bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - My negative shopping experience (seedlings being sold as trees)

Online buying is probably the biggest source of bonsai rip offs aroun, eBay, Amazon, or wherever. The rip off here isn't uncommon. Pics of established bonsai are pirated constantly from reputable bonsai sites and used to sell crap, seeds, or scruffy seedling stock. I would buy stock trees like the one in the link (Brussels' tree) only from a "name" online source. There are a few that are listed here quite often.

Just as for most deals, unbelievable prices for spectacular trees are a trap, pure and simple. No honest bonsai artist or grower will let a tree go for a 75-90% price reduction. Just like a reputable merchant of any product won't.

13-Dec-2005	#7
rockm bonsaiTALK ArchMaster Join Date: Oct-2003 Location: Fairfax, Va Country: USA USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 4,561	Online buying is probably the biggest source of bonsai rip offs aroun, eBay, Amazon, or wherever. The rip off here isn't uncommon. Pics of established bonsai are pirated constantly from reputable bonsai sites and used to sell crap, seeds, or scruffy seedling stock. I would buy stock trees like the one in the link (Brussels' tree) only from a "name" online source. There are a few that are listed here quite often. Just as for most deals, unbelievable prices for spectacular trees are a trap, pure and simple. No honest bonsai artist or grower will let a tree go for a 75-90% price reduction. Just like a reputable merchant of any product won't.