Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,229
- Reaction score
- 10,062
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I've tried a few other varieties but had to order them online. I wasn't that impressed with them, frankly, but I have tried blue potatoes and fingerlings. I can get Red Pontiac and Kennebec at a local Mom 'n Pop for 69 cents a pound, no shipping. So let's say I want 5 pounds of each, which is about what I get. That's $6.90 plus tax, say about $7.50 total.
If I order from the Maine Potato Lady, 5 pounds of Kennebec and 5 pounds of Red Pontiac costs a total of $19.25 before shipping. That's with the Kennebec organic and the Red Pontiac not organic because that's the cheapest option. I did not bother to see what shipping would cost. I suspect it's not as cheap as I am. I glanced through the other varieties offered. Most don't offer a non-organic option in these quantities so typical prices might be considered higher. Organic per pound price is substantially higher than non-organic when non-organic is offered.
If I order from Burpee I can't order by the pound. I can order by packs of 10 mini-tubers. Ten mini-tubers of each Kennebec and Red Pontiac total $39.90. If you order 20 mini-tubers of each you get a volume discount, that's only $21.90 each for a total of $63.80. Burpee sometimes offers free shipping. Whether I get the two I grow, fingerlings, or other exotics, the price per 10 mini-tubers is the same.
The way I see it I can get two proven varieties for about $7.50, pick out the tubers I want from the bin, and chat with Carla, Janet, and Jimmy at the local Mom 'n Pop. Or I can pay those kinds of prices for something that may or may not do well here. I don't see it as not being exotic, I see it as being cheap.
If I order from the Maine Potato Lady, 5 pounds of Kennebec and 5 pounds of Red Pontiac costs a total of $19.25 before shipping. That's with the Kennebec organic and the Red Pontiac not organic because that's the cheapest option. I did not bother to see what shipping would cost. I suspect it's not as cheap as I am. I glanced through the other varieties offered. Most don't offer a non-organic option in these quantities so typical prices might be considered higher. Organic per pound price is substantially higher than non-organic when non-organic is offered.
If I order from Burpee I can't order by the pound. I can order by packs of 10 mini-tubers. Ten mini-tubers of each Kennebec and Red Pontiac total $39.90. If you order 20 mini-tubers of each you get a volume discount, that's only $21.90 each for a total of $63.80. Burpee sometimes offers free shipping. Whether I get the two I grow, fingerlings, or other exotics, the price per 10 mini-tubers is the same.
The way I see it I can get two proven varieties for about $7.50, pick out the tubers I want from the bin, and chat with Carla, Janet, and Jimmy at the local Mom 'n Pop. Or I can pay those kinds of prices for something that may or may not do well here. I don't see it as not being exotic, I see it as being cheap.