TOPIC: Just saying...

Guys, no matter who you sell to, or how much you want or are quoted on the phone, never...ever...do what a guy did to me last night.

I don't know this guy, and don't know if I ever bought from him before or not.

But this guy walks up with some ginseng in a bread wrapper (NEVER use a bread wrapper guys and gals) and from what I could see, had at least two very nice roots in there. The rest I couldn't tell as all I could see through the wrapper were the small ends. It looked like he might have had maybe a pound or a little less.

Anyway, this guy walks up to me after I get set up, and holds the ginseng up on front of him and says in a rather gruff voice \"I'll tell you right now, I'll not take less than $X00/lb!\"

Well, I don't have a problem paying that much for very nice ginseng and a couple guys last night got within $20 of that mark after their lot was cleaned up a little. But, the average stuff coming in is about $75-$100 lower in value than this guy's demand.

Of course, I informed him that I didn't have a problem paying that for very nice stuff, but I was not even going to open the bag and look for someone who approached me in such manner, and told him he might as well take his ginseng down the road and sell it to someone else.

Now, I'll remember this guy next time. And, as fair as I try to be, do you think he will EVER get the benefit of the doubt from me in the future? This ginseng buying/selling is a two-way street all.

Good luck.

So, when I sell to you, I should try not to piss you off first? Good to know....

Just kidding.....LOL

As long as I have been buying ginseng I still have not found an easy way of
telling a digger they have sub standard ginseng. Most seem to feel dealers are trying to steal their sang or we are not truthful about the grade of sang.
Some get mad and take their sang elsewhere, some will take advice and
develop better digging habits. I find if I am honest and polite and make an effort to educate my diggers we both make more money. They soon understand
quality makes them more money on the Lb. and are happy to dig quality over quantity .

I really don't think there will be a next time
for u to deal with the guy....lol

I have only had a couple of dealers I have sold my sang to for the last 30 years one in east Liverpool ohio and one in Grayson ky.Some on here I would not even thank about selling to.

Whitjr,

Yeah, well. I wasn't pissed off as much as not in the mood. I get enough of that at my other job. I had about 6 hours of sleep, drove an hour to a meeting with the Division of Wildlife and some of the other interested folks, (meeting went from 10a until 230p) then drove two hours to get where this guy was. I just didn't need the attitude. I must say though....the look on his face was priceless. I don't think that was what he expected.

Knob,

I agree. Overall, I think I've seen a vast improvement from my diggers and those of dealers I do business with. There is always that guy that comes in banging his walmart bag of ginseng against his leg through. But, you are right. The better quality we produce, the more money everyone makes.

Triton,

likely not. However, if the guy would have come back in and said \"listen, all I want is a fair grade and a fair price\" he would have gotten it in cash. Some people just don't understand that I'd much rather pay higher prices. Not only do the diggers feel happier, but I do also. On top of that, we both will make more money.

Kyhunter50,

I know what you mean. I have diggers I see every year. If they bring me some good stuff every year, I do my best to give them the extra few dollars (if I can) to make them happy.

Hang in there, Brad.

Welcome to this forum, Knob

Thanks for welcome whit . Really enjoy the forum
Nice to be able to keep up with other dealers and
Hear digger imput. Good luck to all this season.

knob wrote:

As long as I have been buying ginseng I still have not found an easy way of
telling a digger they have sub standard ginseng. Most seem to feel dealers are trying to steal their sang or we are not truthful about the grade of sang.
Some get mad and take their sang elsewhere, some will take advice and
develop better digging habits. I find if I am honest and polite and make an effort to educate my diggers we both make more money. They soon understand
quality makes them more money on the Lb. and are happy to dig quality over quantity .

I'll say that my first 2 seasons selling (1 dealer first year, different dealer the 2nd year). Both times I was given polite criticism and instructions on how to improve my digging/cleaning/handling. They said that they can't pay me the quoted price because of the younger age roots, damaged root hairs, etc. I admit I was disappointed, but I took the criticism in stride and used the lesson as a way to improve my skills. I thanked them and shook their hands when I left. I didn't leave offended, and now in years since I have been told that I have good quality dug ginseng. I really have to commend those first 2 season dealers for educating me, because hitting someone in the wallet is a very quick lesson that isn't easily forgotten.

I am not a confrontational person, so I don't mind being told so if I am doing something wrong. But I know a lot of guys who, if they were in the same position, probably would have spouted off at the mouth and walked out. It takes a big variety to make the world go round I guess.

Well, advice is free, and lessons are expensive most of the time. The last few years, lessons about handling ginseng was very expensive. This year, I've unfortunately had to turn guys away with substandard root. The wild market is moving to quality over quantity, because quantity is available in the cultivated market at less than $50/lb.

I actually had a guy pull into my driveway unannounced earlier this year. When I went out to see who he was and what he wanted, he produced a small plastic Tupperware type container (through his window at that) which had some small but bulby roots in it. There was not a neck or small root left on the peanut size bulbs. I asked how long they had been in that little container. He thought for a moment, and he said this ginseng was dug in 2006.

I proceeded to tell him it was illegal to hold ginseng over without certification, that I did not appreciate unannounced people showing up (its the day and time we live in folks) and old, broken up ginseng had no value to me.

He really seemed like he didn't understand. After all Ginseng = Money ....right?