As Rick said, "you can't please everybody", and unfortunately you have to embrace that and move on. As I know from my (far-distant) years of running my nursery, producing a print catalog is essentially a completely separate process from producing an online one. Jane summarized this well, so no need to repeat; but to produce a print publication for the few when the many are happy with online makes no sense. You have to let the few go. Before I had a nursery, I was a professor of economics, and the fact is that though we assume rational behavior, in running a nursery I saw anything but. Shipping costs should always be built into the plant price to some extent: if you charge $8 per plant and $8 to ship it, customers will be outraged; if you charge $12 for the plant and $4 to ship (same total cost), they'll say "her shipping costs are so reasonable!" Thus Rick's example of charging NARGS and nonNARGS members differently: it makes perfect sense (one group has already underwritten the costs, the other hasn't), and when confronted the indignant people will recognize that, but they'll never "feel" like it's fair. Likewise, some people may acknowledge the theoretical superiority of online production, but they'll stay aggrieved that their needs have not been met. There's no tidy way around that. Short version: my vote is to go all on-line. Ellen On Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM Rick Rodich via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > I am sure you've seen how some other groups offer both electronic and > printed copies. Some have different membership dues for those who want > hard copies versus electronic, although it usually doesn't cover the total > extra cost. If you crunch the numbers and clearly post the costs, the > ultimately fewer people are usually happy to pay extra. Myself, I am > perfectly happy with an online only publishing, but if I may relay a story: > I run the plant sales for our Minnesota Chapter Rock Garden Society, and > usually donate about a third of the plants. One year I gave a discount to > those who were also members of the National Society (NARGS). The result > was that non-NARGS members complained that they were being penalized. My > point is that people are just fickle. You will never please everyone, but > if you introduce a change, do it slowly with well-in-advance notice. Rick > Rodich > > ---------- Original Message ---------- > From: Jane McGary via pbs <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > Cc: Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net> > Subject: [pbs] The Bulb Garden > Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2025 11:47:32 -0800 > > Members will have noticed that the Society's print newsletter, /The Bulb > Garden /(B/G), /has been in hiatus for the past year. Difficulty in > obtaining contributions, and the editor's other commitments, are the > causes. In addition, the newsletter had become PBS's greatest expense as > printing and postal costs rose continually. The PBS officers and board > of directors have discussed the possibility of putting the BG entirely > online. At present, back issues are archived on the PBS website. > Preparing copy suitable for online posting would be easier than > formatting a print edition, and opening up the schedule to continuous > additions, rather than deadlines, might encourage more authors to > produce copy. > > We'd like to know what other members think about this. One or two on the > board felt that we would lose members if they no longer received a > printed newsletter. Others think that the exchanges are the main > incentive to paid membership, and that the BG is not a central benefit. > The PBS has been structured from its origin as an online organization, > working through the website and its famous wiki, this email list, and > now the forum. Would moving our "occasional papers" entirely online be > acceptable? > > Please let us know by posting replies here. You can also write to the > officers privately through the contact addresses on the website. > > Thank you! > > Jane McGary, Membership Coordinator, Portland, Oregon, USA > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > https://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > PBS Forum latest: > https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > https://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > PBS Forum latest: > https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php/… > -- Ellen Hornig 212 Grafton St Shrewsbury MA 01545 _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net https://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…