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Post by littleminnie on Dec 11, 2010 22:24:34 GMT -5
My mouth waters when I think about all the varieties available to SSE members. But the cost of $40 per year is outrageous! It just isn't worth that much, is it? I get sick of certain businesses thinking you should support them with donations. Like when you go to an orchestra concert you get donation requests for years! Why can't they just make money from concerts and recordings like other struggling musicians? jeesh. And then when you think about being a CSA farmer and not being able to find customers who think helping support you is worthwhile- it makes you jealous of these things like SSE and chamber orchestras. I think saving seed heritage is very important but I don't get this thing where people think it is religious. Like the OG mag people with their 'Sacred Seeds Challenge'. It isn't a religious thing! That is my other gripe. I hope this makes sense.  |
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Post by PapaVic on Dec 11, 2010 22:50:03 GMT -5
I'm not an SSE member this year and won't be one next year. I have been an SSE member on various years in the past. All I can say is the three publications and the annual Yearbook probably cost far in excess of 40 dollars per member to edit, publish, print and distribute.
pv
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Post by michaeljohnson on Dec 12, 2010 1:35:44 GMT -5
I agree with littleminne, the cost to belong to SSE and become a member is far too high generally , it would be far better if they put annual membership at around $5.00 to $10.00 and sold the annual yearbook separately for all those that wanted it for around 25 to 30 dollars each, as the yearbooks mainly contain the same info from about five years back and never change much annually other than uprating the info of new varieties entered for that year, which might amount to a couple of hundred varieties that are new.
It seems to me that a far better idea- would be to publish an additional thin publication to add to the yearbook you already own with about 20 to 30 pages to it or less, giving all the additional new varieties for either 2010 or 2011 that have come in to be entered and listed-costing only about five dollars for those that want them, it would also cut down massively on all their postage costs of all those very heavy year books each year.
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Post by paquebot on Dec 12, 2010 2:19:35 GMT -5
A supplemental addition to a previous Yearbook would not work unless it also included information on which members may no longer be listing and those who may no longer have supplies of certain seeds. Those no longer listing something would be receiving requests that they'd have to return or never honor. I had to delete several this year because of dwindling stock on hand. There was talk several years ago of having it only on line but there are still those who do not have Internet.
I'll continue to be a member and continue listing my tomato varieties. So it costs me X number of dollars a year to be a member? Costs me more than that per month to be able sit here and type this reply. I do get more enjoyment out of my seed offer on another forum but also have appreciated the nice letters I receive from previous buyers. It's a way that I can share my garden enjoyment with many others and I don't think that I could put a price on that. List some decent seeds at a decent price. I offer mine at $2 each or 6 for $10 irregardless of member status. That was left out of the 2010 Yearbook but will be back in for 2011. In 2009, I did get one order for 18 varieties, $30. Covered my membership right there.
Martin
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Post by steev on Dec 12, 2010 19:45:43 GMT -5
I agree about the enjoyment of the catalog from SSE, much more hours than an equal cost of theatre visits, and a more valuable, lasting result.
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Post by michaeljohnson on Dec 13, 2010 1:38:23 GMT -5
Martin- I had not realised the finer details involved, until you pointed it out, and you are probably right about it. It is not so much of a financial burden every year to renew one's membership to SSE, provided-(as martin pointed out)-one is selling several lots of seeds on a regular basis, which helps to pay for the costs involved, but it is only a bit of a financial burden for any new members who have never joined before to start with until they get going a bit and manage to sell a few packets of seeds,-provided of course that they are interesting enough varieties to draw other members attention to them, and are competitively priced. At this stage I can say that from experience- Martin has some of the best priced seeds in the catalogue, and I can assure you that germination and quality are very high, and on top of that he has some extremely interesting varieties in his collection, some of which are very hard to find normally- one cant ask for much better than that anywhere, and he is also very good and reliable on variety exchange deals.  I only wish all SSE members were like that-but alas-No. |
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Post by flowerpower on Dec 13, 2010 5:55:07 GMT -5
There are alot of listed members who belong to forums like this. The ones I know have been very generous with their seeds to everyone. |
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Post by garnetmoth on Dec 13, 2010 7:08:54 GMT -5
Its a free country. :-)
If SSE only made a big swap list, id agree, but they maintain Heritage Farm also. I am going to try to go to their summer meet and talk this year (possibly!) just to see what its like.
Martin is a great resource, and in your zone Minnie!
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Post by paquebot on Dec 18, 2010 0:20:12 GMT -5
When I first went on Garden Web, all I heard from a few people were how great SSE was and that everyone should join. My very first question on GW was to ask why. I had already been enjoying everything that was in the public catalog and then some via their Madison store. I knew Aaron Whaley for several years before realizing that he was Kent Whealey's son. (Note different last names.) My favorite time of the year was always December when all seeds would be half price. I'd go through the racks taking one of just about everything I thought I might need. Still have the last receipt from 12/7/04 for 43 packets of seed @ $1.25 for a total of $53.75. The assistant manager was looking forward to having the racks cleared and ready for the 2005 season. Went back in January and store was closed.
Anyway, I didn't join SSE to "sell" seeds to anyone. In fact, some know how I wrankled a few people with a totally free offer on GW. I was told that it had to be a trade. It was, their address for my seeds! Some people sent postage but overall never made a dime, just a lot of thanks. (One guy on this thread remembers it and probably took advantage of it.) However, when I happened to mention 12 new varieties to be in my 2006-07 offer, that was my final posting as I was no longer a GW member 2 days later. Just happened to be plenty of time for me to list them in the Yearbook and that's what I did. That coincided with almost unlimited amount of ground to grow as many varieties as I wish. Starting over 100 varieties this year was done just because I could do it. And if I want to start 100 again next year, just may do it again!
Martin
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Post by DarJones on Dec 18, 2010 0:29:09 GMT -5
Lol Martin, Lots of ups and downs in that post. I remember....
DarJones
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Post by paquebot on Dec 18, 2010 15:02:31 GMT -5
Might also add that most of you only know me for my tomatoes which are all that I offer through SSE. I've just finished a 3-day project of getting my bean varieties sorted out and ready for an offer on another forum. Personal rule is to save only a pint of each variety with the rest for cooking. Approximately 60-100 of each are saved for my own seed stock. This year there were about 58 varieties of which 53 produced at least a pint for sharing. All now in labeled containers, any bad bean removed, and about 6 gallons of leftovers. Wife made chili yesterday and used 4 cups consisting of over 50 varieties and not hard bean in the lot!
Martin
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Post by flowerpower on Dec 19, 2010 6:48:34 GMT -5
A 50 bean chili? Sounds absolutely delicious. |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Dec 21, 2010 16:03:08 GMT -5
Might also add that most of you only know me for my tomatoes which are all that I offer through SSE. I've just finished a 3-day project of getting my bean varieties sorted out and ready for an offer on another forum. Personal rule is to save only a pint of each variety with the rest for cooking. Approximately 60-100 of each are saved for my own seed stock. This year there were about 58 varieties of which 53 produced at least a pint for sharing. All now in labeled containers, any bad bean removed, and about 6 gallons of leftovers. Wife made chili yesterday and used 4 cups consisting of over 50 varieties and not hard bean in the lot! Martin Oh wow. I sure hope I can achieve that soon. I want to try experimenting with various beans to see how they taste prepared as falafel. Black Valentine and some sort of lima would be really interesting I think. |
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