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Rant: I spent $45 on a 'rare' succulent that turned out to be fake
I bought this beautiful, weird-looking plant from a seller at the local flea market last month. They swore it was a real, living 'Corona Cactus' and I was so excited. After three weeks, I noticed the colors were fading and poked it... it was completely plastic! I'm out the cash and have a fake plant. Has anyone else been tricked by a dishonest plant seller like this?
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laura_ross2mo ago
My cousin in Phoenix got a fake "crystal-encrusted" agave from a roadside stand last year... it was just hot glue and glass beads. This stuff is everywhere now. It feels like the whole idea of buying something real from another person is just gone. You can't trust a handshake deal or a market stall because so many people just see a quick way to make a buck. It makes me not want to buy anything unique or local anymore, which is sad. The real loss isn't the forty-five dollars, it's that feeling of being cheated by someone in your own community.
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mila_craig418d ago
45 dollars for a plastic cactus, that's rough but @laura_ross is spot on about the community part. My neighbor in San Diego got a fake "blue agave" with painted rocks glued to the pot last summer, cost him 60 bucks and he didn't notice until he tried to repot it. The thing about real succulents is most of them will have some kind of tiny imperfections, like a scuff or uneven color, if it looks too perfect and the price is too good it's probably fake. You can also check the base of the plant, real ones usually have little root nubs or dirt crusted on, not a clean plug like a toy.
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