is offered all over the world. The person who paid close to $3000 for that plant is from the Orient. They turned around and sold each leaf for over a $1000, they will not reprodiuce variegated plants, I don't even think tissue culture will do it. The seller has an export permit. The buyer ended up on my other list. I have the story from both sides. The man who bought a single leaf thought it was worth the gamble. Oh, well, that is not what he wanted to hear. P.S. all Sans. growers are just a little different, than other succulent growers. LOL We are all nuts SOS. Norma

If you check the actual eBay-offers of Sansevieria, you can see a Sansevieria hallii striated for USD 1,525.-- and a Sansevieria pinguicula striated for USD 2,050.-- -> and there are still 3 days to overbid.

I am sure that the bidder for both plants is the same as for the Sansevieria pinguicula striated, that reached a price of USD 2,550.-- some times ago.

I can't imagine spending so much without doing very through research on the item. But what can a retired teacher afford?
Johanna

New record: Sansevieria pinguicula striated has reached USD 3,575.-- at the end!!!

All these east-asian bidders on eBay make it very hard for "normal" bidders to get there a rare plant for a reasonable price.

If you have ever looked at the amazing sans grown in Thailand that are far superior in size and color to what we get in the USA---WHY wouldn't someone with this kind of money just take a trip and shop his heart out?????
Johanna

Hi all, I'm Thai, I've kept some San, but never been that avid bidder.
Anyhow, I have to tell you something that you will not surprise if you realized that
one who has that kind of small pup here, could earn 35,000 Baht (1,000 USD$) easily !
So only 3,500 USD$ for that ready mother plant is definitely reasonable.

Stephania,
But this plant will produce solid green plants, not varigates. It will have to be propagated by leaf cutting to get variegated pups. To take my $3500 plant and cut the leaves off--ouch!! Well, I hope there are LOTS of sans lovers in Thailand who want $1000 pups! Too rich for me.
Johanna

Amany, we are nuts if we bid on the plants that we know are over priced.
By the way variegation will not come from just a leaf start. The only way you can produce this plant is from a variegated offset. not propagatged by leaf cuttings. They will use that plant for tissue culture, and certainly don't know if that will work. Norma

Hello....I am Thai and probably the bidder who u called nuts. I think you are so wrong to be looking down on us. Though we, the Thais, are not the very first to collect sans but we do know what they are. Though we paid over priced and took the risk of getting the plants without phyto....we still have the guts to earn profit from it. If you do know who else has variegated sans for cheaper prices....feel free to let me know...

For your information, the person who won the first pinguicula for $2,550....he already got 2 pups from that plant when he just got that plant for only 2 months! Oh yes!!! Many of the sans lovers here are chasing for them....for over $1,000 each.

From my little experience, I have seen many variegated sans being propagated from leaf cuttings and still give variegated pups. The offsets from variegated mother can turn both variegated or green.

Why are you being so pessimistic on us? Why do we need to use it for tissue culture when people will pay more for a rare san?

If you have a chance.....please visit Thailand and bring me some variegated rare sans to sell me in your reasonable price ..... :) I am not mad but just want some respect since we are all sans lovers.

Thank you.

I have to agree with the last couple of people in Thailand. Thailand is a different world, and hopefully all of the variegated plants that are being developed there will eventually spill over back to the States.

The world is getting smaller every day, and we definitely see the benefit of other sans lovers in different parts of the world. As far as propagation goes, other countries have it over nurseries in the states.

Heck, we benefit from sans lovers here and all over the world.

joe

I think I'm reading a little envy, jealously here? I'm certainly not cutting up mine for any kind of money. Noram

First of all I have to say sorry for expressing something like that.... Anyways, I just wanted you to understand the Thais also. I also think that the price in ebay is going crazy too and I don't know how long it will be like this. There are more and more people who are interested in sansevieria now and for sure the price goes up when there is not enough supply.

As you may have seen from the sansevieria book of Thailand, we are developing many variegated sansevierias. I have seen some of the growers getting S. hallii "blue bat" variegated, S. stuckyi variegated, S. ehrenbergii "samurai" variegated, S. schwenfurtii variegated and many more.

About tissue culture, in my opinion, I think there are very little chance to getting variegated plants. It would turn pure white or yellow. Similar to how I do with my variegated leaf cuttings....it's very very hard to get a nice variegated plant.

Isn't it great to see people around the world becoming sans lovers? I think it is.... :)

Norma, no envy or jealousy.

I'm going back to my original opinion that almost all plant people are generous, nurturing people. I believe that.

Now get back to the sans list, young lady!

joe

eBay as a place to purchase Sansevierias is in my opinion, a DISGRACE. names are often without any bearing in reality and the prices seldom if ever equal what one might spend in an ordinary succulent nursery offering Sansevierias. Occasional prices have been beyond all reason.

Green Gold was an early name by which Hermine Stover offered a particular selection of Gold Hahnii, obtained from Oakhurst Gardens by Lillian True. It is easy to grow and quite prolific. It may not be COMMONLY OFFERED TODAY, but still, at about 10-12 dollars it would be a reasonable price. I have no idea if this is the same 'Green Gold' since I have not seen it on eBay. However eBay seems a place to get astronomical prices for these plants, even tho it is a good place to shop for other things.

I think spending ten times what you need to to get a readily available plant is foolish, but foolishness is not illegal, and it hurts only the buyer and is the buyer's own business. I wouldn't myself sell a plant at an inflated price and don't approve of other people doing it, but I generally have better things to do with my time than fret about others' cupidity.

Spending a thousand dollars, or two or three or four thousand dollars for a unique Sansevieria (not available elsewhere): if you have the money and that's what it costs and you want it, why not? There's no moral question involved, at least at these price levels. If you're a nurseryman and you can make a profit from your purchase, it's a sensible business decision, and a step toward making a unique plant more readily available to Sans. lovers.

Here in Italy I get most of my plants from Brookside Nursery in Rome (one of the owners is Alan Butler). They send their plants as well-grown cuttings (root and leaf). These do fine and there's no problem with shipping soil.

This is my two cents' worth on the various controversies in this thread.

Melissa

Melissa Brookside Nursery is not an option for us in the U.S. Alan will not ship to the states as far as I know, he would not ship to Calif. I have asked. Norma

Hello, Norma! You're right. I didn't bring in Brookside Nursery in order to recommend ordering from them. I wanted to let readers of this thread know that there is a valid way to ship Sansevierias without soil, and mentioned the name of the nursery to let them know that it's a reputable nursery that does so.

Melissa