In the world of plants, prices for certain varieties can skyrocket out of nowhere and suddenly be traded at jaw-dropping amounts, only for them to drop back down to standard prices within just a few years. This kind of price swing isn’t unusual. Most plant varieties can ultimately be propagated endlessly. So when a plant fetches a high price, everyone scrambles to multiply them, and eventually, supply exceeds demand and prices fall. It’s less market principle, more a law of nature. This cycle has been repeating over and over since ancient times, so please keep this in mind before jumping in—I say this often!

Even so, I still hear things like, “Are you serious?!” “No way!” or “I can't believe this happened—I'm quitting plant collecting!” Basically, people leaping before they look and facing consequences afterward. For example, someone who shelled out tens of thousands of yen for a prized plant, only to see the same variety going for a fraction of that price on auction sites.

So, here’s how to handle those moments—or, more accurately, how I like to think about them. To give you the conclusion first, it’s called “buying more.”

What Does “Buying More” Mean?

In stock trading, “buying more” means purchasing additional shares of a stock you already own.

There are two main reasons to do this in stocks: one, because you expect the stock will continue to grow and you want to boost your future gains (even if the price is rising); and two, when the price drops. In the latter case, the goal is to lower your average purchase price. For example, say you bought 100 shares at 10,000 yen each. If the price falls to 5,000 yen, you buy 200 more shares. You end up with 300 shares for a total of 2 million yen, so your average purchase price drops from 10,000 yen to about 6,667 yen. With more shares at a lower average price, you’re in a better position for future gains.

It’s a mindset shift from “I paid 10,000 yen per share and it’s dropped to 5,000 yen—I’ve lost so much!” to “I only had 100 shares, but now I’ve got 300! Plus, my average price is down to 6,667 yen! Awesome!”

It’s one of the basic strategies or ways of thinking in stock trading.

The Benefits of “Buying More” in Plant Collecting

To give a real example (I won’t name names!), when I first bought that plant, it was a tiny baby for 15,000 yen. Even then, the “proper” offsets were going for 100,000 yen each, so I thought the price was finally coming down! Six months later, it was three for 15,000 yen. Another half year after that, it was down to ten for 12,000 yen!

Now, let’s look at the difference between two plant enthusiasts—A, who just bought the first one, and B, who kept on adding more as prices fell.

A only ever owns one plant bought for 15,000 yen.

B’s journey starts the same, but after the first “buy more” at three for 5,000 yen each, their average price becomes (15,000 yen × 1 + 5,000 yen × 3) ÷ 4 = 30,000 yen ÷ 4 = 7,500 yen. After the second round at ten for 1,200 yen each, (15,000 yen × 1 + 5,000 yen × 3 + 1,200 yen × 10) ÷ 14 = 42,000 yen ÷ 14 = 3,000 yen per plant. So now for 3,000 yen per plant, B has 14 plants!

You Can Sell the 15,000 Yen Plant for 10,000 Yen

Here’s a key perspective: B doesn’t see their collection as “one plant bought for 15,000 yen, and ten for 1,200 yen each.” Instead, B has 14 plants, each with an average cost of 3,000 yen. You can track when you bought each, but there’s no need to stress about the price you paid. So, you could even sell that original plant for 10,000 yen and still be fine—it’s like making a 7,000 yen gain. In today’s lower market, selling above 15,000 yen is tough, but above 3,000 yen should be doable. And even with the 1,200 yen plants, your average cost is 3,000 yen—so growing them up and selling at 3,000 yen isn’t hard at all.

Your Collection’s Value and the Market Don’t Drift Apart

Maybe you’re thinking, “But I have no intention of selling or making a profit—so I’ll be fine.” Totally understandable! But still, I recommend the “buying more” approach, even just for peace of mind. If you see a plant you bought for 15,000 yen being sold online for just 1,200 yen, it’s just plain shocking—it really can feel like the value of your beloved plant has vanished! But if you keep buying as prices drop, your own average price and the market price won’t be miles apart. “I didn’t buy it for 15,000 yen, on average it was 3,000 yen. So even if they go for 1,200 yen, it doesn’t hurt much.” That’s a big relief.

And you don’t even have to stick to the same variety when buying more. If you bought variety A at a high price, and both A and B drop in value, you can buy some B as well. Now with A at 15,000 yen and B at 1,200 yen, your new average is 8,100 yen per plant—better for the wallet and closer to market value. Of course, some collectors love chasing new releases at top prices every time (I can’t afford that kind of collecting myself!).

Of Course, There Are Some Risks

It’s not all good news. In stock trading, “buying more” comes with the risk that prices keep falling and your losses pile up. Plant collecting is similar, but as my earlier illustration showed, the biggest risk is “running out of space”! (Seriously!) The more plants you buy, the more room they take up—nobody has unlimited space, so at some point, you’ll have to stop.

In stocks, you risk further losses as prices fall, and for plants, the value could keep dropping too. But plants also have the “growing bigger and gaining value” angle, so I don’t think it’s such a big deal. And if prices drop more, you can always buy more again—unless, of course, you’ve truly run out of space!

In Summary

It might sound strange, but I really do think owning and caring for plants is a lot like managing stocks. Whether it’s a plant or a company, you nurture it as it grows, and sometimes you reap the fruits (baby plants or dividends), or can sell the now-bigger one (plant or stock) for a tidy sum. And fun fact: in Japanese, we count both plants and stocks using the same word for “share”! (I wonder if there’s a connection…)

Of course, many collectors never sell or propagate their plants—they just enjoy looking at them, and honestly, most people are like that (me included—I love succulent collecting for that reason). Still, being able to sell a few now and then makes this a sustainable hobby even for those on a tighter budget. I hope you’ll give it a try—and at the same time, remember that some basic knowledge about business and trading can really help you avoid trouble, or bounce back if things go sideways. Keep it in mind just in case!

Oh, and by the way—it might be an aside, but “top cut” propagation is hands-down the easiest way to multiply your plants!