A Colorful Market Table - Page 8

Cole_Robbie · April 26, 2016

I had my first ever $100 customer at the greenhouse today. He left with 330 plants, so he got a good deal. He took the inventory I needed to get rid of. I met the guy at the market and invited him out to the greenhouse. He told me today, about the market last Saturday, that I had the best-looking plants there, which was a nice compliment. But he also said, "and you priced everything like you wanted to sell it."

My plants were $2, or 3 for $5. My gallon pots were $5, or 3 for $12. The volume deals were very attractive to customers. Hardly anyone bought just one plant.

My grandpa was always like that at market. The point of taking anything up there was to sell it, not to have to pack it back up and take it home. He set the price at what would make it sell.

BigVanVader · April 27, 2016

Cole first off I'm glad to hear your selling a lot, congrats and you are an inspiration. I myself struggle with what to charge. On one hand I want to keep price comparable to other vendors and I want to get what I feel they are worth, but to your point any money is better than not selling. I am considering dropping my remaining plants to 1$ each but then I'm afraid nobody will want to pay the 3$ per I normally charge. It is certainly a fine line. Positives and negatives both directions.

bower · April 27, 2016

In the past I always found the volume deals were best sellers, no matter what the starting price. People really like to get more than one plant and be rewarded for it.

BVV, if the plants are worth $3 to you but too hard to move, offer 2 for $5 or 4 for $10 if you want to up the volume of sales.
If you really felt you had to drop the price more to compete, go $2 each and 3 for $5. or even 4 for $5. if you're willing to move lots of them at little more than a dollar.
I bet you would sell more and quicker at 4 for $5, than just pricing $1 each. even though $1 each is cheaper.

PureHarvest · April 27, 2016

Big Van, what does your budget show you can sell for and still make a profit?
I know that not selling a plant = no money at all, but perhaps you have an idea of your cost of production and can use that to guide your pricing.
I am of the school that you should not sell for a loss no matter how stubborn or stupid that sounds.
You don't want to water down your brand. I imagine plant sales are a small part of your overall sales, so maybe tossing some plants that you don't sell for the price you need won't kill you.
Then next year adjust your inventory accordingly, reduce your input costs, or change your marketing.
Just some thoughts.

Cole_Robbie · May 1, 2016

My dwarf sunflowers have started to bloom: http://i.imgur.com/HXe2VO8.jpg

They colored my market table yesterday, but not for very long, because I sold all that I brought very quickly.

BigVanVader · May 1, 2016

Nice! I have a bunch of dwarf sunflowers growing too. Are yours the Elf from Burpee?

Starlight · May 1, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Cole first off I'm glad to hear your selling a lot, congrats and you are an inspiration. I myself struggle with what to charge. On one hand I want to keep price comparable to other vendors and I want to get what I feel they are worth, but to your point any money is better than not selling. I am considering dropping my remaining plants to 1$ each but then I'm afraid nobody will want to pay the 3$ per I normally charge. It is certainly a fine line. Positives and negatives both directions.

Last year, I followed Cole's advice of selling for $3 each or two for $5 and it really made a difference in sales. Almost everybody went for the two for pricing and it helped to get rid of those last plants. The few that were left came home to be planted.

It is hard to decide what to do because you spent all that time, energy and supplies growing the plants and it is very tempting to want to try and even get a buck back. The problem is that folks don't seem to forget and then they drive you crazy the following year saying they got plants for a buck from you before and feel they always should for any plant you have.

Cole's idea helps you make money and the customers think they getting a deal which makes them want to seek you out the following year.

Cole.... Congrats on your big sale. Sales like that make your day for sure!

Your sunflowers are beautiful too. Which cultivar are they? They look pollen free. Are they?

Cole_Robbie · May 1, 2016

Thank you, and that's great to hear, Starlight. I got that tip from my grandparents, who just retired from the market, but have 35 years of experience.

I just went to the farm store and bought one packet of each dwarf they had. I didn't even keep track of the varieties. I kept thinking they would never grow well enough to sell. One thing I learned - you know how tomatoes grow roots from buried stem? Sunflowers do not do that. So when transplanting them, place the root ball you have on top of the media, and don't bury any stem. It's the opposite of tomato transplanting.

Starlight · May 2, 2016

Your welcome and thanks for sharing the tip. : ) Well, now I know why all my sunflowers croaked. I did, I had them giant Mexican ones and when I transplanted I planted deep to try and give them some strength. Now I know what I been doing wrong. Appreciate the advice. : )

**coronabarb** · May 2, 2016

Love sunflowers. Never thought to sell them in pots. I was thinking cut flowers. How much do you ask for them in the pots? And the idea of selling 2/$5 is a good one.

ginger2778 · May 2, 2016

Cole did the sunflowers also sell for $3? I am thinking in S. FL yuppyville, those would sell very well along with the tomato plants next October.
For our annual community garden sale, we sell plants $3 each, or 10 fir $25. Our sale goes over a weekend, and we generally make about $1200. We sell mostly lots of 10.

For all who sell: My point is you might want to consider going up on the amount you sell before giviing a price break.

BigVanVader · May 2, 2016

Star I went back to the 2 for 5$, 5 for 10$ or 25$ for a flat. Sold almost everything this past Saturday. I also sell 6 packs for 5 dollars and for Sunflowers I plan to charge 5$ because they are in one gallon pots and the mix/pots cost more. Plus sunflowers sell themselves.

Cole_Robbie · May 2, 2016

I priced my sunflowers the same as my gallon tomatoes: $5, or 3 for $12.

Starlight · May 3, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Star I went back to the 2 for 5$, 5 for 10$ or 25$ for a flat. Sold almost everything this past Saturday. I also sell 6 packs for 5 dollars and for Sunflowers I plan to charge 5$ because they are in one gallon pots and the mix/pots cost more. Plus sunflowers sell themselves.

That's great.

Customers feel good about their purchases and you feel good getting that little extra in your pocket.

I'm going to have to consider sunflowers. Thought and thought and don't remember anybody over the years selling sunflowers. Wonder why? One thing that does sell well round here is Zinnia combo pots and Sweet William's. Four to five plants in a one gallon pot. They just buy a pack of them mixed color, cut and come again ones usually and put in one gallon and get 5 to 8 bucks a pot for them.

Uncle Doss · May 3, 2016

Cole, I was going to ask if that was a one gallon pot with the sunflower in it.
How long ago did you plant the seeds to get them to that size right now?

I must admit, honestly, I have never seen a dwarf sunflower before.

I have sold a little over $200 worth of plants this week (since Saturday). All of mine are in 4 inch pots. I have some cucumber plants and some peppers that I started a little late, so are small. those are $2 each. everything else I have priced at $3 each or four for $10

May 2, 2016	#115
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Love sunflowers. Never thought to sell them in pots. I was thinking cut flowers. How much do you ask for them in the pots? And the idea of selling 2/$5 is a good one. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

May 3, 2016	#120
Uncle Doss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: zone 5b/6a Posts: 134	Cole, I was going to ask if that was a one gallon pot with the sunflower in it. How long ago did you plant the seeds to get them to that size right now? I must admit, honestly, I have never seen a dwarf sunflower before. I have sold a little over $200 worth of plants this week (since Saturday). All of mine are in 4 inch pots. I have some cucumber plants and some peppers that I started a little late, so are small. those are $2 each. everything else I have priced at $3 each or four for $10 __________________ Anything in life worth doing is worth over-doing. Moderation is for cowards.

April 26, 2016	#106
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I had my first ever $100 customer at the greenhouse today. He left with 330 plants, so he got a good deal. He took the inventory I needed to get rid of. I met the guy at the market and invited him out to the greenhouse. He told me today, about the market last Saturday, that I had the best-looking plants there, which was a nice compliment. But he also said, "and you priced everything like you wanted to sell it." My plants were $2, or 3 for $5. My gallon pots were $5, or 3 for $12. The volume deals were very attractive to customers. Hardly anyone bought just one plant. My grandpa was always like that at market. The point of taking anything up there was to sell it, not to have to pack it back up and take it home. He set the price at what would make it sell.

April 27, 2016	#107
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Cole first off I'm glad to hear your selling a lot, congrats and you are an inspiration. I myself struggle with what to charge. On one hand I want to keep price comparable to other vendors and I want to get what I feel they are worth, but to your point any money is better than not selling. I am considering dropping my remaining plants to 1$ each but then I'm afraid nobody will want to pay the 3$ per I normally charge. It is certainly a fine line. Positives and negatives both directions.

April 27, 2016	#108
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	In the past I always found the volume deals were best sellers, no matter what the starting price. People really like to get more than one plant and be rewarded for it. BVV, if the plants are worth $3 to you but too hard to move, offer 2 for $5 or 4 for $10 if you want to up the volume of sales. If you really felt you had to drop the price more to compete, go $2 each and 3 for $5. or even 4 for $5. if you're willing to move lots of them at little more than a dollar. I bet you would sell more and quicker at 4 for $5, than just pricing $1 each. even though $1 each is cheaper.

April 27, 2016	#109
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	Big Van, what does your budget show you can sell for and still make a profit? I know that not selling a plant = no money at all, but perhaps you have an idea of your cost of production and can use that to guide your pricing. I am of the school that you should not sell for a loss no matter how stubborn or stupid that sounds. You don't want to water down your brand. I imagine plant sales are a small part of your overall sales, so maybe tossing some plants that you don't sell for the price you need won't kill you. Then next year adjust your inventory accordingly, reduce your input costs, or change your marketing. Just some thoughts.

May 1, 2016	#110
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	My dwarf sunflowers have started to bloom: http://i.imgur.com/HXe2VO8.jpg They colored my market table yesterday, but not for very long, because I sold all that I brought very quickly.

May 1, 2016	#111
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Nice! I have a bunch of dwarf sunflowers growing too. Are yours the Elf from Burpee?

May 1, 2016	#113
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Thank you, and that's great to hear, Starlight. I got that tip from my grandparents, who just retired from the market, but have 35 years of experience. I just went to the farm store and bought one packet of each dwarf they had. I didn't even keep track of the varieties. I kept thinking they would never grow well enough to sell. One thing I learned - you know how tomatoes grow roots from buried stem? Sunflowers do not do that. So when transplanting them, place the root ball you have on top of the media, and don't bury any stem. It's the opposite of tomato transplanting.

May 2, 2016	#114
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Your welcome and thanks for sharing the tip. : ) Well, now I know why all my sunflowers croaked. I did, I had them giant Mexican ones and when I transplanted I planted deep to try and give them some strength. Now I know what I been doing wrong. Appreciate the advice. : )

May 2, 2016	#116
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Cole did the sunflowers also sell for $3? I am thinking in S. FL yuppyville, those would sell very well along with the tomato plants next October. For our annual community garden sale, we sell plants $3 each, or 10 fir $25. Our sale goes over a weekend, and we generally make about $1200. We sell mostly lots of 10. For all who sell: My point is you might want to consider going up on the amount you sell before giviing a price break.

May 2, 2016	#117
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Star I went back to the 2 for 5$, 5 for 10$ or 25$ for a flat. Sold almost everything this past Saturday. I also sell 6 packs for 5 dollars and for Sunflowers I plan to charge 5$ because they are in one gallon pots and the mix/pots cost more. Plus sunflowers sell themselves.

May 2, 2016	#118
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I priced my sunflowers the same as my gallon tomatoes: $5, or 3 for $12.