Here's what will be my October column in BTO Journal...
A few words about bonsai on eBay®
I am proud to present this exquisite specimen of an essay. This RARE and stunning essay would be a terrific addition to any reader’s collection of essays. It was written at least 100 years ago on a 1901 Underwood typewriter probably valued at more than $300,000 and was proofread by both Master Masahiko Kimura and Mr. Ernest Hemingway. Each letter on this screen was individually typed into this document with the utmost care by a professional copy editor. I truly hope you enjoy it and good luck with your reading!
Let’s start the bidding.
Ahem
If you spend any time at all perusing the bonsai listings on eBay, the preceding paragraph will seem quite familiar. Given the fact that a large percentage of the "bonsai" that are attached to such hyperbole on that online auction are examples of the worst
banzai-tripe known to humankind, it should be no surprise that a great many enthusiasts often regard eBay as a bonsai wasteland.
However, eBay gets far more unfair blanket criticism than it deserves on this front. This is too bad because many might benefit from what good can be found there, but for believing the misguided ravings of the ignorant and capitalistically inept who rail against what they see as unseemly activity on eBay. But what the hey, …it’s a free country.
"It just doesn’t seem right"
One of the most common complaints I’ve come across regarding bonsai auctions on eBay is the one that says,
“That guy is asking 4 times what the tree is worth! I know it’s not right because I’ve seen the same thing at Joe Blow’s nursery for ¼ the cost. eBay is a gyp!” Another common criticism goes,
“You can’t get a good look at the tree, so it’s stupid to pay much for any bonsai there since you can’t know what you’re getting.” Still another one is,
“There’s nothing but junk bonsai and low-class vendors on eBay. Don’t waste your time.” Or,
“eBay is a good place to get shafted.”
Each of these claims and bits of advice is either irrelevant, misleading, grave exaggeration or just plain false. Each is based either on prejudice, naiveté or a poor understanding of how the free market works. While I support the right for someone to espouse these opinions, I also know that anyone with an understanding of commerce, an acquaintance with logic and some experience using the facilities at eBay should quickly see the errors in these pronouncements.
Let’s examine the merits of these complaints and caveats:
“That guy is asking 4 times what the tree is worth! I know it’s not right because I’ve seen the same thing at Joe Blow’s nursery for ¼ the cost. eBay is a gyp!”
Some bonsai offered for auction on eBay are priced rather high.
So what? So don’t bid on them. Either they will sell to those who want to pay the requested amount or the items will not sell and the owners will learn that his/her asking price is unrealistic (this time). No harm, no foul. The person who does buy a high priced bonsai on eBay is not harmed. Rather, this person pays what he/she is willing to pay. Buyer and seller are happy. Simple.
Also, many who make claims like the one above have no idea what they’re talking about. Such claims are often made by those who are inexperienced in the art of bonsai and their ignorance prevents them from recognizing why a tree may be worth every bit of the asking price, or more. Nothing wrong with being inexperienced, but it makes no sense to put any stock in the naïve claims made by such individuals.
“You can’t get a good look at the trees on eBay, so it’s stupid to pay much for any bonsai there since you can’t know what you’re getting.”
If you can’t tell from the images provided whether or not a tree appeals to you, don’t buy it. However, the notion that it is
not possible to get a good enough look at a tree listed on eBay to make a reasonable decision is silly. Such a notion may be true for idiots and neophytes (no correlation there), but reasonably intelligent and knowledgeable people should not have much trouble. I know lots of people who have done it and I’ve done so myself on several occasions. But then, I’m not an idiot and I know what I'm looking for.
Making value judgments about bonsai material from photographs online requires some understanding of the elements of bonsai quality – and of unsalvageable faults. While it is no crime to lack necessary knowledge or understanding about bonsai quality, it is rather stupid to go shopping and plan to spend large amounts of money on something when you know very little about it. If you do so and get a bad deal it does not mean that eBay is a bad place – it means that you have exercised poor judgment. Don’t do that.
Every bonsai listing on eBay will differ in the level of detail that can be discerned from the photos. There are risks associated with buying after having seen only photos. Weigh your confidence and your comfort level. Chances are, however, that if you know something about bonsai, you can make a reasonable decision based on photos that accompany most of the listings. Again, know your limits and don't make foolish decisions.
“There’s nothing but junk bonsai and low-class vendors on eBay. Don’t waste your time.”
Hogwash. Surely there are junk “bonsai” to be found on eBay and there are low-class vendors to be found there as well. HOWEVER, they are quite easy to distinguish from the quality alternatives, which ARE there to be found (usually). Don’t shop the junk; shop the good stuff. Easy! If you can’t discern the differences, it is not the fault of the material, the vendor or eBay. Capice?
In the past couple of years, I’ve seen some wonderful bonsai up for auction at fairly hefty prices on eBay; bonsai that I’d give my eyeteeth for. I’ve also seen some underdeveloped material, offered for loooowww prices, that could clearly be stunning bonsai in just a couple of years. The good stuff is there to be found. It usually helps to sort by price – highest first. You’re not going to find the good stuff in the $20 range. The low price range for (low quality) good material is generally around $75 - $150. Any less and you are usually (but not always) sifting through junk.
By the way, believe it or not, your favorite bonsai vendor may very well be selling merchandise and trees on eBay right now. And if they’re not, they’re missing a gem of a profitable opportunity.
“Ebay is a good place to get shafted.”
You mean unlike anywhere else? What is true of all business is true of eBay:
caveat emptor. It is ridiculous to believe that people didn't learn to be devious or irresponsible until eBay came along.
The good thing about eBay is that every seller has a rating. That rating is there for all to see – as is each seller’s past customer feedback. Have a look at it. Don’t buy from vendors who have a significant amount of negative feedback (but by the same token, don’t let 1 or 2 negative remarks necessarily warn you off). Vendors who gouge or swindle buyers don’t stay on eBay. That’s the law of the jungle.
If you're really so worried about getting shafted with an eBay purchase, bid only on listings that will do an escrow deal. eBay is all about protecting everyone involved and has mechanisms to suit your fears. If you lose your shirt - it is your own fault.
It may be anecdotal, but I have never heard anyone, friend or acquaintance, say that they got a bad deal on eBay. This does not mean that some don’t get bad deals there (mostly the inept shoppers), but bad deals are not a common tale for eBay. When someone says something like the statement above, ask them to tell you of their experience in getting shafted on eBay. I’ll bet they have none and they're talking out of their backside.
The Comedy Store
One thing that you will be certain to find in eBay listings is hyperbole. It seems that ridiculous sales-speak is the rule rather than the exception for eBay listing description copy. Much of it is tiresome, some is clearly prevarication, but some of it is downright funny. I grant you that it is hard not to laugh when you encounter some of the outrageous descriptions.
I have come across a few listings that extol the virtues of, “…this 100+ year-old Chinese elm” or somesuch statement. In every case that I’ve seen, such claims are quite obviously lies. However, such claims are diminishing in frequency; probably due to people writing and calling the vendor on their ridiculous claims (I’ve done so myself a couple of times). What some vendors label as “specimen quality” can evoke a chuckle now and then, too. Everyone, it seems, has his or her own idea of what quality bonsai material is. And why not? – eBay is, after all, an auction/sales venue. Marketing has its own language and definitions. We just need to understand our own definitions of quality and exercise good judgment.
Sing it with me...
"You can do it eeeeeeeBay"
In the end, eBay can be a valuable resource for bonsai enthusiasts, both as a place to get good deals on trees and supplies and as a place to make a few honest bucks now and then. There’s nothing wrong with eBay that is not wrong with any market. Further, online marketplaces are not a fad; they’re the future of our market economy. Deal with it. Just don’t deal with it irresponsibly.
By the way, eBay is what we call a
successful marketplace. 2003 2nd quarter revenues totaled more than $509 million, up 91% year over year. There were 34 million active users in this period, up 57% year over year. Gross sales for the 2nd quarter totaled more than $5.6 billion, up 66% over the previous year. All of this occurred in an economic slump period, much of it during wartime.
These kinds of things do not happen to businesses or in markets that are risky or that offer poor values. eBay is healthy and is here to stay. Thank goodness, because eBay is good for bonsai.
Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.bonsai365.com/
zone 8, Texas