Our club is looking for 75-100 4in plants for a club sale this May at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We had contacted a vendor nearby, but he had a tough summer with heat and some electrical failure destroying stock. There are some nice vendors that are too expensive for us. It's the shipping costs that hurt. We need to keep the prices down because the general public won't pay much for violets. We think having them available at groceries, etc.... for $3 ruins it for us. Last year we asked $6 and had many leftovers. We just aim to break even. Of course, we all donate plants to the sale too, and that's what keeps us from being in the red. What are ya'lls experiences?
Jamie
Plant Sales
The shows I have been to ask from $3-6 for a tiny starter and more for unusual varieties or large plants.I think most people wouldn't mind $5 or so.
Lynn
Hei Jamie!
At our chapter's show and sale there are a few commercial vendors (For example Gary Mikita) but the bulk of the plants is provided by hobbyist chapter members.
The plants go anywhere from about 2-8 bucks. 2 bucks would be a small start or a cutting and 8 would be a nice size, flowering Strep for example.
I also remember paying about 4 bucks for a tuber and 3 bucks for some rhizomes.
Also, they sell supplies, literature etc.
Of all the supplies sold, what I found the most ingenious was little bags with a little bit of high Phosphorous fertilzer for 50 cents.
Last time, Gary sold some of his award winning, specimen size Episcias for 25 bucks each and I don't think that he took any of them back home.
Also, they were selling quite a few companion plants from Begonias to ferns etc.
I think that people are willing to drop a few bucks at a show because such a mass of such pretty plants in combination with some expert advice and (almost always) unbeatable prices at the sales table.
Another easy way to make a lot of starters fast is to put some money together, get some seed from the seed fund or from Mauro, distribute that seed among the members and have everybody start the ones that they are comfortable with. Just think how far twenty or thirty bucks can get get you this way!
Good luck with your show and sale! :)
Olaf
Thanks for this input. Our sale is going to be the day before mother's day and the Rose Club will be having a sale too. The Rose Club gets the big auditorium while we're in a room down a hallway. Oh well. I think most of the public that comes through are just not that educated about the value of unique african violets. I'm going to grow as if for show and ask a higher price for those. What would you ask for a large african violet show plant? For a standard in a 4in pot, a semi or mini? I'm going to check out the local Cafco floral outlet for cheap wrap and ribbon to dress them up.
For a show plant specimen standard Violet, you can easily ask upwards of 10 bucks. If it's large and full of flowers, people will buy it. Plus, you can always adjust your price as needed. Think about that: Most people only know the Optimaras from the local supermarket. If you reel them in by educating them on how the fancier Violets require essentially the same care as the ones from the supermarket but that they'll never find the REAL pretty ones there, you'll almost certainly make a sale. Oh, and use the "Mother's Day-card" shamelessly! Something like "How about something different from roses for Mother's Day this year?" should do the trick... :)
Semis and minis, I'd sell for a little less but not too much less. Considering the fact that most people don't even know that the little ones even exist, all it takes is a good sales pitch on your part... :)
The wrap-and-ribbon idea is excellent! Maybe go with some kind of Mother's Day theme and your customers will be butter in your hands!!!
We'll have fun and maybe pick up another member- that would be the real 'win'.
Jamie
Exactly! Works every time! :)
Olaf
I know some clubs contact optimara in Tenn. and get a box of plants from them to sell at plant sales. Apparently the cost is reasonable for club sales. People will pay more for a blooming plant, if it is not in bloom, it is hard to get much. If someone in your club has the AVSA First Class program, printing a label with a picture of the bloom will help sell a non blooming plant. I also think not everyone one wants a violet because they have killed the store ones (and don't understand repotting them would make a difference)....that an assortment of different kinds of plants for sale will bring these people to the table and maybe you can sell them on trying another violet. If there is a blooming show plant, people like starter plants of those. Also remember it may not be about "the LAST sale",... what people bought at the LAST sale and were happy with will come back for more...and the same, what they might buy from this sale, might bring them back to the NEXT sale. Hope it goes well! tish
Thanks Tish.
I hadn't considered Optimara, and they are pretty close to us so shipping costs might not be so bad. Maybe for next year. We already have a supplier now for this year, except some gessies and we're looking into a strep supplier.
Jamie
Probably not for this show but maybe for upcoming events, you could ask Gary Mikita for both Episcias and Streps.
http://www.garys-out-of-africa.com/
Gary S. Mikita
2842 Brown Street
Portage, Indiana 46368
phone 219-763-4861