Nick Champion’s reports of this season’s mistletoe auctions are now available. As usual, these don’t give much detail, so don’t get excited:
First auction, 23rd November 2021
“The mistletoe was of better quality [than the holly] and met a solid demand.”
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- 1st Quality Mistletoe fetched up to £3.50 per kg with an average of £2.50 per kg
- 2nd Quality Mistletoe fetched up to £1.50 per kg with an average of £1.00 per kg
Second auction, 30th November 2021
“…whilst mistletoe was a firm trade although average prices would be a touch less than last week. A ball of mistletoe achieved £100…”
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- 1st Quality Mistletoe fetched up to £3.50 per kg with an average of £2.50 per kg
- 2nd Quality Mistletoe fetched up to £1.50 per kg with an average of £1.00 per kg
As I said, not a lot of detail. The most interesting snippet is the reference to a ball of mistletoe sold for £100. Most of the mistletoe sold at the auctions is cut from natural growths and then bundled up to form the lots. A ball of mistletoe is a whole growth, uncut, often with the host branch still attached. Really good versions of these can be very attractive and suitable for big venues; hotels, ballrooms etc. The main worry with them is their fragility – mistletoe branches are very brittle. This is not a problem when dangling on a tree but when sitting on the ground they they can be damaged very easily by their own weight. A few years ago I was involved in shipping these whole growths to clients across the UK – packing them was always a nightmare. And each one used a lot of ‘FRAGILE’ and ‘THIS WAY UP’ parcel tape. Never had any complaints though, so we must have done it reasonably well.
Going back to the auction prices those are, of course, wholesale prices so don’t relate to prices in shops. Prices in shops might be similar in money, but for much smaller quantities – as the picture above shows – £1.99 for a small bunch, not a kilogram. And that price is, I would say, very good value.
Don’t want to buy mistletoe? Grow your own with a Mistletoe Grow-Kit from the English Mistletoe Shop.
The tip-jar
(new for 2021, never tried this before!)
Yes, I was intrigued by that mention of a £100 ball of mistletoe too, I don’t think that I’ve seen it in previous reports. Something else that struck me was that in the auction report from the 23rd, berried holly was selling for less (on average) than unberried holly. That’s not occurred in any other reports and I wondered whether it might be an error. I need to follow it up with the auction house.