RE: Mail order nurseries
- To: "'perennials@mallorn.com'"
- Subject: RE: Mail order nurseries
- From: P* S*
- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 09:11:14 -0800
> My biggest expense in operating a nursery are not plants, potting
> > medium or pots, but catalogs and mailing.
>
>
> I was curious though... Is the Internet changing any of this? Catalogs
> could be
> browseable online, available for download in PDF of PostScript file
> formats,
> etc. for just the cost of a Web site. In all seriousness, how do you
> think people
> would react if you asked them to look at your Web site instead of sending
> out
> a catalog? Or what if you could send them a $.05 floppy disk instead? I
> know that
> I would personally prefer an electronic copy (I could search for plants in
> a catalog
> much faster, etc.)
>
> I normally wouldn't post this to the whole list, but I'm curious if anyone
> knows of
> a place that does this.
>
> Chris
>
>
>
Chris,
There are indeed some sits that are already doing this, i.e. asking you to
download a catalog or, more often, asking you to browse a catalog at their
site.
I have problems with this approach. In fact, when I go to a site hunting
for a catalog and get this reaction, my impulse is to immediately go to a
different site.
Why?
In my house, the phone and computers are on a single line. We have a family
rule about not tying up the lines for any reason for longer than 20 minutes.
So spending extensive time browsing is not possible.
Also, we all share a single computer (including my high-school daughter, who
uses it nightly for homework). I work days, and by the time the chores are
done, dinner is made and cleaned up, etc., there are maybe a precious 1-2
hours left in the evening to get everything else done. So, I don't have a
lot of time to sit in front of the computer, particularly when I have to
"take a number" along with everyone else.
On the other hand, we have catalogs. I can relax in the living room, fire
crackling in the fireplace, snow falling outside, gardening notebook and
catalogs at hand as I sketch out my spring veggie garden or plan a new
perennial bed. I can sit happily in my bed at night, a cup of tea at my
side, and can pile the catalogs up and enjoy looking through them. I can
take one into the bathtub. I can tuck one into my briefcase for perusing at
lunchtime. I can leave on in the car to look through when stuck at a train
crossing. I can carry one to my local garden shop, comparing pictures,
prices, etc. I can (and do) cut pictures and/or information out of the
catalogs and paste them into my garden notebook. I can tear out really nice
photos or good information and tack it up above my potting bench...... (You
get the idea!)
I love computers, I love the Internet, but I love and want to keep my paper
catalogs. And while free is a great price (!), I would gladly pay a few $$
to be able to keep that catalog in hand.
Sue P.
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