I'm jumping in here with a wee personal experience & thoughts....
I managed to buy a donated double fan of MOM at our local 2020 daylily society auction, for $180 Canadian .... That same day it was pointed out to me that a double fan of MOM was going for OVER $380 US on THE auction (About $500 or so Canadian?)....
For those here wondering why? .... Why would someone spend such $$$ on a single plant? For a breeder, you're buying genetics, NOT simply a garden display plant. For collectors, it's having something unique or rare that helps position you in your own mind and/or among the rank & file 'out there'. I liken it to the cliched -"1%" - The 'One Percenters' of ALL, in this case those who garden, that makes you different from the rest? .... They're BOTH buying the same item - but for decidedly different reasons.
You can buy a used vehicle for $2000 .... Or a sleek European Import right out of the dealer's showroom, for $200,000. They both simply get you where you want to go. Transportation. One practical. The other ALSO gets you added intangibles ... stand-out style, recognition, status, personal satisfaction. The two buyers are purchasing the same thing - but with different motivations, different expectations, different needs .... AND, of course personal resources play a significant role obviously.
For me, getting my hands on those genes within MOM was and is a practical 'need'.
