is this seller legit?

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Aloha916
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:20 am

Re: is this seller legit?

Post by Aloha916 »

I think so too, plus this seems like a case of keyword spamming.
Last edited by Aloha916 on Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Aloinopsis
Posts: 600
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:49 pm

Re: is this seller legit?

Post by Aloinopsis »

I remember from the 1970s until a few years ago there used to be a woman that planted Astrophytum and Lophophora in her yard in southern Louisiana. When she died and they were being sold people insisted they were wild-harvested (poached) plants because they looked so "hard." But some of the Astrophytum cultivars do not occur in the wild which is the only way I figured it was legitimate. I was afraid to buy poached plants so I erred on the side of caution. I believe this was either just before or just after Katrina, they are associated in my mind but I can't remember if it happened before or after.

So it is unlikely that "wild-looking" plants come from somebody's outdoor-grown collection but it's not unheard of. I believe these plants have probably been taken illegally from an area being developed for public housing in SLP. It happens very frequently where builders and landscapers are told to do whatever they want with the plants in order to make room for groundbreaking in preparation for building low-income housing.
Pereskiopsisdotcom
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:09 pm
Location: Ottawa - Canada
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Re: is this seller legit?

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Aloha916 wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 6:18 am
Shane wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 5:22 am
Steve-0 wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 4:43 am Now this one is really intriguing . All the species pictured in the listings are different from each other....but they are all named the same...either Ariocarpus, Aztekium or Astrophytum. Sure looks like Lophophora w. to my rookie eyes. Lot's of bids, too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-Ariocarp ... 4193934806
I think selling Lophophora is forbidden on Ebay and this seller got "creative"
Agreed. Also, this seems like a case of keyword spamming. This is a really obnoxious and longstanding ebay trick that sellers use... find a somewhat-related keyword that is in demand, and add it to your post even if it has nothing to do with the item. Got a cactus to sell? Add ARIOCARPUS AZTEKIUM OBREGONIA and you'll probably get more views, sadly, even if you're just selling an Echinopsis or something. It's a violation of terms and you're not supposed to do it but it's rampant, just like people selling stolen stuff, or people selling counterfeit knockoffs.

Ebay has me pretty leery. I've bought a couple plants thus far, and only from a seller who is pretty active in the Tucson cactus community. It feels a little risky to venture beyond tried and tested nurseries who I know are pros and who are growing their own plants.

That said I do know there are some reputable sellers on Ebay for sure, and I can totally understand why people go out on a limb to try to find something rare. I've been to two dozen or more well-known AZ and CA nurseries in person in the last year or two and not one has had Aztekium plants to sell. I can see why people go to ebay for rarer plants like that even if it can get sketchy.
You're right! I see that all the time and "rare" added to just about every listing.

I believe selling Lophopora is in violation of Paypal's terms and that is why the sellers are using other names. I suppose everyone is claiming ignorance, though it is such a non-issue for eBay in the grand scheme of things that I imagine it gets completely missed every day.
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
DaveW
Posts: 7456
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: is this seller legit?

Post by DaveW »

Try online or local nurserymen first always. I know of one nurseryman who always sells the same plants cheaper on his online nursery site than he dose on EBAY. Simply because people will always pay over the odds on EBAY, particularly as has been said if you put "rare" on it. In the digital age of searching the Web EBAY is usually the haunt of many people who are either newcomers, or know little about the hobby, therefore do not know where to search for plants. Even worse the "one uppers" who must have a plant because it is supposedly rare and will pay ridiculous prices for one they think they will have but few others do.

A plant is only worth so much, therefore don't pay more for it than that. Wait until a cheaper one comes along or raise some from seed yourself and sell the surplus on EBAY and make the fortune yourself!

As usual try Cactus Mall Dealers and Seedsmen or recommendations on this Forum to try and find what you want first. Or ask yourself did you not know previously you must have it since you only just found out it's rare? That's not the best way to start a collection because you will appreciate the less common or harder to grow plants more later when you do know what you are doing and loose far less expensive material.

http://www.cactus-mall.com/
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