Re: Going to Rhizome Auction
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Going to Rhizome Auction
- From: D* M* <d*@southconn.com>
- Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 22:03:19 -0600 (MDT)
>bobdell wrote:
>>
>> I am going to a rhizome auction for the first
>> time Saturday. Any helpful suggestions beyond
>> don't scratch your ear at the wrong time? What
>> kind of price range can I expect?...
>> Bob Pindell
Griff wrote:
>Bob -- I can't answer your last question, but can give some advice on
>the first. Try to determine beforehand which irises will be auctioned.
>If the auction provides -- or you have -- some catalogues, check the
>catalogue prices of the irises to be auctioned. If you bid up to the
>catalogue price of a rhizome, you will still save yourself the shipping
>charges, and you will be money ahead.
>Griff Crump, along the tidal Potomac near Mount Vernon, VA
>jgcrump@erols.com
Griff is right! Study up on your iris varieties and the going prices in any
catalogs you might have. Pay close attention to the year of introduction.
As a general rule, irises command a higher price when they are new
introductions, but most depreciate rapidly.:) There are exceptions in this
depreciation rule for a few, very good irises.
Last week at my iris auction I either witnessed extreme generosity to the
club or a lack of knowledge about this particular iris variety. I had
taken a single fan, albeit well grown in a pot, of LA iris ANN CHOWNING
(Chowning, 1977). I've seen this iris usually priced at around $4.00
(U.S.), which is what I paid for a 1 gallon pot of it this spring. My
single fan sold for $10.00 after I gave it a glowing description.:) This
was more than I paid for other 1997 LA iris intros at the same auction. I
would have felt guilty if I had been making the $6.00 profit rather than
the club.:)
If you don't have time to study up before the auction, then set a personal
limit before going to the auction and do your best to stick to it. It's
easy to get caught up in the action! It's also easy to tell someone else
not to get caught up in the action while you have little or no self control
yourself.:)
-Donald
Donald Mosser
Member of AIS, HIPS, SIGNA, SSI, SLI, SPCNI, and IRIS-L
dmosser@southconn.com
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/5570
North Augusta, South Carolina, USA
On the South Carolina and Georgia Border
USDA Zone 7b-8
