Purchasing Finished Bonsai

Attila

There is a reason why this subject is an all time classic. People can't resist but bite on it. Even if it hurts.

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RonMartin(deceased)

amen

TreeBay

"A bonsai is 'finished' the moment the rocks are glued on."
-Anonymous.

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RonMartin(deceased)

Hopefully now that a few words have been spent on the subject there will be some consensus on the true meaning of the word. Not that is all that important a topic. But it is nice when we are all on the same page.
If no one minds too much I would like top propose the following definitions. Mind you my name is not Noah Webster it is Ron Martin. Just a poor hillbilly from South Carolina. Anyway here goes.
1. Pre-bonsai
Damn near anything in a nursery pot and most things including seedlings that can be collected.
2. Potential Bonsai.
What is left when all the pre-bonsai are thrown out.
3. Specimen tree
Something with great potential.
4. Finished tree.
A tree that has been styled and considered "finished " by the artist.
If these definitions meet to everyone's (oh my God) expectations then those definition will be the norm at Tokonoma bonsai.
5. And for Matt. A tree with rocks glued on it is a Mallsai.
Hope this works.

Adam_MA

Damn... I think those definitions are pretty good!

Works for me
Adam

Treebeard

Well, it appears that this thread has run its course. I must admit I stopped reading it when it turned to defining finished.

Perhaps I should have been clearer in my initial post... but in my mind it was very clear what 'finished' meant in the context of this thread.

That pine with a 10" base and 4" branches that is priced at £2000+ comes in the finished category.

That 3' maple with a 4" trunk that is priced at £1000+ is in there too.

As are all the other trees in properly proportioned and well chosen bonsai pots, the trunks grown, well defined branch structure in place, all scars healed, all twigs well ramified. Go to www.dai-ichibonsai.com and navigate to 2004 trees to see examples of what I mean.

If I'd asked 'what happens to all those bonsai that are selling for over £500? Why are they not posted on the internet?' it might have been better, but then again we might have got into the argument about potential thieves, privacy etc.

Candy, you kind of answered my question when you said about 'show and ask' and the gallery. I might have been looking in the wrong place.

My own conclusion would be that the internet bonsai scene is only a tiny tiny part of the whole worldwide bonsai movement. Perhaps less than 1%. Granted, there are hundreds or even thousands of forum members worldwide, but still I think it amounts to less than 1%.

If you think of it in those terms, it is not surprising that so few of the trees sold in bonsai nurseries are shown on the net.

Regards,

Chris.

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RonMartin(deceased)

Here we are in total agreement.

will*law

Chris,

I also whole heartedly agree. From what I've seen in the Fingerlakes and Rochester clubs (or at anything at International Bonsai) the mean age for bonsai folks appears to be maybe 55, with many people being in their 60s. The makeup online seems to be a little bit different, at least of folks who actively post. (I was very impressed watching a retired guy spend $2500 with Suthin at Bill V's shohin seminar in june)

For what it's worth, I'm 25. And I could be totally wrong about all that, but it's how things appear. And I just don't have the disposable income to spend thousands of dollars on a tree. This year, anyway!

Having said that, I have spent several hundred dollars on trees that are not quite finished but close that I have bought from older individuals who either have to get out or who need to reduce their collection. Often times you can get extremely high quality material very inexpensively this way.

As for why I don't post pictures - of mostly anything - I guess I'm not that fond of my digital camera right now. I'll have a new one soon, so... we'll see.

Will

Bart Thomas(deceased)

Will*Law wrote:


Heck, I was real mean well before 55!