Re: HYB:REB:Hybridizing & Money

How funny that you would bring this up now Betty.  I've been brooding for the last several days that when I got on the computer I was gonna ask the brass tacks question...
   
  If you introduce a cultivar is it a reasonable expectation that you will sell out the first year, the third year?  I was wondering because Bob in Denver on Photos was talking about a few newer cultivars he can't keep enough of and there seem to be a few 'hot' new intros every year. (was it Matrix that was the striped thing last year?)
   
  If you don't have the color break or the most ruffles can you really sell your intro?
   
  I was hoping for some discussion on that topic.
   
  For the record I'm only into irises because I'm a collector by nature and 'like to grow things', as my husband puts it. lol
   
  Christian
  ky

Autmirislvr@aol.com wrote:
  In a message dated 12/30/2005 10:55:55 A.M. Central Standard Time, 
RYFigge@aol.com writes:

<< and they would not have to be priced out of reason -- money isn't 
everything. >>
Rosalie is quite right. Money isn't everything. 

Over the Christmas holidays, relatives from out of town asked me if I made 
my living breeding and selling irises! They see me working so hard 
and they figure I must be making money at it! Right?

If anyone wants to breed rebloomers for the money? Forget it! As a breeder 
of reblooming irises you can not even begin to break even. Someone might be 
able to given enough time. I have not. You have iris breeding stock, 
fertilizer, water, registration, advertising, (website ?) and printing expenses. 
You also have postage expenses . . . part of advertising. You send out a lot 
of free irises . . . more postage. Fold, this gets to be an expensive HOBBY! 
And a painful one at times! 

I think I've just talked myself out of it! 


Members of the American Iris Society represent less than 10% of the iris 
buying public. Several years ago, I did some research on the subject for a 
marketing class. I was told that there are two ways to make money in irises. You 
either sell in a high rent district (Maryott's of olden days) or you sell 
wholesale irises growing a minimum of 5 acres. 

The wholesalers are the people that sell to Spring Hill, suppliers of 
Wal-Mart, etc. I'm told this includes Schreiners, Cooleys, Commanche, and others. 


Am I doing this for the money? I think not! If money figured into rebloom 
breeding at all, I would have given up something like 15 years ago. 




Betty W. in South-central KY Zone 6
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_ 
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/) 
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/) 
_iris-photos archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/) 
_iris-talk archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/) 
_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/) 

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