[nafex] Re: To Ed

["Christopher Mauchline" <mauch1@aol.com>]

> I doubt the typical suburban garden plant consumer is tremendously
> cost-sensitive.  Especially the ones who are willing to buy mail 
order,
> and incur enormous (relative to the cost of the plants) shipping 
costs. 
Well, I may not be a "typical suburban garden plant consumer", but I 
am very cost sensitive.  I typically have a budget that I afford to 
spend on plants (and it has gone down every year for the last 2 
years).  I spreadsheet out my "wants" with totals (including 
shipping) and then move the ones I decide not to get this year to 
a "maybe next year" category.  I care most about value for my money.  
I buy mail order because most of the retail nurseries in my area 
are "ornamental" oriented or don't carry the "unusual" stuff that I'm 
interested in.  And when the base shipping costs started around $8-10 
and the variable rate above that was 10-15%, given the PA 6% sales 
tax shipping wasn't that bad.  With the base rates at $15 or more at 
some nurseries and the variable rates at 15-20% it is a bigger 
differential.  (I know the rates nurseries pay have gone up and UPS 
has gotten difficult - and I sympathize - but it still cuts into what 
I can afford to buy).

...

> When I got the Bear Creek catalog I thought it was too good to be 
true. 
> It was.  Now I wonder where I can go to buy. . .
It wasn't too good to be true, it was too good to last...

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6

--- In nafex@y..., Ginda Fisher <ginda@c...> wrote:
> As a purchaser of nursery products, I do think there is a tendency 
for
> farmers to "forget" to pay themselves when they are calculating 
their
> costs.  I suppose what with a competitive market and all, so long 
as all
> the other farmers are willing to give up a paycheck to stay on the 
farm,
> it's hard for any one to raise his prices.  I've seen craftsmen 
underpay
> themselves, too.
> 
> I doubt the typical suburban garden plant consumer is tremendously
> cost-sensitive.  Especially the ones who are willing to buy mail 
order,
> and incur enormous (relative to the cost of the plants) shipping 
costs. 
> It is not in my interests to say so, but I doubt you'd lose a ton of
> business if you raised your rates.  Obviously, the wholesale market,
> which is buying many more plants at a time, is more cost-sensitive.
> 
> When I got the Bear Creek catalog I thought it was too good to be 
true. 
> It was.  Now I wonder where I can go to buy. . .
> 
> Best,
> Ginda Fisher
> 
> jhecksel@v... wrote:
> > 
> > >
> > >
> > > Fluffy Bunny wrote:
> > > Ok Ed, inquiring minds want to know. What is the correct price 
for a
> > tree?   And while we are on it,  define making a living.
> > 
> > FB:  The nursery owner/manager needs to pay themselves enough 
money so
> > they can hire a replacement *at those wages* if/when they blow-out
> > their back, or get a hernia, or need to care for a sick family 
member.
> > Otherwise the business goes under.
> > 
> > 
> > 
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