best yamadori source?

50% of my trees were purchased on eBay. Never a problem. Very good source for those of us without nursary resources around us.

I have bought one from ebay UK from a business trader Ebay Black Pine, and was very happy with the material, the price, the delivery etc.......... and I have sold 5 or 6 of my trees this year the same way too - I even sent a nice tree to Portugal OK. be aware, check sellers feedback and look at what they buy and sell though.....this will show if they are a bonafide hobbyist.

when buying the reputation of the seller and their previous sales counts for everything. Trees sold fully established shouldn't need a money back guarantee but its nice if you can get it I guess, - for me it wouldnt be the clinching part of the deal though. Pictures of the exact tree over several years count for more if you can see those as it proves the seller has established the tree properly, and that the tree is now aclimatised to life in a pot.

Also remember when visiting a seller that there should be the established material ready for sale now, and the batch of newer trees to see as well. Often you could pay a deposit to hold newer material until it is ready to be sold at the right time.

good luck

Marcus

marcus watts wrote:
I've now come to the conclusion when looking to buy material (yamadori or just raw unstyled) it is worth paying for proper establishment and root work- When you buy something it is obvious you want to start working on it - no-one wants to come home with a tree and be told wait 3-4 years before wiring it ! . For this reason I look to the known tried and tested sources who have a 100% good reputation amongst experienced bonsai artists for supplying such material. I think this thread has listed some perfect outlets already. My last yamadori purchase had been established for 7 years and professionally repotted twice since collecting - each time into a smaller pot as enough new roots to support the tree have grown. This is what you pay for - a similar tree in a 4ft wooden 'coffin' of a box is worth a fraction as you need to just look at it for years - I'm already too old for that

happy shopping

Marcus

But there are valid reasons for purchasing the less-established material, at least for some people. Cost is one. In my case, I've only been doing bonsai for about 2 years, and I've never worked with a spruce. So I bought one that was (relatively) recently collected and needs to establish for another 2-3 years. That's OK, it allows me to observe the growth habits and learn how to keep it healthy. My other option would have been to buy something more expensive that could be worked on immediately - but what if I didn't really understand the tree or how to keep it thriving? And I've got plenty of other trees (too many) to practice wiring and styling in the meantime.

Now, after I've successfully handled this one for a while, I might spend more to purchase an established, "ready to work" spruce.

The biggest lesson I have learned in purchasing bonsai or pre-bonsai material is to coldly, dispassionately, evaluate and determine the health of the tree before buying. Be absolutely ready to walk away if you suspect an issue.

It's all to easy to overlook warning signs of ill health because you fall in love with the tree.. This has been a costly lesson for me.

-Jay

drgonzo wrote:The biggest lesson I have learned in purchasing bonsai or pre-bonsai material is to coldly, dispassionately, evaluate and determine the health of the tree before buying. Be absolutely ready to walk away if you suspect an issue.

It's all to easy to overlook warning signs of ill health because you fall in love with the tree.. This has been a costly lesson for me.

-Jay

Can't agree with this more......been there, done that.

marcus watts wrote:stop buying home depot trees now Dario and make a solid financial tree plan for 2014 -
.......... One good tree gives far more pleasure than 50 less good ones i find.

Marcus,

I somewhat agree but not completely. Some (or many) of us just don't have the financial capacity to afford thousand dollar trees. Some also love tinkering with their trees and just a few won't cut it .

Have you seen the pics of the $79 Hollywood juniper I posted? It is far from yamadori quality but not that bad either IMHO. I for one love the challenge of getting something out of nothing (like my free trees). They have potential (believe it or not) though it may take years or decades to bring out by someone who knows what he is doing (maybe never for those like me) but I am willing to give it a try. My trees bring me so much pleasure that I doubt even one or two "great" pieces can match. It is like loving your mutt after you had him...that even a pedigreed dog cannot replace. It is just my personality and preference.

That said, of course I would love (and dream) owning one like those beauties...