Well, Della, I'm going to be the one to surprise you because in all my years of lily growing, I've never opened a box and felt cheated. I tend to look at the bright side of things. Sometimes the bulbs I receive can be quite a challenge. But I thrive on challenges and find them interesting because they break up the routine. And I just might learn something along the way, like things I should or shouldn't do, or I could do better on the next time and so on. So, as long as there is something in the box that I could make live, I'm happy! And when I get some mislabeled or 'wrong bulbs', I kinda chuckle and say, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who makes mistakes. I can guarantee you, I make more mistakes mislabeling lily seedlings around here in one year than all the supplier mistakes I've experienced since 1990 put together.
Perhaps one of my most memorable events/challenges over the years was with the Post Office, itself. It involved a full box of bulbs from B&D, where the box had been crushed in one corner severely. I was waiting for an expensive single Paula Marie, included in the shipment. B&D was the go-between for another NALS breeder, Len Sherwin. As my postman (who also likes lilies) and I went through the box, wouldn't you know, the only one smashed was the Paula Marie. And it was smashed bad. The situation ended up in the Post Master's office around a table with me, my Postman and the Post Master with Paula Marie and the box on the table in the middle. The Post Office was willing to pay $50.00 for the bulb--but then they got to keep the bulb, one of only a dozen or so in existence. None of us wanted to give up the bulb. That poor Paula Marie slide back and forth across the table five or six times in sometimes pretty loud discussion. But in the end, I got to keep the bulb, B&D was able to send me another, as well. The bulb lived for me and I ended up with two. The lesson learned was that expensive bulbs should be packed in the middle.
In all fairness to the Post Office, I should add that in nearly 25 years, that was the only damaged bulb I've had to deal with. And, I've got a Postman who enjoys opening my boxes as much as I do and calls when he leaves the Post Office alerting me: "we got a box", meaning we (he and I) got some bulbs to look at!
