Big nepenthes bicalcarata for sale

[swords]

I hate to do it but I must sell my large Nepenthes bicalcarata. It's exactly 3 feet from leaf tip to leaf tip (not counting tendrils and pitchers) but the latest leaf is 20-22" in length so it will be nearly 4 feet across with the next leaf. It will continue to grow for another 1- 2 feet in diameter before it begins to climb so you will need to have a year round tropical greenhouse to keep this one happy.
It has been growing directly under 400W of MH with 80-100% humidity and near daily watering.

There are pitchers (or developing buds) on every leaf the biggest pitcher is about the size of a grapefruit.

I will be putting this guy up on Ebay Thursday May 1st. Shipping will probably be quite high as this is a big plant with leaves that are very stiff and can not be bent so I will need to construct a box about 40" x 40" to ship it in.

Unforunately I can never get my pics from this terrarium to turn out, apparently my camera doesn't like metal halide light:

Plant in full size tub/shower stall

Pitcher:

Dripping Fang:

 

[GEORGE-CP]

i just PM ya

 

[schloaty]

Swords,
What a shame! Well, you'll make another cp enthusiast very happy. That plant sure is a beauty!

 

[swords]

People keep saying not to put it on Ebay but since there is more than one person interested I don't know of a better way.

Also because I don't have an idea what to ask for the price! Neps I've ever seen for sale were always 3 - 6" diameter plants. I don't want to seem greedy but I do know it could likely be worth a pretty penny too for a collector who wants a huge plant right now.

 

[monkeyman]

I think you should charge whatever you think it's worth. Think of all the time and effort you put into growing the N. bical this big. I'm sure some eccentric millionaire with a huge greenhouse wouldn't mind paying $100-$200 for a plant he could use to impress his other millionaire friends.

Mike

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

A plant that size would ring a pretty price...PM me for more info if you want Josh. I ahve a plant of the same size and I can tell you what it was...

PS- looks like the plant has enough room...sure you couldn't put it in it's own shower stall?

 

[GEORGE-CP]

Josh, by the looks of it i wouldn't get read of the plant keep it where it is. there is still enough room for it to grow. if phil would allow it hold an auction on here to sell it. if ya still deside to get reed of it.

 

[mindmaze128]

I think an auction on PFT.com would be pretty cool too. I believe that Phil was thinking about adding more comunity type things like a CP classified ads section and an auction place, but they got burried under other stuff. But who knows what might happen...

Jœl

 

[Phil traper2]

Can you just hang it inthe shower place? That is a great plant I sure would like toadd something like that to my collection.

 

[trinity-nights]

I didn't know this species could be so beautiful

. When (time/hour) and where do you plan to have the auction?

 

[GEORGE-CP]

trinity-nights,
the auction is only a suggestion i made. not Josh. anyway it would be up to Josh what he wants to do with the plant and still if an auction was to be held it has to be approved by Rampup or Phil.

 

[swords]

oh, he he, there's no room in there... I should have mentioned that I took 90% of the plants out of the tank to take that "overall" photo so people can see what they're buying. Normally also on the bench (but not in the photo) are: 2 unknown orchid pseudobulbs which have sprouted, a large phal, three large caladium hybrids and one tiny species (C. humboldtii), several bulbophyllums mounted on logs, an alocasia longiloba lowii, an unknown maxima hybrid which refuses to pitcher for well over 2 years now no matter the environment I keep it in, a N. truncata, and an Encyclia orchid.

No, another showerstall is not an option! I was nearly killed for hauling one home!

Another thing I don't know is how exactly I can ship it... the box will be at least a 36" cube but weighing only about 10 lbs. I don't know who can deliver such a package nor how much it would cost to ship it?? Is anyone familiar with mailing big lightweight boxes?

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Your going to have an awful time trying to ship it in a box that size. When your talking about a large lightweight package, weight no longer becomes the determining factor for shipping cost. I ran some numbers through UPS, USPS, fedex rate calculators using a box 24 x 24 x 24 at 10lbs travelling from NY to IN. Couple things... USPS would only use parcel post so that is most likely out. Both UPS and FedEx came in around $66-70 for 3 day delivery

 

[The Griffin]

Hmmm. I shipped a box of gifts to my niece a couple of weeks ago that was 36" x 18" x 12" and it was $7.40 priority(I thought it would be much more because of the weight). I don't know if that is comparable to 24" cubed.
I am not surprised that size is starting to come into play, as that would seem to make a difference on how many packages would fit on a plane. Obviously only so much weight can go on a plane, too.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Jeremiah Harris]

I got a box last summer full of Nepenthes. It weight about 7 lb and was 4.5' x 2.5' x 2.5'. It was shipped USPS. Shipping was about $15.00.

Jeremiah

BTW the box that I got was actually two boxes taped together.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Yep it's basically about size because of airplane volume. The difference is nearly twice the volume between 24x24x24 and your package. When packages hit a certain size they also get charged extra for being 'oversized'. For UPS its 84" -108" = oversized 1, 108" - 130" = oversized 2, length+girth.

A 24x24x24 box = 120"
A 36x18x12 box = 96"

With USPS maximum size is 108" anything between that and 130" must go by parcel post

There are also other alternatives. You can ship packages via greyhound bus or airfreight. The savings might offset the hassle though of getting the package to the bus terminal or airport and arranging for the person to pick it up on their end as well.

Best bet would be to keep it under the 108" maximum and ship priority mail. For example the 24x24x24 package would cost $54 parcel post but if you went with a 18x18x36 package (108" exactly) it would cost $16.20 if it weighed 10lbs.

 

[schloaty]

Could you tie it up like they do x-mas trees and just put it in a tall box? It won't like it too much, but if you're careful not to damage it while wrapping it/tieing it, shipping damage might actuall be reduced....

 

[larry]

I think an auction would be a good solution. You can set the starting price really low, and let people bid. Demand for the plant will drive the price up to something reasonable. And if you want to be safe, you can set the Reserve price.

 

[The Griffin]

This Plant will not fit in a poster tube, but I got my Cantley's Red amp(years ago) in a poster tube and it was 24" in diameter and over 12" high. Shocking a plant that size could fit in a tube.
Just a new line of thinking.

Regards,

Joe

 

[pthiel]

Tony,

You get packages in from Rob in the styrofoam coolers I am assuming. Do you think the larger coolers would work with the plant shipped bare root and compressed as best as possible?

cheers