Bonsai Shopping Spree

Mitzy

Okay, I am new here, but not to bonsai. I am however starting all over in a new area. I was thinking about this last night, here is my hypothetical situation.
Suppose you were a newbie in bonsai, or giving advice to a newbie, and you, or the newbie, has $1000 to spend on their new hobby. How would you invest that money?
Would you buy potensai, established bonsai (one or two), tools, equipment, books, classes, what? A combination of the above, perhaps? A class or two, join a club, buy some basic equipment, then some potensai?
What is you had $5000 to spend?
Just trying to get a thread started and some free advice. I have nowhere near that kind of money at one time, but over the course of a year? Who dared to keep track of how much they spent their first few years? That might be interesting.
Anyway, y'all jump on in here!

__________________
Mitzy Carter-Penley
Perth, Western Australia

.......

soul, it sleeps peacefully,
this mountain willow

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RedPine

Hello ,and welcome to the forums!!.

I would say spend about $1-$10 on a piece of starter material,and maybe check out what is growing wild in your new area.Ask lots of questions,then when things are going well you can get better material.Quality of trees and skill should grow together.A begginer working with a top notch tree could be very bad for the trees future.I have been at it for only 7 years,and I don't even want to "touch" a $5000 tree,just a good long look will do.

I would never spend large amounts of money like that on a tree unless I was truely confident in my horticulture skills,and could provide security for the tree. If I did spend the money,I would only buy from a trusted pro near my location,and I wouldn't tell them how much $$ I had in my pocket either.

dancinzen

well...i am new in bonsai ...only about five years under my belt ...but the biggest mistake i made was thinking this was a art you car rush your way into and buy your way through...

take alot of time just researching...

read on this forum/websites/internet...

join a club,talk to people,learn there mistakes,make connections,take workshops...

dont rush into buying trees yet...your taste will change in 6 months as you see different habbits and the seasons bring out the beauty in different species...

when you see a tree you know you love,it just touches a childhood memory or something,go for it nomatter others advise,those usually turn out to be the best trees in your collection...build a collection this way,you will be happier and wont have to sell as much stuff later as you learn what you really like...

ofcourse,you do need lots of practice...but eventually...dont kill your good stuff because you are anxious to try...buy something cheap and play...if you kill it ohwell,if it lives you might have something nice...

but what do i know...im just a diciple of life learning every moment...so dont take my word for it...

enjoy...

Will_Heath

Hindsight being 20/20...

Club membership
classes
books
donation to bonsaitalk
starter tool kit, wire, screen, soil, training pots etc
1 nicely styled bonsai
a dozen meijer stock (alberta spruce, boxwwod, mugo, etc)
a few pre-bonsai
1 fifth of gin
1 jar olives


Will

breefe

If I had $5,000...I'd invest it...

OR...buy some nice tools and improve my growing areas...and buy lots of stuff from Matt...

__________________
"His government....I think he was talking about two sock puppets and a beanie baby."

Bart Thomas(deceased)

I think that my most important first purchases would be small trees of all the species I wanted to grow, just to make sure I could keep them alive. Just make sure that they are sold by local bonsai nurseries!

Not too many, just a few.

The, some good classes, with which should come with some guidance as to books and basic tools.

Once you have done that, but the best raw material you can afford, but again, just a few.

You've made a good start by asking here.

jloeschner

Just my .02, but based on my experience, which is only a few months old, I would invest in an area or equipment for keeping trees alive and healthy. I have accumulated quite a few over the past couple of months, and I did not plan for their well-being. Now, I wish I had spent my money on a cheap greenhouse for my outside trees or grow lights and shelving for my inside trees and just bought one or two trees. Of course, I did not do this, so I am forced to "make-do" with what I have or can devise. In short, I blew my bonsai budget on trees without thinking about the equipment for keeping them healthy. Live and learn...

Regards,
John

__________________
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.

QUI ME AMAT, AMAT ET CANEM MEAM

Mitzy

I am still thinking, but my inclination is to say, classes, a few books, basic tools and starter trees. Like I said, I am new to this area, but not to bonsai, and I have done this before, so I have some hindsight.

__________________
Mitzy Carter-Penley
Perth, Western Australia

.......

soul, it sleeps peacefully,
this mountain willow

DavidN

Mitzy, how about spend money on a plane ticket next year to Sydney and watch Kimura do his thing.