[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Not only will he have competition from the orient, where growing orchids is a whole lot cheaper than in cool, overcast locations with high labor costs, but he will have to compete with all the orchid lovers that enjoy dabling in retail sales without the need for a lot of return. I imported jungle collected orchids for a few years when it was practical to do so and sold then at local shows (before the internet), and every cent I made went back into orchids. Such people do it for the love of the business, and probably keep prices lower.