Rare and highly sought after a/v's

I saw an ebay listing a few weeks ago for a a/v named something like wico or waco. it went for over $50.00
It was really pretty but was out of my price range. I'm thinking about maybe starting with leaves of some of these high $$ a/v's.

Do you know of any rare or highly sought after a/v's and can anyone recommend any ebay sellers with good plants and reputation? I bought my 'Tipt' from destech and it was a very positive purchase. I would definitely buy from her again. She also has a great rating.

Anyone having pics of any of these rare a/v's ?? I would love to see pics also.

Thanks
Maureen

Hi Maureen,

That was Wiko and it is a Canadian hybridizer by the name of Francine Pilon

Wiko (9333) 04/09/2004 (F. Pilon) Double lavender and purple pansy/darker top petals, white edge. Variegated medium-dark green, cream and pink, quilted, hairy, serrated/red back. Semiminiature

Joanne

I have bought alot of plants from destech, in fact thats where I got my Tipt from. All her plants are very nice. I also bought excellent plants from Bluffords violets and Drewsviolets. Teazviolets are awesome and they have always been beautiful plants.Tea went out of her way to let me purchase a Peek-A-Boo violet from her. I am trying to collect all the rare and vintage violets I can get. I would LOVE to get a hold of a pair of leaves from Seafoam, they are sooOOoo expensive! I have also kept my eye open for either a Bishop plant or leaves reasonably priced. I just try to get violets from the most wanted list and I have been quite successful as now at this time have 18 plants ;0) I also like Ethel Champions violets and have one of her violets, a Superman, and would like to collect more of hers. My latest most wanted violets I got this week are Mammy and Buckeye's Cranberry Sparkle. If theres a violet on ebay thats on the most wanted list you can almost bet im bidding on it LOL. I think I am going to have to get ebay rehab soon!

Hi Maureen,

FYI that was not a Wiko that was sold on ebay....no idea what it was. I informed the hybridizer and her hybrid is a totally different plant. I am sure the seller was told it it was Wiko so it was not her fault but I felt the hybdrizer should know just the same so that buyers would not be deceived.

It is a beautiful plant and to sell a plant that is not as the byridizer registered it, is no credit to the hybridizer at all.

I have a photo of her plant but I must ask her permission before I upload it.

Joanne

Hi Maureen,

Here is a link for a list at the AVSA listing the most wanted plants.

http://www.avsa.org/Library/VintageViolets.pdf

Joanne

Wow that's a bummer. I have long wondered if that sort of thing happens. It would be easy to make a mistake.

Marueen, I think some of the high prices for non-chimera AVs are just fads... something becomes popular, get a few high-bid auctions, and then everyone wants one. Granted, they're often exceptional varieties in some way, but in a year the price may be back down to the usual range. I think that happened recently with 'Blue Dragon' and I know there have been others that were suddenly on everyone's "must have" list, but I'm betting by the time I have 'Blue Dragon' babies from the beautiful plant that Kenton sent to me, they will be available at more normal prices again. So I'm not sure you should count on big profits to propagate them. I think the ones that win at shows are often very popular and can get good bids. The AVSA "most wanted" list isn't a list of best sellers or highest price violets, it's a list of vintage violets that people are looking for, ones that often have been dropped from commercial propagation. However, it seems from my limited browsing on eBay that "vintage" AVs often command higher prices, partly because of their commercial unavailability, and partly because entries with "rare" and "vintage" in their description just have extra appeal for some folks.

Snowrose was telling us this afternoon about a guy who's very successful selling AVs on eBay... apparantly, he has a very lovely noid that he decided to call "Suzie Q," and whether it's the bloom or the name that's super appealing, the bids just went through the roof on it.

I've got some miniatures that I think are especially good growers or extra appealing because of variegated foliage, etc., and I was thinking of trying some plantlets on eBay in the spring, just for fun. I am hoping that I'll get good bids if I've got more mature plants (minis are still easy to ship when they're blooming size) in bloom or bud and am able to post a photo of the exact plant that will be sent... but I think I have to decide that I'd be satisfied to sell it for $5, and if it goes for a higher price, that's just a fun bonus. I don't know, I'm just fooling a little with the idea now.

Hi Critter,

Also another note just because someone says it is rare or vintage doesn't it make it so either. As was the case with the so called Wiko on ebay.

You need to do your homework.

Joanne

"Homework" is always a good idea with eBay items... you need to have an idea of what you think is the fair market value to decide how you'll proceed with your bidding.... The prices I'm willing to pay at auction are both a function of what it's actually worth and what it's worth to *me* (sometimes more and sometimes less than actual value, LOL).

Well I am sure that you all remember earlier this year I couldn't get my hands on Pow Wow, everybody was outbidding me like crazy. Then more recently everybody was going crazy for Blue Dragon and I was trying to get one and even bid more than I thought I should, luckily I lost out because Allison pointed out that the plant and leaves were available for usual costs @ Bluebird! Sometimes we get swept up into the bidding thing, I want it, I want it... then surely we have all seen an AV selling for way more than it should only to find the next week no one bids on it at all.

I believe a lot of it is fads. I personally think we could come up w/ a better name than SuzyQ (although I am partial to that as it's my youngest's nickname) all we have to do is chose a name that people will not be able to refuse- for me something w/ chocolate in it is a good start, or pick something so sexy that people will have to bid.

Ah, the success of Ebay revealed.

Fads just add interest to our lives and keep us collectors on our toes. Helplessly pointless and silly, but fun. Unless you're the winning bid of $200 for some well-marketed but old and common stand-by, of course.

Orkidlady, thank you for the info on Wico. If your friend lets you use the pic, I would love to see it. Thanks for the listing of the most wanted. I can't believe there are so many!!

Violetgrower - thanks for the info on the ebay sellers you like. I've taken a look at the most wanted on the avsa list -- there are hundreds, maybe over a thousand on that list. Holy mackeral, I didn't think there would be so many listed. It was your picture of Tipt that made me want one:-)


Critterologist, your reasoning makes perfect sense to me. I was thinking if I could grow some really "wanted" leaves into plants I could sell them on ebay and maybe make some money to pay off my debt from buying too many plants. I can see it's not going to happen based on what sells and what doesn't and there isn't always a rhyme or reason to what or why people bid high on. I think you should definitely try your variegated minis and see how you do. I think great pics also help sell a plant. Presentation has a lot to do with the sale, IMO. Thanks for your comments, I appreciate them.

Aprilwillis - I'm going to have to look up Pow Wow and Blue Dragon. I think Susie Q is going for so much, because almost every Susan has been nick named Susie Q when she was young. Maybe on top of that it's gorgeous? I have to go look for that one on ebay too. Critterologist sent me 2 noids that are GORGEOUS!! and I know I would have bought them from ebay.

Jamesco - 200.00 for an a/v? Has it really gone that high on ebay? Wow, way out of my price range.

Have a good night all,
Maureen

200 was only a made-up number, someone else (more informed and less forgetful than I ) can tell you real numbers higher than that.

If I decide to sell some plantlets next year, I think I'll set a reasonable goal such as making enough to pay for a new light stand.... Hmmm, that means selling 40 plants at an average price of $5.... that could happen! :-)

Don't forget everyone there is now a "classifieds" section here on the DG forum and it might be more cost effective than e-bay.....

just a thought

~Julie =0)

I'm considering that also, Julie. It might be less hassle than eBay, plus folks "know" me here. But it's tempting to put a few up for auction, just to see what happens! Isn't there an AV auction site, also?