Re: Current problems and plant sales

[krombhol@teclink.net (Paul Krombholz)]

>Hi Merrill,
>
>Hope all is well. Regarding our plant "sales," the real purpose is to
>provide rare, hard-to-find plants to our members at a "reasonable cost. If
>we want, I think we can approach this the same as book sales -- providing
>hard to find items as a service to the membership. I think the AGA "policy"
>on sales is to provide something that can't easily be found elsewhere. When
>someone suggested that we provide books cheaper than other dealers, the
>idea was shot down. When and if an item is available elsewhere, even if it
>is more expensive, I think that AGA should discontinue the item. With this
>concept in mind, we might even want to limit the plant list to plants that
>we believe are truly hard to get. Your concerns are well taken regarding
>fertilizers, substrates, etc. I don't think we should go in that direction.
>
>My question posed to the MC had more to do with the legal side and tax
>liability.
>
>At 01:28 PM 7/29/99 -0500, amc2@ix.netcom.com wrote:
>>Hi, Karen and all....
>>
>>Sorry to have been away for such a long while from the occurring problems
>that Neil is causing
>>:>) but it has been unavoidable.  It seems that if we wait long enough, a
>solution arises with
>>such an interested and active organization that you have been chairing.
>>
>>I'm glad to see that the membership has been strong, since I have been
>working at this.
>>However, I will be pleased to do what else I can to help in this situation.
>>
>>I don't believe that we should get into handling live plants!  I think
>that books can be an
>>easily understanable thing as far as a non-profit organization.  But, with
>plants available, we
>>are in business and everything will have to change.  The next thing will
>be fertilizer,
>>substrates, etc.  As it is, some of our "Board" members are already
>selling things on their own
>>and making it known through the APD - whether at a profit or not (which is
>not my business to
>>know, but I don't think that it is out of the "goodness of their heart").
>>
>>Please accept this as my personal opinion and I hope to hear further from
>the "group".
>>
>>Best wishes to all.
>>
>>Merrill
>>
>>
I seem to have missed out on the plan for how AGA was going to get in the
business of selling hard-to-get plants.

If we were to be in the buisness of making available for members
hard-to-get plants, we would have to have a reliable source, ourselves.
That means a number of members willing to cultivate them and yank them out
of their tanks at any time.  We can rule out our depending on a commercial
supplier, because, if the commercial supplier has these plants reliably,
who needs us to be the middle man?

Some plants, such as stem plants can be easily cut and mailed without
disturbing the rest.  Others, expeciallly crypts should not be disturbed
for long periods of time, and when you do disturb them, you have to replant
them all, and usually have a period of melt down before they get going
again.

I would like to see what thoughts others have on this subject.


Paul Krombholz, where the heat index in my office beats the one outdoors.