buying on ebay

[paddles]

has/does anybody buy pots etc off ebay? any pitfalls you know of?

[alpineart]

Hi Paddles , i have purchased several hundred pots off ebay at a bargain basement price . With travel and pick up from Melbourne it makes for a round trip of 700 km .Pick up is recommended as no-one packs with the care i do . Some members bid with an addictive nature and blow the prices out of the normal nursery prices .
Checking prices is essential .In one instant i purchased 78 Pots and trays mostly Chinese Yixing with a few Japanese slip cast trays and pots for the incredible price of $3.50 each factoring in the fuel costs for the journey .I will try to find the post i made , although i think it was on another forum . Some of the trays were 600mm long .There is quite a few for sale now , however small pots new are available for $2.50 and Yixing new range from $6- $35 new for larger pots and trays. I have checked ebay as i always do and to auctions in Melbourne are over new price and the auctions are still running . Buyer beware and pick with care

Cheers Alpine

[Scott Roxburgh]

If you are buying off ebay, most of the pots that are in Aus are substandard.

For good quality, older pots try Yorozuen (Japan):
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/yorozuen-ann ... 4340.l2562

[Bougy Fan]

Buying pots ot trees on eBay is like buying anything else online really - buyer beware and check their feedback. I bought a babbingtonia virgata a few years ago that was a wonderful tree until I root pruned it too hard recently

I have met a few bonsai nuts on eBay with genuine bonsai for sale and picked up some great pots and trees. There is also a lot of rubbish online and cheap pots usually aren't worth buying if you can't pick them up due to postage costs.

Sometimes it is a hindrance not being able to hold what you are buying - sometimes not.

[paddles]

in this case, it's an older pot, yes it's overpriced, but a friend has a similar pot, and I've always lusted after it... it's an unusual pot... not cheep in any way, and I'd have to have it posted. feedback is good, but it's obviously someone culling, not a big history.

[alpineart]

Hi Scott , i have to disagree with you on this one . Some ebay stuff is rubbish , as is some of Myers wares .These are some of the pots i paid $3.50 for minus the fuel for pickup and the cost a measly $2.47

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.Good quality chinese pots are available and to most novices a pot is a pot as a bonsai is a bonsai . Too me a pot is only something to plant a tree in and yes i have some very nice pots that are Chinese , Japanese and Australian , after all a BMW is only a German Holden with a shari load of tax added . A quick look in the hardware the other day i was surprised to see 200mm black plastic pots for $8 .A couple of the 400mm glazed pots in the last pick were $10 at the reject shop , i use the as training pots .

Cheers Alpine

[Trent McKenzie]

I have been pleased buying from a seller by the name wonderfulhobby123, I know there poor quality chinese pots, but the prices are fair and the combined postage and packaging is good. Not too many bonsai pots for sale where I live and I can't really afford too many of the beautiful Japanese pots.

[Andrew F]

Iv bought pots and mudmen from this seller: http://myworld.ebay.com.au/kilofly-au/? ... 4340.l2559

[Gerard]

I have purchased many in the past but in recent times I have passed up most. Seems to be lots more people buying and pushing the prices up, still cheaper than new but after adding $20-$30 for fuel costs you need to be lucky to pick up a bargain.

[Magzy]

This is a seller from Japan who i have used and they have some very nice ones, some of them go very quick. I have used eBay for quite a long time now and have never had any problems even the stores from asia who have not so good English. http://stores.ebay.com.au/Japanese-bons ... ols?_rdc=1
Cheers Mark

[Andrew F]

If anyone finds a seller that stocks penjing style pots or yingshi, turtle shell stone, or any penjing style stone i would greatly appreciate a link plz.

[Scott Roxburgh]

...I have to disagree with you on this one...

Good quality chinese pots are available and to most novices a pot is a pot as a bonsai is a bonsai . Too me a pot is only something to plant a tree in and yes i have some very nice pots that are Chinese , Japanese and Australian

To some maybe that's fine, but I dont think a pot is a pot. I'd prefer to have fewer high quality pots, than a pile of cheaper pots that I would not be happy showing my trees in.