Scorpius
Chumono
Run.
What's the most you have ever spent on a single tree? (finished or pre-bonsai or yamadori or raw stock)
- Thread starter Bonsai Nut
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TrevorLarsen
Chumono
What better way to find out if it will be a marriage that will last than spending the $1000 before the wedding… I am single!!!
shohin_branches
Chumono
When I was in Japan in November, Kimura showed us the greenhouse in the back with probably 100 client trees he was prepping for Kokufu. It was wild
shohin_branches
Chumono
My most expensive tree was an opening bid at a silent auction that I didn't think I had any chance of winning. When I found out I won it I nearly passed out. Surpassed my previous record for most expensive tree by $400.
Kievnstavick
Shohin
Well...I went out and bought a motorcycle for $5,000 a few weeks before my wedding. Still married 5 years later xD
baron
Shohin
About a month ago I splurged about 2.5k on a very old bunjin red pine in an old tokoname pot.
If there's anything I've learned so far; you can't beat age & movement. Time is the best investment.
If there's anything I've learned so far; you can't beat age & movement. Time is the best investment.
circledisk
Mame
Its a matter of priorities. I wouldnt spend $1000 on a tree either
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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About spending money or not spending money. This is a HOBBY for most of us, for me too. I'm 69 years old, retired, and living the same lifestyle I lived 20 years ago only less hiking. I still drive 10 to 20 year old cars because I can not justify the expense and depreciation of a new car. Basically, I have few expenses and bonsai is a priority.
The money one puts out on a tree should be HOBBY level money. It should not be painful. It should not be college tuition level pain. If $20 to $40 is all that is comfortable for you to spend on a tree, feel no guilt or embarrassment, this is supposed to be a fun hobby and there ARE entry points at all levels.
Collecting your own from local woods and rail road right of ways or raising from seed are two very low cost entry methods. Embrace them.
I'm too fat to be out hiking the woods and digging trees, I choose to save up and buy, but I used to be more into collection my own as recently as a decade ago.
The money one puts out on a tree should be HOBBY level money. It should not be painful. It should not be college tuition level pain. If $20 to $40 is all that is comfortable for you to spend on a tree, feel no guilt or embarrassment, this is supposed to be a fun hobby and there ARE entry points at all levels.
Collecting your own from local woods and rail road right of ways or raising from seed are two very low cost entry methods. Embrace them.
I'm too fat to be out hiking the woods and digging trees, I choose to save up and buy, but I used to be more into collection my own as recently as a decade ago.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
mike drop, end of discussion.
Ruddigger
Omono
Stay off of the right of way.
Sincerely,
A train conductor that has seen way too many inside out people.
HOBBY reminded me of the time I met Shinji Suzuki and we were having coffee and having a good talk. Then I used the word HOBBY 趣味 to describe my bonsai interest and he got up and walked away. Did he have to pee? we may never know.
circledisk
Mame
I agree. I prefer to collect from the "wild" because specimens are more interesting and hardier. $1000 would not be painful to me on something else but I personally could not justify that on a tree that I would be, for all intents, cutting up and manipulating with a small risk of killing it.
Of course, she doesn't mind when I spend $1000 on a new dress for her...
circledisk
Mame
I think the Japanese don't respect hobbies as much as we do here. It's either all or nothing. They have a certain devotion to their chosen craft, profession, whatever it might be.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Here we may be running into a cultural difference in the use of the word Hobby. I do think I understand why the Japanese master walked. Hobby does imply dilettante, or casual. The Japanese master probably felt that one must experience bonsai with a deep level of passion.
When I used the term HOBBY in terms of level of expenditure, I mostly was thinking of it as a marker or level of financial outlay, not as a level of passion. We must not be self destructive in our levels of spending on our bonsai. In order to survive the long term, we must moderate our spending to an affordable level. We do not have to diminish our passion for the art.
There was a time when I was late on a mortgage payment because I bought a large Tokanome pot and a tree in the same month, but I caught up before it was serious.
One must keep to a budget of sorts or you will not be able to stay with bonsai over the long run. My car is a 2010, I do have to start thinking about the next used one I'm going to pick up. Got to set aside a little every month. I always pay cash for my cars, and always buy used. Paying cash means I am not sending money out the door on interest every month. Leaves more money for trees.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,427
- Reaction score
- 23,610
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Yes - Hobby was probably a poor choice of words for this passion of ours, Bonsai.
Point is, don't be self destructive in one's spending on bonsai. There is the "rest of life" and one needs to budget where one spends their money.
Point is, don't be self destructive in one's spending on bonsai. There is the "rest of life" and one needs to budget where one spends their money.
baron
Shohin
I agree, but then again, you can practice a hobby at many different levels..
Also the hobby kinda changes along the way. Or at least it did for me.
As most people and bonsai, I also started out with low budget material and it was about making or creating the trees and keeping them alive.
But after a few years I have discovered that there is a lot more to it (making displays and toko kazari arangements for example.)
Some people like to create starting material from seed, some like to hunt for yamadori, some buy imported trees from Japan.
It's all about the goal you have and the amount of time available to reach it. But you can't do it all.
For example I have decided to raise the bar for myself and experience getting into and going to exhibitions.
Does that mean I can't start a tree from scratch? No, but it will take a very long time to get into to exhibition level.
So I sell a few lower quality trees and splurge on "better" starting material that gets me closer to my goal.
Scorpius
Chumono
As long as all your expenses are paid for in life why not spend it on a hobby. You folks planning on taking those numbers in your bank account with you when you die?
Might be time to kick her to the curb now before saying I’do
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
TrevorLarsen
Chumono
Let me guess you are single too?
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