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Idea to increase available cuttings for distribution and raise money for the F4F Foundation

Some of you have fig trees that produce a lot of extra cuttings, but you don't distribute them on the board because of the hassles. 

If you'd like your cuttings to be distributed but you don't want to get a barrage of orders via pm/email and have to individually package and ship them all out, I could help, and we could help the Figs4Fun Foundation in the process. 

Here's what I'm proposing: 

- sell me your bulk cuttings for $1 each;

- I'll sell them through my FigCuttings.com site for $4 each;

- then I'll donate 10% of those sales to the Figs4Fun Foundation.

I see this as a win-win-win-win: the fig community wins by gaining additional access to some affordable cuttings, Jon and the Foundation win by getting extra donations, and the suppliers and I win by getting a little extra money and knowing we helped out our fellow collectors. 

Regarding the markup of buying at $1 and selling at $4, please keep in mind that I have to pay the shipping to get the cuttings from the supplier, plus lose 5-10% to PayPal and donate another 10% to the F4FF.  A $4 cutting, for example, minus ~$1.25 paid to the supplier (factoring in the shipping cost), 40 cents to PayPal, and another 40 cents to the F4FF, leaves maybe $1.95 per cutting for me, and that's before accounting for all of my extra little expenses like baggies, paper towels, packaging tape, and gas.  So overall I won't make much of a profit, especially when you consider all the time and effort it will take.

If you'd like to supply cuttings, send me a pm and let me know which varieties you could supply, approximately how many cuttings of each, and when they'd be available.  We could have a pretty nice selection and raise a decent amount of extra money for the Foundation if a bunch of folks get involved :)  Thanks!
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I think shipping is going to kill you ...if not....I Will be mailing you cuttings. How many can one person send of one variety?

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Pure Genius! Very Interesting idea. 
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Interesting idea.
Will you ship to California though?
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James,

I think this commendable what you are doing with your own cuttings offered at reasonable pricing, but you know those plants and have fruited for you right?  Would you be comfortable representing authenticity of cuttings from someone else?  I think most of us have received cuttings not true to cultivar. I know I have and you might be surprised from some of the reputable folks here they came from and that’s not to mention the small minority  that would take advantage and knowingly mislabel just to make the money.  Even if you passed on the name of the source of the cutting  you would still be accountable as they passed through your hands and the chance of a mix up there is possible.  If you are willing to trust others made the correct judgment even evaluating their plant is true to name even after fruiting you are a braver man than me as there are so many incorrect and the source may not even suspect that 3 generations prior a mistake was made. Not everyone has that high of standard of correct labeling. They get a couple opinions on a unknown and label it as such and feel confident it’s true to the degree I have seen it listed within 24 hours on Ebay as the cultivar. Just think there is a lot to think about if you are considering this, but I commend you on trying to make cultivars available to folks at a reasonable price and hopes it works out I might participate on both ends. I have only sold one fig ever and that was recent in an benefit auction and the money did not even come to myself, I have sent out a good number of cuttings, but I have just never really crossed that line to charge yet. I know how frustrating it can be to grow a collection as I have been into figs for several years, but have a relative small number of cultivars I feel.  
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Hi Grenfin,
Do one node cuttings qualify as cuttings :P ?
Do your best and do as you wish ! The first idea is good ! Pitfalls are numerous !
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James, sounds like a good Idea to me. : )

Frank from Bama  

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Originally Posted by jdsfrance
Hi Grenfin,
Do one node cuttings qualify as cuttings :P ?
Do your best and do as you wish ! The first idea is good ! Pitfalls are numerous !


Somehow I was wondering that same thing. :)
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Originally Posted by figpig_66
How many can one person send of one variety?

Maybe a good way to do it would be to take orders on the site first, then have the bulk cuttings shipped to me and dispersed.  That way we'd know exactly how many we needed and I wouldn't have to guess and maybe get stuck with a lot of extras. 

To do it this way, suppliers would need to give me a conservative low estimate of how many cuttings they'd have available so that I'd know how many to offer and take orders for.  And if something goes wrong and a supplier can't supply their cuttings, I'd send out immediate refunds to people who had ordered them.

Would that work ok?
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Originally Posted by strudeldog

James,

I think this commendable what you are doing with your own cuttings offered at reasonable pricing, but you know those plants and have fruited for you right?  Would you be comfortable representing authenticity of cuttings from someone else?  I think most of us have received cuttings not true to cultivar. I know I have and you might be surprised from some of the reputable folks here they came from and that’s not to mention the small minority  that would take advantage and knowingly mislabel just to make the money.  Even if you passed on the name of the source of the cutting  you would still be accountable as they passed through your hands and the chance of a mix up there is possible.  If you are willing to trust others made the correct judgment even evaluating their plant is true to name even after fruiting you are a braver man than me as there are so many incorrect and the source may not even suspect that 3 generations prior a mistake was made. Not everyone has that high of standard of correct labeling. They get a couple opinions on a unknown and label it as such and feel confident it’s true to the degree I have seen it listed within 24 hours on Ebay as the cultivar. Just think there is a lot to think about if you are considering this, but I commend you on trying to make cultivars available to folks at a reasonable price and hopes it works out I might participate on both ends. I have only sold one fig ever and that was recent in an benefit auction and the money did not even come to myself, I have sent out a good number of cuttings, but I have just never really crossed that line to charge yet. I know how frustrating it can be to grow a collection as I have been into figs for several years, but have a relative small number of cultivars I feel.  


Those are good thoughts, thanks for bringing them up.

Maybe a good idea would be to have the suppliers post pics of the fruit and leaves of their trees, and thereby offload some responsibility onto the individual buyers.  And maybe rather than presenting these cuttings as "guaranteed accurate," a better way would be to say, "These trees are reasonably thought to be accurately identified, and here are some pics of the trees and leaves and fruit so that you can see and decide for yourself whether you think their cuttings are worth taking a chance on." 

It would still be possible for an unscrupulous supplier to lie, use fake pics, and send inaccurate cuttings.  I'm open on ways to minimize that risk.  One way might be to only use suppliers who are established board members, but that still wouldn't eliminate all risk, and it might cause us to miss out on good cuttings because some noobs would be good suppliers.  Any suggestions?
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Originally Posted by greenfig
Interesting idea. Will you ship to California though?

Good point, I wouldn't be able to ship to California. 
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Originally Posted by alanmercieca
I might take part some if Jon is ok with it, yet I usually only charge people shipping, and this year there is very little that can be prunned due to the damage my two oldest fig trees has been taking during the winter the last two years. Right now I am thinking about how Jon had difficulty selling all his own cuttings last year, this would be competition to what he sells.

Thanks for the reply.  I see how it could be construed somewhat as competition, but my thinking is that a 'competitor' that pays you 10% of sales is a pretty wonderful type of competitor/ally to have.  For example, as a business owner myself, I would be thrilled if other fish farmers decided to pay me 10% of their sales :)
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Originally Posted by strudeldog

James,

I think this commendable what you are doing with your own cuttings offered at reasonable pricing, but you know those plants and have fruited for you right?  Would you be comfortable representing authenticity of cuttings from someone else?  I think most of us have received cuttings not true to cultivar. I know I have and you might be surprised from some of the reputable folks here they came from and that’s not to mention the small minority  that would take advantage and knowingly mislabel just to make the money.  Even if you passed on the name of the source of the cutting  you would still be accountable as they passed through your hands and the chance of a mix up there is possible.  If you are willing to trust others made the correct judgment even evaluating their plant is true to name even after fruiting you are a braver man than me as there are so many incorrect and the source may not even suspect that 3 generations prior a mistake was made. Not everyone has that high of standard of correct labeling. They get a couple opinions on a unknown and label it as such and feel confident it’s true to the degree I have seen it listed within 24 hours on Ebay as the cultivar. Just think there is a lot to think about if you are considering this, but I commend you on trying to make cultivars available to folks at a reasonable price and hopes it works out I might participate on both ends. I have only sold one fig ever and that was recent in an benefit auction and the money did not even come to myself, I have sent out a good number of cuttings, but I have just never really crossed that line to charge yet. I know how frustrating it can be to grow a collection as I have been into figs for several years, but have a relative small number of cultivars I feel. 



You know, you brought up very good points, but ain't it the same when you buy on eBay, from a dealer that sells a lot of Fig Cuttings and Trees? We can't just think about the "what if's" ? The thing to look at, are the cheap prices, I really don't believe someone would raise a fit over these cheap cuttings.. Just my opinion  : )
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Originally Posted by Frankallen


You know, you brought up very good points, but ain't it the same when you buy on eBay, from a dealer that sells a lot of Fig Cuttings and Trees? We can't just think about the "what if's" ? The thing to look at, are the cheap prices, I really don't believe someone would raise a fit over these cheap cuttings.. Just my opinion  : )


Yes Ebay has many  faults, I purchase very few figs on Ebay and have not purchased any for some time. There are good sellers most of them folks we know from the forums. I would prefer what James is suggesting to Ebay I believe, and particularly if the source of cuttings was identified and they could provide some pics and maybe their source of the cuttings, and possibly we could contact with questions possibly, but I can see where many folks might not want themselves Ided.  I just wanted James and others to consider the potential headaches when mislabeled cuttings are sent out, not so much from dishonesty, but just from mis-identication and folks too determined to label a fig that should retain Unknown in the name to some degree, even if they suggest what it MIGHT be.

Personally I prefer to manage individual trades which we are always free to do, but knowing I planted out over 160 figs (many duplicates)  in ground this year most that were in larger pots inside in prior winters. The last 2 winters my max low was right at 0F prior to that we had a string of winters that did not reach single digits. I am really hoping I can keep my above ground alive, but If I realize  I will be getting near 0F come January I would prefer to go hacking away and make some available to folks, as opposed to letting the wood die, but I am not the type that wants to deal with that on a large scale dealing with lots of individuals but something like James suggested might work for me. I don't want to be the negative presence and the "what if" voice but I think much needs considered.
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Great Idea. Pics, source, low price to discourage fraud, and the knowledge of this forum could make this a great opportunity. I am new to figs and have cuttings on order from James. Thank you everyone for the information
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Hey James...Have you thought anymore about the idea you came up with? You know you could try it for awhile and if you saw it was going to be a headache just discontinue. I thought it was a great idea along as Jon doesn't care ....Just wanted you to know know several of us thought it was a brilliant idea! Just my 2 cents!


Frank from Bama
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Hi Frank, yes I've been thinking on it some more.  I'm still going to do it, I've just been thinking through some of the pitfalls and how to avoid them.

One of the issues is how to choose suppliers.  I think it's important to use suppliers who are established in the fig community so as to minimize the risk of an unknown and unscrupulous supplier sending a bunch of Brown Turkey cuttings while using fake pics to claim they're something else.  We want suppliers we know and trust. 

Another issue is how and when to ship orders given that different suppliers in different zones will be sending me their cuttings at different times.  Another question: do I lump all the suppliers' cuttings together (e.g. put everyone's Vista cuttings into one container), or do I keep them separate?  The latter makes more sense imo, since it would allow people to know which supplier their cuttings came from. 

So perhaps I should create a separate listings page for each supplier, and limit buyers to only being able to order from 1 supplier at a time.  That way buyers would know where their cuttings are from, and none of the orders would get hung up waiting for additional suppliers to ship me their cuttings.    

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Wait I'm new to this why can't cuttings be mailed to California? Just curious.
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This is a great idea James!!!  
I am sure you will work out all the details and provide some nice options to new fig growers!
 
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Originally Posted by Smungung
Wait I'm new to this why can't cuttings be mailed to California? Just curious.

California has extremely valuable crop industries, and the state puts a lot of money and effort into aggressively protecting those industries from possible pest/disease introduction.  It's not that figs are necessarily all that dangerous, the concern is that other pests could ride in on them, so the state has very strict shipping regulations that curtail shipping there.
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Originally Posted by pino
This is a great idea James!!!  
I am sure you will work out all the details and provide some nice options to new fig growers!
 

Thanks Pino :)
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  • ross
  • · Edited

I'm all for this as well. After all, isn't that what this forum is for?--Sharing the thing we all love, figs.

Edit: Please ask for permission before using that, ^ haha.
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The first test is now underway --  I've just added a listing for fignutty's Strawberry Verte cuttings :)

He'll also have small quantities of several other varieties later this winter:  St. Rita, RdB, Battaglia Green, Beall, Sultane, Igo, Malta Black, Kadota, LSU Brandy, and Sicilian Black.  I'll make listings for them down the road a bit.

Thanks again for making your cuttings available to the board, fignutty!
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I just submitted the first donation of $12 for the F4F Foundation.  It's not much, but it's a good start, especially since it only involved 1 variety (fignutty's Strawberry Verte).  If we would have had 100 varieties available, we might have raised $1,200 in that span :)
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