[agiopwer]

I've been watching slipper orchid auctions on eBay Australia and some of the prices seem insane. This plant http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/220989554845 seems pricey but I'll have to admit I would have bid a little higher If I hadn't been in transit.

It's the price of some seedlings and plants with no history or information about the genetics that amazes me.

Why are the prices so high? Was it that the Australian $ was so low a few years ago? Is there now a huge interest in Slippers? Will the bubble burst?

I was talking to Howard (Howzat) via Skype last week about the Paph market in Australia and I mentioned that over the last 2 years, a few people I know have imported around 1000 Paph flasks and Howard said a friend of his recently imported 400 flasks. It's my guess that at least 3000 + flasks have come in over the last few years. Does this mean that in 2-3 years, Australians will be paying similar prices to the US?

Mick