# So lets talk Group buys in Michigan....



## Mustang (May 2, 2007)

OK MIchigan and surounding areas what kinda group buys are we looking to do?

I know we talked Brom at the meeting anything else people are looking for?


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Ken, I was just going to post.

Ok, on the bromeliads we have a few options. I have contacted http://www.bromeliadworld.com to get a current price list. We did order from them about a year ago as a group. Not a ton of selection, but at less than $3 a piece for potted bromeliads (many with pups) it was a good deal.

We could also get one of http://www.Tropiflora.com bromeliad packages and then split up the bromeliads. Here is their price:

TO25 25 Assorted Terrarium Bromeliad Offsets $110.00 
TO50 50 Assorted Terrarium Bromeliad Offsets $200.00 
TO100 100 Assorted Terrarium Bromeliad Offsets $300.00 
TO200 200 Assorted Terrarium Bromeliad Offsets $400.00

We could even get some of the ohio/chicago froggers together and get the 200 package.


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## Mustang (May 2, 2007)

Great minds think alike LOL
I still can't find the price list but the place I talked to was http://www.bullisbrom.com
I will see if I can get a new list. It looks like they have more than they did last year


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

i would love to buy bromeliads at 3 dolars a piece, especiall red ones , let me no what i have to do im in windsor and i really dont no what this group buy thing is lol.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Another site that might be worth looking at would be http://www.michaelsbromeliads.com. I'm not certain, but I imagine if we did a bulk order, we might get a discount. The prices actually look pretty fair to me. Not $3 broms, but maybe if we wanted 200 broms, he'd drop the price?

Here's his list of plants:

http://www.michaelsbromeliads.com/Master_Plant_List.pdf

It's kinda ridiculous as to how many options he has.


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## Colby02 (Jul 21, 2007)

Seems like there is enough people doing homework on this. I'm interested in probably 30 or so depending on price.


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## donstr (Jun 21, 2007)

Great idea! I'd be in for 15-20 depending on what the price ends up being.


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

ill take a dozen mayby more depending on price... (anyone have EpiWen in the area ?


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

joshsfrogs said:


> Ken, I was just going to post.
> 
> Ok, on the bromeliads we have a few options. I have contacted http://www.bromeliadworld.com to get a current price list. We did order from them about a year ago as a group. Not a ton of selection, but at less than $3 a piece for potted bromeliads (many with pups) it was a good deal.


Josh
I just talked to Leo at bromeliadworld.com, and the only thing he had at $3 was a fireball. I found some neat hybrids, but his discounts on an order in the $500 range were pretty good on some other neos, some, not so good. A couple were only 25% or less.
Jim


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

ill take 6 firballs at 3 dollars each... is that ok? :?


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

We should figure out where we're going to get stuff before official orders are placed. I'll likely get $50 worth of broms (so probably 10-15 depending on price).


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

agreed!!!


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

Another option would be customecos.com. Alex will sell 28-plant flats of broms (assorted, his choice) at a pretty good discount. His minimum order is less than most who sell wholesale, but, I don't know how much stock he carries.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

I got the wholesale list. Prices have gone up. The size is the size of the pot. Many of the bromeliads are larger than their pots!

4" Bromeliads
Name
Price
Fireball
3.50
Zoe
3.50
Rossi
3.50
Ananas Nanus
4.00

6" Bromeliads
Name
Price
Allure
7.00
Ananas Lucidus
6.00
Angel Face
6.00
Cherry Brandy
7.00
Compacta
5.00
Devroe
7.00
Fireball
7.50
Granada
6.50
Lamberts Pride
7.50
Painted Lady
7.50
Rafael
7.50
Red Planet x Saturn
8.00
Rossi Fireball
7.50
Royal Cordaban
10.00
Sassy
6.00
Super Fireball
7.50
Tangerine
7.00
Tar Heel
8.00
Vivacor
7.50
Zoe Fireball
7.50

8" Bromeliad
Name
Price
Aec. Bromelifolia
10.00
Ananas Ivory Coast
15.00
Blk Chantini
12.00
Bobby Dazzler
20.00
Bossa Nova
12.00
Chantini
12.00
Compacta
8.00
Cruenta
12.00
Devils Clone
15.00
Johanis
15.00
Luca
18.00
Lucidus
10.00
Marmorata
12.00
Mend
15.00
Mr. Odean
15.00
Oeser Hybrid
15.00
Picasso
20.00
Purple Star
15.00
Serrata Hybrid
10.00
Vr. Heiroglyphica
25.00
Johanis x Vulcan
25.00
Ying
$18.00

9" Bromeliad
Name
Price
Marcelino
25.00
Ice Tea
25.00
Portea Alatisepala
25.00
Portea Leptantha
25.00
Vr. Vinicolor
30.00
Vr. Sanguinalenta
35.00
Mexicana Var.
30.00
Malva
25.00

10" Bromeliad
Name
Price
Star of Linda
45.00
And. Skinneri
35.00
And. Orourke
35.00
Var. Blanchetiana
30.00

14" Bromeliad
Name
Price
Orourke
55.00
Skinneri
55.00
Var. Blanchetina
45.00


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## calvinyhob (Dec 18, 2007)

i know its not much but i would be in for 10-15.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

That seems like a good variety to me. I would be nice to know how big the bromeliads max out at. I don't suppose there was a bulk order discount available?


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

I didn't price any bigger than 6" pots, but strangely, the prices he gave me were different - some lower and some higher. i.e. he qouted $3 for 4" fireballs, but $7 for granada - and the price you got for 6" compactas is $2 less than I was quoted, but I was quoted $7.00 for a super fireball, 50 cents less than you were quoted.

Does that make any sense?



joshsfrogs said:


> I got the wholesale list. Prices have gone up. The size is the size of the pot. Many of the bromeliads are larger than their pots!
> 
> 4" Bromeliads
> Name
> ...


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

The prices I got back from tropiflora were different too, ranging from $85 to $350.



joshsfrogs said:


> Ken, I was just going to post.
> 
> Ok, on the bromeliads we have a few options. I have contacted http://www.bromeliadworld.com to get a current price list. We did order from them about a year ago as a group. Not a ton of selection, but at less than $3 a piece for potted bromeliads (many with pups) it was a good deal.
> 
> ...


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

ok i have a few question, 

1.when will the meet be to pick up the bromeliads?

2.Where will the meeting be?

3. and when is the deadline for the order?

4. Also whats the official list of bomeliads that can be ordered?


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

We're still figuring that stuff out. The meeting we'll do this will likely be in May.


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

ok thanks, i hope its more in April late April mayby early May!


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

We do meetings every other month on the third saturday of the month. I won't be able to make the May meeting because I'll be in Costa Rica then, but I'll have someone (like Zach) pick up my broms for me.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

The quotes from tropiflora are right from their website (their cargo report).

The bromeliadworld price list is dated June 2007 (and he sent it to me today). I'll have to check with them on that. I didn't even notice the date until just now.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Since I'm the guy with the big greenhouse, I'm more than happy to take up the slack on any big wholesale order. Any reasonable slack, anyway. So, if you wanted to order 200 to get to the next price break and could only come up with commitments for 150 of them, I could take the other 50. 

If you guys wanted some orchids or other plants, we could develop a list of those for a wholesale order. For example, I was planning on doing another order for small ferns as I'm running out. Problem is that I have to order the ferns in 72 plug trays, minimum of four trays, so interest needs to be high if it isn't something I want to begin with. I can get all sorts of tropical foliage (creeping fig, etc), but again we'd need to commit to some substantial portion of it since I can only use so much for myself. Orchids, well the sky is the limit. I want those anyway.

As a completely self serving aside, late this spring when my bromeliads go outside I will probably have more pups than I know what to do with. I will trade pups and/or orchids for a bit of your labor (repotting, cleaning up in the greenhouse, etc).

Rob

P.S. Josh, or somebody who has more bandwidth than me, contact Kerry's Bromeliads. They are a big time operation that nobody seems to have heard of, but they are supposed to have good plants.


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

joshsfrogs said:


> The quotes from tropiflora are right from their website (their cargo report).


I saw that on their website, but when I asked about a wholesale purchase, was given the prices I posted.



> The bromeliadworld price list is dated June 2007 (and he sent it to me today). I'll have to check with them on that. I didn't even notice the date until just now.


I didn't ask for a complete list, but just gave him a list of 4" and 6" varieties that seemed terrarium compatible. So many of his broms are huge, I didn't bother with them. Maybe that has something to do with the difference?

(edited, as I forgot an open quote command


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

littlefrog said:


> Since I'm the guy with the big greenhouse, I'm more than happy to take up the slack on any big wholesale order. Any reasonable slack, anyway. So, if you wanted to order 200 to get to the next price break and could only come up with commitments for 150 of them, I could take the other 50.(snip)
> Rob


Rob,
Sorry to hijack the thread but, I'm putting in a small greenhouse this spring, and wondered if you had any pro/con advice on manufacturers? I'm starting with a small one - probably 6x12. You can PM me if you want,
Jim


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## donstr (Jun 21, 2007)

littlefrog said:


> As a completely self serving aside, late this spring when my bromeliads go outside I will probably have more pups than I know what to do with. I will trade pups and/or orchids for a bit of your labor (repotting, cleaning up in the greenhouse, etc).


That actually sounds like fun! I'd love to come out and work on that kind of stuff!


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Jim, I can do one better, I can make you a sweet deal on some extra greenhouse bits that I have laying around the yard. Enough to build a pretty big greenhouse... 

I've never built a small one, so I can't be much help there.


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## calvinyhob (Dec 18, 2007)

littlefrog id be interested in the "will work for plants" deal as well also for the XP factor on the whole deal


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## Mustang (May 2, 2007)

I think we can easily meet the 200 of them from tropiflora if we want to go that way
I will go for $50-$75 woth myself


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

The problem with doing the bulk tropiflora order is that we would have to come up with some system for picking bromeliads once we got the order...and we wouldn't want to stick Rob with all the "leftovers" after everyone has picked through them.

If we do the tropiflora thing, I bet we could easily do 400 bromeliads.


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## Mustang (May 2, 2007)

I agree.. If we could give Rob some help we could put them in groups of say 20 or so assorted some nice some of the more common
Give each group a number then eveyone take a number at pickup 
if I got 60 of them then I would just pull 3 numbers and thats what I would get. That way the groups that are left would have a good assortment 
just an idea 

I think something like this is the only way to be fair


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

I contacted Michael at Michaelsbromeliads.com and he said the only discounts they offer are large offsets at $4 each for any quantity. I would guess we could ask them to only select terrarium suitable neoregelias for an order. I like that option simply because we'd get a HUGE variety, but then again, we run into the issues previously mentioned about handing stuff out.


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## Colby02 (Jul 21, 2007)

I'm in favor of the picking a number idea seems the fairest way to go about it.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

That seems fairest, and then people can trade broms if they want. Like, personally, I don't really want red or purple-based broms (okay, maybe one or two, but not any more). I want compact green based broms with some spotting/striping. Should I get a lot of red broms, I can trade them with someone else.


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

littlefrog said:


> Jim, I can do one better, I can make you a sweet deal on some extra greenhouse bits that I have laying around the yard. Enough to build a pretty big greenhouse...
> 
> I've never built a small one, so I can't be much help there.


That sounds cool. And gives me the incentive to get my truck fixed (my son borrowed it and broke the transfer case linkage - now it's stuck in 4WD). Also, I'd be very interested in going in on an orchid order. I've been looking at a couple wholesalers, but worried about buying a flat of each variety.
Jim


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

That sounds like a good way to go. I'll volunteer to help Rob - or whomever - putting together the groups. BTW, do they usually come labelled? I need about 100, but I'd rather not spend a gazillion hours trying to ID the little buggers.



Mustang said:


> I agree.. If we could give Rob some help we could put them in groups of say 20 or so assorted some nice some of the more common
> Give each group a number then eveyone take a number at pickup
> if I got 60 of them then I would just pull 3 numbers and thats what I would get. That way the groups that are left would have a good assortment
> just an idea
> ...


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Reading the Tropiflora site:

Plants are sent in groups of one to several of each variety, with one of each variety labeled. (Additional labels available for a small charge)

So I guess not all the plants would be labeled? Just grouped together? I'd prefer they all be labeled since everyone will likely want to know what they got.


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## gm_kevin (Apr 17, 2007)

I've bought most of my broms from tropiflora, as my parents live down in Sarasota, and tropiflora's in Sarasota. Their selection on site is unbelievable, to say the least. And I'll say for everything I've purchased at their greenhouses, everything's been well labelled, and they've provided caresheets for specific plants. I can't say the same for large orders like you're talking about, as I've never done one through them, but I will say from my experiences with them they're very good at labeling individual plants. I'll be down there again this summer in May, if anybody's looking for anything real specific (not in large quantities) and doesn't want to pay shipping PM me and I can see what I can do.


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## Android1313 (Dec 15, 2006)

I`m in for 10 or so. I really need more of the smaller sizes though.


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## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

MonarchzMan said:


> Reading the Tropiflora site:
> 
> Plants are sent in groups of one to several of each variety, with one of each variety labeled. (Additional labels available for a small charge)
> 
> So I guess not all the plants would be labeled? Just grouped together? I'd prefer they all be labeled since everyone will likely want to know what they got.


As long as one of each variety is labelled, it wouldn't be too hard to label them as we are dividing them into groups.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Anybody who does want the 'greenhouse experience', just PM me and we can work something out. I'd love to be in a situation where everything was done and I had to turn away offers of help, but I can't really see that happening. Always something to do!!

Thanks

Rob


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## Petersi (Jan 31, 2008)

I could use some more broms. I would like some where between 10 to 20 of them depending on size. The green house thing sounds cool too. So count me in for that to. I just need to say that i wouldn't be able to do anything on a Saturday because, I will be in my botany class at OU. So please make it a Sunday if you can. If it can't be avoided I'm still in. I just have to pick them up another day or something.


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## dart_king (Mar 2, 2008)

Hey veyone, i dont mean to rush things here, but just wondering is there an official list and pricing yet? :wink:


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## wimpy (Dec 14, 2006)

Rob, I'm in to help out at your greenhouse. I could use some lessons on potting Orchids anyway. I've had some of mine for 10+ years but I don't seem to pot them very well. Book learning isn't the same as hands on!!!

On the brom orders, I'm in for around 15-25 as long as most are smaller AND most are water holding types. I would really like to pick the varieties I get so if whoever is placing the order makes up a simple order compilation sheet it'd be great. I was just going to pick and choose by descriptions online by myself but I'd rather go in with everyone else. No matter what, I'm in! If everyone comes through with what they say, we should have a pretty big order. 

Also, what about the possibility of other plants (i.e. Tillandsias maybe?) to possibly drop the prices further still? Or, after deciding which company we go with, we possibly place individual orders under the group umbrella for a percentage/or dollar amount off being negotiated. Michaelsbroms and tropiflora for example, have other plants that I'm interested in also.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

I've actually got a whole bunch of tillandsias in the greenhouse right now... They are embarassingly cheap wholesale.

Rob


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## wimpy (Dec 14, 2006)

Anyone decide anything about the group buy yet? I've got a list of broms that I'd like to order but I've been waiting to see if we're still on for the big order. Not being pushy but I've got 7 viv's that are done except for plants and I'm dying to get them in service!!!!.

Also, Rob, when are you available? I'm on temperary layoff due to the strike at American Axle so coming up I'd like to come out to get some things. How much do tillandsias generally run? Also, do you carry any Carnivorous plants?


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## Colby02 (Jul 21, 2007)

last I heard is we are doing the order and will be puting it together at next months meeting.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Heh... I'm on a more permanent layoff due to the sucky michigan economy in general...

So, I'm around whenever. Weekdays for sure, any time between 10 and 4 is good. Tillandsias i usually sell for anywhere between 3 and 10 dollars, depending on the type and how much they cost me.


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## Curt61 (Jan 16, 2007)

If its not to late I would be in for 10-15 broms.

Curt


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