|
Attila Soos
Join Date: Jan-2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Country: USA
Posts: 1,932
|
That's a tough question. Since tastes vary considerably amongst the bonsai growers, there is never a final answer to this. Everyone will have a different opinion.
Once you own the tree and are responsible for caring for it, you have to listen to your heart: do you like the tree in its current state? If you do, you keep refining it until it reaches the highest level of detail and refinement.
If you don't, you have to change it. There is no point of working with a tree that you don't really like. You have no choice but to change it.
Here is the deal. If it is a high quality, historical tree, the price will reflect that. And nobody will pay a small (or large) fortune for a tree that needs to be radically redesigned. One needs to really like it to pay that kind of money.
If, on the other hand, it is a low priced tree, it cannot really be considered of historical importance. It may have emotional value to a lot of club members, but that's about it. In that case, the owner should try to bring out the best of its potential by redesigning it to her own taste.
|