Some sellers do not take photos of their plants so they wouldn't have any to use; I know several who do not take photos due to lack of time, don't have a camera, really can't see good enough to take photos, etc. I have had sellers use photos of mine and crop them or flip them so they look different than mine without asking but I really don't mind; at least they thought my photo was a good one to use. If a seller doesn't have a photo sometimes they will just google the name of the cultivar and get the photo from the internet to use, I have done this and I try to give permission when I know who the photographer is. I usually look on the site that people load photos and people have permission to use any way they want to first. http://www.hybridizer.net/dayl... But then it is just easier to use the hybridizers photo than searching the internet for one and trying to get permission to use the photo.

It is also easier to use the hybridizers photo since they are usually already sized to the right specs to be uploaded to the auctions. If a person has never listed on the auction they may not know just how long it actually takes to list things on them. Even with using others photos and copy/pasting descriptions it takes quite awhile to do listings especially when doing new listings where you have to start from scratch; I have spent several days listing mine before and still didn't have them all listed.

Another thought is that even though most people say they want to see garden photos on the auction from sellers they do not sell as well. I have seen garden photos of a cultivar listed and then there is another one or two listed with the hybridizers photo and the one with the garden photo didn't get bid on or had very little bids and the others went for a lot more ; I have gotten several on there this way at a very good price. The seller was very reputable and had been selling for a while but their garden photo didn't sell their plant. In my own experience I have listed some with garden photos and never got any bids on them but as soon as I switched to the hybridizers photo I sold them all. I think some people just scroll through the photos without looking at the titles and look for the ones they want and they only know what the hybridizers photo looks like and that is what they look for.

Oh..Michele! I meant the buyers take pictures of their plants. Like I did last year when I was showing off your big green ones. LOL.
I understand about the stock photos and marketing tools. I think they do whatever sells more plants, but I think the buyers want to see more garden photos from people who are actual growers of the plant. Like here on ATP. Also pictures of the fans, packing methods and talk about postage and feedback.

Susan, we have gotten daylilies from Mark Henry several times in the past few years and have been pleased each time.

Doris

Michele, you are so right about the pictures. A flower definitely seem to sell quicker with a near perfect photo compare to a below average photo.

I am in agreement that a good picture will sell a daylily. I will also add that a photo shopped picture sends up a big red flag with warning horns blaring, and I will not buy that daylily. I will search for a true garden picture instead. If so new that a garden picture is not available, I will wait to buy.

Doris

I could not agree more with Doris!!!

Would much rather see a real garden picture.

I understand what Michele is saying about garden pictures causing a daylily to not sell as well. True with everything except antiques, I guess!

tink3472 said: I think some people just scroll through the photos without looking at the titles and look for the ones they want and they only know what the hybridizers photo looks like and that is what they look for.

I'm guilty of this, and I think others are as well. Sometimes I can spot a plant faster that way.

There is one seller's picture of GAME FACE that just stops me in my tracks every time I see it, though, and if I already didn't have GAME FACE I would buy it just from that picture. Has anyone else seen Junemark's picture? I just checked, and she doesn't have any auctions at the moment, but that picture of GAME FACE with "Junemark" just popped up on the left side of the screen where it advertises the sellers. That's one case where I think the seller's garden shot really sells the plant!

EDIT: If anyone wants to see that picture of GAME FACE you need to log in to the Lily Auction website, then go to "Search Closed" in the upper right corner and type in Game Face -- and then click on Junemark's March 9 auction. Now wouldn't you say that picture would sell the plant? Wow!

Casshigh said:Susan, we have gotten daylilies from Mark Henry several times in the past few years and have been pleased each time.

Doris

Thank you!!! I am so relieved, I got a little carried away (who me?). I must have similar taste as him because I found so many things that I really liked, and just started bidding and buying.

JWWC said:

I'm guilty of this, and I think others are as well. Sometimes I can spot a plant faster that way.

I am very guilty of scrolling

Pam, nice to see you posting. How are you feeling??

Does anyone know who Johnnyappleseed is on the auction?

He post a lot of auctions .... his marketing method is a mystery to me, sometimes the same plant is posted with two different prices.

That is very confusing, I know I am thinking there is something wrong with ME. I stare for a long time trying to see that thing that I am maybe missing but have never been able to figure it out. I saw a similar error on a different seller and I thought it was a typo so I bought it real fast before they noticed. LOL.

Johnnyappleseed

Did he list plant with different fans, 1 fan at one price, 2 at another?
Also sometimes as the new season gets near he may just want to clear out inventory.

I never dealt with him before this year, but he won a few of my seed auctions recently.
I know that as I was winding down, I marked seeds at closeout prices to clear out the crisper, wife's orders lol

Thanks Ed .... I think I have it figured out .... he'll post something for one price with the option to buy it now at a higher price ....... and then he may also have it posted as a store item at that higher price. At least that is what I see now, not sure that is always the case.

I'm just curious as to what his "real name" is, and if I would recognized him from one of the forums. I assume his first name is John ;)

Kathy his name is John McIntosh. I bought some plants from him in 2012.

Thank You Mike.