Discuss your tips, tricks and experiences growing and selling vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants and herbs.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Hi to all, my first post in this forum, I think.
I have joined a garden club that does wonderful things all in our home community, with all funds we raise. So this year our club will be selling seedlings in 4 inch pots that are about 8 weeks from seed starting date. I am donating seeds and fertilizer for the 700 plants, our costs for the pro mix BX and the pots needed, and printing supplies will total about $200. About 300 of the pots were donated too. Here's my thoughts, The big box stores here charge $3.50 and up for tomato plants, I will have lots more variety, mine will be organically grown, and hundreds of people show up for the annual plant sale since there are all types of plants to buy. It's a 2 day event. If we sell them for $ 2.50 each, our club will net over $1500.00. So am I selling them for enough? Our proceeds go to community gardens, high school club projects, etc. Your thoughts are most welcome about this. Marsha |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
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Do it both ways. 4 dollars for 1, and 2 dollars a piece for a whole flat.
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Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,542
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In my area, the master gardeners group has a popular plant sale where the plants were $3 (last time I checked), but you could get similar varieties at independent nurseries for $1.50 to $2.50 (on sale) or $2-4 (regular price). So the prices are comparable or a little high, plus you had to wade through the crowds, struggle to find parking, and for me it's a 15-20 mile drive. I think they price them as high as the market will bear. If they were lower, they might run out sooner. If they were higher, fewer people might come. It's a huge all-day event with garden talks and booths of dozens of other garden-related nonprofits, some of which also sell a few plants. They even had a booth with used garden tools, supplies, and books, and another with last year's seeds, cheap. When I used to go, the tomato plants would sell out by noon, and there was a constant stream of people going in and people trudging back to the parking lots, laden with plants.
So the price depends on how big a crowd you can get to come and what kind of event it is. Plant sale only? Talks? Advice on growing and choosing varieties? Demos? Other stuff going on? Activities for kids? Reasons to stick around after they buy the plants? (and if so, a place where they can leave their plants, like a coat-check?) Since it's 2 days, you can drop the price the second day, depending on how sales go on the first day. You probably don't want to price them too low the first day, because you want to have some left over. If you can get some interviews in local papers, you can talk about the special varieties you'll be selling that aren't available anywhere else in the area. |
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#4 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Good post, thank you for your thoughts. |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,919
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And remember to emphasize the "charitable support" angle in all your publicity, interviews, etc. Often times people will gladly pay a bit more for something if they know their money is going to good, worthwhile causes. I know I'd gladly pay an extra $1 for a plant if I knew the money was going to help programs in my community versus going into some corporate executive's pocket.
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#6 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Great suggestion, thank you. Marsha |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Western WI
Posts: 359
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With a good variety and unique plants (not just common ones available at the big box stores) I would go $3 each 10/$25
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#8 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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very good practical advice. At $3 each I won't have nearly as much small change to deal with. I love the idea of the bulk purchase if they want a price break too. I think I am going to tell the main runners of the event to emphasize these hard to get or unusual plants, but I am going to word it better. Scott- this is a variation of what you said, thank you for posting your knowledge too. Thanks to all of you who have given me your great and useful ideas so far. Really helps. ![]() Marsha |
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Timberlake, nc
Posts: 50
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We used to do 4"pots. We made the price drop when 4 were purchased. We realized people needed something to cary them in. There happened to be a Chick-fil-a near by our market, so I asked If we could buy some of their drink trays. We never spoke to corporate, just owners and management. It worked great! Sold them like mad, sold a 4 pack to the mayor, a great day. Drink trays will help you move them, especially if there is a handle and they are sturdy.
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#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Ok to ask what your prices were for original and price break for 4? Marsha |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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I only charge $1.50 and give a four for $5 price break. My farmer's market is in a fairly poor area of the country with low prices for everything. Even though my prices are low, I typically come home with over $200 in sales for each Saturday morning of the planting season. I'm confident that I make more money off tomato plant sales than any other vendor at my market. People love to hear the story behind each variety of heirloom. "Every plant has a story" is what I tell people.
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
Posts: 1,051
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I am involved with a sale for the Detroit Public Schools vocational agriscience program. This sale has existed for different purposes for 20 years but the biggest draw has been the 80+ tomato varieties we sell. We sell in 4 inch deep pots that we start 8 weeks before the sale. Price has been $2.50. We have a faithful following and sold about 2000 plants at that price this year. Once people grow a few of those tasty tomatoes they can't find elsewhere, they come back year after year. I also sell these plants at work, and bring them in for the folks who wouldn't otherwise come to the sale. There I said $3.00 as I thought that was what the plants were going to be sold at. I think I probably sold 400 of them there for that price.
I also sell at a Farmers Market in the area where my cottage is. I do this the raise funds for the gardens at my church. There is sell in 16 ou Styrofoam cups where I can just write the name directly on the cup. I haven't been there consistently enough to build up a clientele. I sold about 150 plants at $3.00 and 2 for $5.00 this year. I think you are in the ballpark. |
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia)
Posts: 1,264
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I've done $3 a piece or 2 for $5, most opted for the 2 for $5.
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North West Wyoming
Posts: 466
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I am just wondering what you all are going to price at this year? This is our 10th year selling and I think we started at $1.50 and were $2.00 for years and then went up to $2.25 2 years ago. Our cashiers would like everything at $3.00. So what is your opinion of selling 4 and 6 packs, 4 inch veggies and 2-3" pots herbs, all at $3.00?
Barb Last edited by barbamWY; February 15, 2014 at 01:58 PM. Reason: name |
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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I will probably go to $2 from $1.50 this year, 3 plants for $5. I am the only one selling 4" pot tomatoes I think. The 6-pack price has been $1.50 for years. People still buy them even when the plants look bad. What you can get for yours may be determined by the other vendors' prices.
Herbs all seem to grow at a different rate. Basil, parsley, and cilantro all grow very quickly. I price them the same as the tomatoes. Last edited by Cole_Robbie; February 15, 2014 at 05:37 PM. |
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