TOPIC: Selling fresh vs. dry?

I’ve had a lot of diggers ask me whether its better to sell their roots fresh or dry. This year the answer is definitely fresh. So far this year I’ve paid an avg of $350/lb which would come to $1260/lb dry at a 1:3.6 ratio. That’s just the average. I bought 3 lbs of roots off a member of this site at $450/lb. His roots were definitely in the top-grade range with some standouts, but there are a lot of diggers in VT & NY that dig this type of root. $450/lb at 1:3.6 is $1620/lb!

The only down side to selling fresh, is you have to store them fresh, until you sell. I’ve posted instructions on how to properly store your roots here: http://www.wildgrown.com/index.php/Ginseng-Forum/Buying-Selling-Wild-Ginseng/30770-How-to-keep-your-roots-fresh-for-months.html#30770

Happy hunting!

John

so you're saying the price come mid-late October for dried is going to be lower then $1260, what's your reason for believing that if that's the case ?


VTseng wrote:

I’ve had a lot of diggers ask me whether its better to sell their roots fresh or dry. This year the answer is definitely fresh. So far this year I’ve paid an avg of $350/lb which would come to $1260/lb dry at a 1:3.6 ratio. That’s just the average. I bought 3 lbs of roots off a member of this site at $450/lb. His roots were definitely in the top-grade range with some standouts, but there are a lot of diggers in VT & NY that dig this type of root. $450/lb at 1:3.6 is $1620/lb!

The only down side to selling fresh, is you have to store them fresh, until you sell. I’ve posted instructions on how to properly store your roots here: http://www.wildgrown.com/index.php/Ginseng-Forum/Buying-Selling-Wild-Ginseng/30770-How-to-keep-your-roots-fresh-for-months.html#30770

Happy hunting!

John

Hi WestPA,

Honestly, at this point the average price that I’ll pay is closer to $400/lb, than $350/lb. The first couple diggers I saw this year, I paid $300/lb, because I had no idea how the fresh market would open. So, even if the price of dry did reach $1260/lb, which I don’t believe it will, its still better to sell fresh.

It’s important to say, this is just the result of how my season has gone so far. Last year it was difficult for me to find buyers for fresh. However, I’m sure a lot of dealers will tell you, last year was off the charts for them. So, just because I’m saying it’s better for diggers in my region to sell fresh this year, doesn’t mean it will be the same for everyone, everywhere.

Thanks.

John

p.s. Sorry WestPA, I didn’t really answer your question. I don’t think dry prices will hit an avg. of $1260/lb, because it would have to increase $300/lb, in a month (my avg dry price is about $960/lb) to do so. That’s a very large increase in not much time. I’m not saying it’s impossible, just unlikely.

I see what VTseng is saying. Fresh seng is what some of the buyers want and is more valuable
than drying it and reflects differently in the price.

Each buyer has a special purpose for the roots they wish to purchase.
When Ginseng was first discovered in North America there was no refrigeration and it took months most times over a year for the dried roots to get to the Orient. Over time a system was developed to sort and grade the roots into various sizes, textures, colors and shapes to better appeal to customers.
Modern technology has allowed us to be able to store and ship fresh material with less risk of spoilage.
There is a growing niche market for \"Fresh root\" to be consumed \"Fresh\" and not dried.
Still this produce must be consumed in a short period of time or it may spoil and at best be salvaged for another more traditional dry market which is currently saturated due to a bumper crop at historically high prices left over from 2013.
Most of this traditional dried root market uses bulk commercial handling and shipping practices with a higher rate of loss in damage therefore yielding lower more competitive everyday consumer pricing and marketing strategies.
Another growing niche market segment is for mature complete \"almost perfect\" roots
that they are professionally handled from start to finish and that said
being dug without any damage to the root or rhizome from rich dark loam not from poor clay soil have naturally stressed showing the stress lines(wrinkle) developed over a long time and having several bud scars proving the minimum age to be 10,20 or even 30 or more growing seasons then cured and dried properly without any \"sugar ring\" in the meat of the root without any further breakage of the feeder rootlets, neck. These specimens are mainly purchased for gift giving or put on display and bring a premium price due to the tedious labor and delicate and patient handling it takes to get them to the consumer. Any damage throughout this process is risky and time consuming.
Hope this helps you to make an informed decision about marketing your roots in the future.

Footnote: and by the way when any of us decide to buy or to sale we are making a free choice and we need to own the consequences of our own choices and not blame others for our choices. There are no free educations. Learn and go forward.

Peace,

herbuyer, you are saying the dry market is saturated? The Asians have more than they need?

The saturated dry market is a lie. just a ploy to get one to sell fresh.
3.6-1 wet-dry ratio is a lie also.
each year the ratio creeps up,,,,3-1,3 1/4-1, 3.5-1, and for the first time here im seeing 3.6-1 i for one am all for selling at 3-1 which is what is standard in DNR weight scales.

herbuyer, please explain to all these new \"outlaws\" about a sugar ring, no sense in letting them dig all that sang then putting it in the window of a junk car to dry thus creating a sugar ring.

Whether a person sales fresh or dry it is again they're choice not mine.

I handle both and mostly dry as the dry market is much larger overall.

Pardon me for using the word \"saturated\" so loosely and let's just assume for a while that a very large sector of the overseas market has plenty of inventory and chooses to wait it out a while and see how the harvest unfolds before risking more capital investment.

Now I will attempt to share my own personal experience of over 40 years handling tons of root and yes I said tons.
Fact: It has always taken me over 3:1 to dry fresh dug roots down to below 10% moisture content.
Fact: Our dry down average for 2013 was 3:45 % and it changes from season to season.
Fact: the earlier in the growing season the higher the moisture content.
Fact: water and or dirt weigh also and are often attached to the bark of the root at first point of sale.
I use a bucket to wash off mud and a salad spinner to dry of soaking wet root brought to me in baggies daily in season.
I record the original fresh weights and reweigh the roots when they are completely dry and ready for packing.
Fact: It can take up to and over 4:1 in some cases to dry down properly.
Fact: We always have some drift moisture loss on our early season dry purchases from 0.5-1%
Fact: The US Fish & Wildlife Service Office Of Scientific Authority in charge of ginseng exports will not verify
much less guarantee that dry down is only 3:1 . I'm wondering which government authority(s) have or would.

Regarding the definition of a \"sugar ring\" it sounds as if K_duce is familiar with the term so I will now yield the forum floor to one of our \" Expert Boarders\" for his explanation.

Looking forward to additional comment on these issues with the kindest regards,

I'm referring to one segment of the market and I believe it is short term.
Simply put there is plenty of inventory around today and much more than there was 365 days ago.

I can tell everyone here why there is a surplus, of anything, its simple economics.
The root (or anything else) is being held from the consumer at a higher price than the majority is willing to pay. If I have control of a market, do I hold out say half of my stock and sell for \"x\" amount for its scarcity or do I release it all to my market and sell for a 1/3-1/2 of \"x\" amount. I would do the same, I can't blame them. They can't blame me for not buying that b.s. either! Its not flooded, its held back if anything and being price set. And, that's only if there actually is an excess. There might not be one single wild root left to buy in China at the moment but do you think they want the digger or local dealer to know that? We just here what's coming down the pipe(you included herbuyer)
Know one is to blame. We are all in it to win it, its just who can play the game best that wins. If I had control of all the dug root in the U.S. then I would hold out and maybe pretend it was scarce, all went down early, too dry, no one is digging anymore,yada yada yada. When that price rolled up to where I was happy because somebody was about to fly home empty handed, then I would dump it.

I might also be the guy saying \"OK,OK,OK come on back, I'll take it\"