Friday, April 17, 2009

A Cheap Old Man


I have several small cacti in temporary pots that now need transplanting to slightly larger pots and I didn't have right-sized pots around. Most cactus plants like to be in tight quarters, and it’s important to use the right containers. So, I decided to stop by a local thrift shop and see if they had any interesting cactus pots. There were some small pots, but nothing suitable for my needs. As I was about to leave, I spotted what looked like a cactus in another section of the store. I checked, and sure enough, someone had donated a good-sized Old Man of the Andes (Oreocereus celsianus) with a sign that said, ‘Careful, Live Cactus'. It had some minor sun damage in a couple of spots, but otherwise appeared to be thriving. When I inquired about it, the clerk said they were going to throw it out because it was so ugly they didn't think anyone would be interested. I told them I would take it off their hands if they wanted to sell it. They were thrilled to make a sale and said they'd let it go for a buck. Since it was half price day, my cost would be 50 cents! Needless to say I snatched up the cactus, paid with two quarters and got out of the store! The pot and saucer alone would have cost me at least $6.00 anywhere else, and a cactus of that size, at least $25.00.

The moral of this story is that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and a bargain is anything a customer thinks a store is losing money on.

13 comments:

Blossom said...

I think the cactus looks more beautiful in real life than in a picture. It has its own unique attraction.

Claude said...

SCORE!

My favorite Escobaria vivipara was bought for 50 cents at an estate sale... The people thought I was quite insane for wanting it...

You had asked about the Cemetary cactus, and I gave a rather long winded answer in my comments, just wanted to let you know...

Lythrum said...

Congrats on the find. It's always good to find a real deal. :)

Rosemary said...

What a great deal!I like the Old Man , he looks interesting.

verobirdie said...

Luch you for the bargain.
And the story should continue with"and the cactus suddenly changed into a handsome and wise man, who made all your dreams come true" :-)

NotSoAngryRedHead said...

Holy cow! That is a great find!

Teri said...

Aiyana, we need your help identifying a cacti bloom. It is at http://waterblossoms.blogspot.com/2009/04/buried-treasure.html

No one knows what it is. Could you help out?

Aiyana said...

Teri,
I left waterblossoms a comment. I think it's an Echinopsis 'Flying Saucer'. See http://tinyurl.com/c2n5wj for comparison.
Aiyana

WiseAcre said...

There's another one of those titles. When I saw it I thought the post was going to be about me. The photo is close but no one would pay anything to take me home.

Enjoy your bargain, I'm sure it's not nearly as Prickly and Wrinkly as I am.

Lisa Rivas said...

Wow this Cactus is amazing... it's inspiring to do an art pice from. Thanks for posting ... Have a great week and HCM!

Aiyana said...

WiseAcre,
You are just too funny! Laughs are hard to come by nowadays, and your comments always crack me up! Thanks!
Aiyana

kesslerdee said...

I love that story! i have two "little" old men and I can't wait for them to get big like yours!

Barbara said...

It's a very special cactus indeed. But ugly? No! It always is a matter of looking at something. Your story also reminds me of the fairy tale of the princess who kissed the ugly frog ;-) !!