Where to sell extras?

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Put an advertisement on craigs list. Some papers offer free add for garage/yard sales...

[surf4grrl]

Please be careful when selling extras, check what your states regulation for selling seedlings - you might need a nursery license - I have heard of folks getting busted!

[surf4grrl]

Tam91,

Hate to be a debbie-downer but..

IL AG it states you do need a license - it's not alot of dough and they will inspect you. I know it's a pain, but the fines are alot more than fee. Here's the link -

http://www.agr.state.il.us/Forms/index.html

[stormymater]

argggh! Wonder how our local garden clubs can solicit for backyard gardeners to bring their plants for their annual sales? We have several groups in the area who have solicited me who have no form of licensure to participate in their plant sales (they get 20% of what you sell & I was told to just raise my plant prices). I also wonder if hobbyists are excluded & whether it is a state by state issue...

[tam91]

Well if I actually need a license and an inspection, it will not be happening.
I suppose the other thing is, would anyone notice a few plants.

I see various garden sales like that here in IL too. I do wonder if you might have to have a certain volume.

[tam91]

Originally Posted by surf4grrl

Tam91,

Hate to be a debbie-downer but..

IL AG it states you do need a license - it's not alot of dough and they will inspect you. I know it's a pain, but the fines are alot more than fee. Here's the link -

http://www.agr.state.il.us/Forms/index.html

When I look through that page, I can't find any category that seems to fit selling vegetable plants. What part are you looking at?

[Mischka]

I'll chime in here and say that, in my opinion, it is highly unlikely you're going to be fined for selling a few tomato seedlings out of your garage.

Many states have more AG statutes on the books than brains and rarely enforce them. Unless you're doing it as a commercial venture, I wouldn't worry about getting inspected and permits.

[tam91]

Thank you. I wouldn't have thought so, but you never know.

While extra money is always nice, I mostly couldn't stand to throw the little guys away.

[JackE]

Can you imagine - arresting a nice lady with a few tomato plants! The guy would be the laughing stock of the town! Surely we haven't become THAT regimented (yet?)

You could wear a big coat and hide them inside -"psssst, hey buddy, wanna buy a tomato plant?"

Jack

[tam91]

Aaak arrested???!!! Now you'll really scare me, I was thinking of being fined!

Guess I'd better pack my suitcase and toothbrush before I try selling those plants.

[surf4grrl]

Let me be the voice of reason.

You only need to sell to one customer to have them make a complaint against you. It's happened before and the fines are prohibitive to ever trying that again.

In every state, if you are selling seedlings and collecting money - they pretty much consider you should be collecting state tax etc.

Suffice it to say, from some of the answers on here - that is not happening.

You only need to get busted once, and it will happen eventually, if you sell enough plants long enough.

I think Mischka sells seedlings, maybe he never had a complaint yet but if you have read other boards for market growers (I'm thinking of gardenweb) it's strongly cautioned against selling without a license. There must be about a dozen links there discussing this very issue.

As someone who has a license and has seen others without a license get fined - I would strongly advise against it. Just get the license - it's not a big deal.

I only sell for 2 weekends, but still have the license because the fines would kill me.

That's my 2 cents. Best of luck to you whatever you decide to do.

Tam91, the info is in the links, but I'd recommend you call the direct line and ask for more precise info and see what they say.

[tam91]

Usually Mischka seems pretty reasonable to me.

I don't see where in that link one applies for a license to sell plants. I did ask you if you could point out where you read that a license was required.

People have garage sales, and sell things, and do not collect and pay sales tax. Not ever single thing someone sells is subject to sales tax btw.

[surf4grrl]

don't see where in that link one applies for a license to sell plants. I did ask you if you could point out where you read that a license was required.

I'm not up in IL AG but if you scroll down and look at the "nursery" links they open. They download to your computer.

Here's the first link that came up when I googled your state.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2307665_sell...e-nursery.html

By all means sell them from your driveway, put up signs etc.

This has been a very long thread offering you all kinds of advice, I offered you advice based upon my own experience about the legalities about what you're doing.

& it's easy to think of all the money you can make, and equally easy to forget about the fines you can get - this is regulated regardless if you sell out of your driveway, in a farmers market or retail. I don't like it either but if you want to sell, it's the game you play.

[surf4grrl]

For example, here's the link the NY farmers market (which includes selling to individuals) (you may have to copy and paste)

www.nyfarmersmarket.com/pdf_files/fmruleregs.pdf

here's the one for permits

www.nyfarmersmarket.com/pdf_files/vendorpermitreqmts.pdf

As I mentioned, I'm in NY and know what the regs are here - you have to check within your own state to see what the story is.

Check around the web before you jump in - I wouldn't take anyone's advice unless I heard it from the local ag -

[tam91]

The link you gave is for setting up a business - an actual home nursery. With a business tax id, etc.

In reading around Gardenweb, including people in IL, and some who called the authorities, selling some plants from a garage a day or two is essentially a garage sale, not a business.

Also, one does not owe tax until there is a profit of some sort of amount, commonly $600-1000 - far in excess of what I would make, I probably wouldn't even break even.

I did check, and no permit is required in my county for garage/yard sales.