Re: Internet marketing

Michael Hasemann (jmh@tko.vtt.fi)
Sat, 7 Jan 1995 11:43:12 +0200 (EET)

>
>
>
> Second, there's the occasional distribution by hobbyists, of seeds or plants
> for money. I do this twice a year with _Sarracenia_ seeds and seedlings,
> as well as year-round with people who inquire about my Utrics etc and who
> have little or no trading leverage. I think this is entirely appropriate.
> I used to distribute plants for free until the postage charges added up
> (as this newsgroup enlarged!). And no insult to the newer growers, but it
> became tiresome to constantly package and ship specimens of _D.capillaris_
> and _D.capensis_ to people with no trade coming back. So either I live with
> postage charges of $30/month in altruistic bliss (and pay no attention to
> the righteous cluckings from the missus), or not distribute plants to people
> at all (wouldn't that be obnoxious!), or charge a few bucks to cover postage
> and effort on my part.
>
Barry, I totally agree with you in this point. If I have something toto
give away I usual give it away for free (I am to get something in
exchange but I do not really expect it). Somehow, I do this in the
belief of something like a hobbyists code of honour. You are right
to demand to demand a compensation for postage if they add up sig-
nificantly.
At the same time I usually do not pay anything significant (>$10) for
plants.

> Third, there's the semi-professional work that Andreas or Uwe does. Again,
> I have no problem with that. I think that the occasional message from
> those growers saying what they have for sale is fine. If every time I
> got a bundle of mail it included THE-LATEST-PLANTS-AVAILABLE-BUY-BUY-BUY
> I'd get a little irritated. But that's not the situation at all. I also
> think their prices are perfectly fine considering the tiny market as well
> as the laboratory skills these guys have developed.
I have got a slightly different opinion about this: IMO if tiny tissue
cultured plants are sold for prices over say over $100 I strongly
believe something is wrong.
>
> One of my favorite things about CPing is that other than the limited set
> of species available to the starting CPer from the few nurseries, if you
> want to get plants you MUST network, and in the process you meet some really
> great people from around the globe. I trade extensively with other growers,
> but can do so because I have a large collection. Other mechanisms must exist
> in order to allow newbies to gain trading leverage.
Right, and from my experience these "great" people are most of the time
enthusiastic hobbyists who *do not rob* their friends.

..Michael
>
> Barry
> 

-- 
  Michael Hasemann | Technical Research Centre of Finland - Automation
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