THE SALES PITCH (Three blocks away, on 69th and Lexington): This 6-foot Fraser fir (stand not included) was “hand-picked” in North Carolina by tree salesman Connie Plaissay. (jonathan baskin)
‘Tis the season to get hoodwinked. If you just bought a Christmas tree from the vendor nearest your apartment, odds are good you could’ve gotten a better deal elsewhere. In fact, with the disparate price ranges we’re finding around town this holiday season, you’d think Christmas trees came with optional sunroofs, power steering and leather interiors.
According to the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs, pretty much anyone can sell trees anywhere they please for any amount — as long as they’re not blocking other businesses’ entryways. We found 6-footers going for $225 on the Upper East Side and others as low as $40 in the East Village. So just how much does a Fraser fir Christmas tree cost in Manhattan? “Do you want a Ferrari or do you want a Ford?” asks Scott Lechner, a tree salesman whose typical 6-foot tannenbaum goes for $125 at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Spring Street. What if you just want a normal tree? Read on and find out where to shop, where the shrubs came from and roughly what you should plan on spending:
* No.1
Plaza Flowers, 944 Lexington Ave., at 69th Street
6-foot: $225
3-foot: $75
“I handpick my trees in North Carolina in October, and then have them cut a month later,” says salesman Connie Plaissay. He also sells wreaths starting at $125.
* No.2
80th Street and Second Avenue (outside Rite Aid)
6-foot: $80 to $90
3-foot: $25
A vendor named Annie says, “We’ve been here for 10 years. I set trees aside for my clients who I know will come see me, since I know what they like. I’ve seen kids grow up on this corner.”
* No.3
First Avenue and 71st Street
(outside SL Photo Express)
6-foot: $85
3-foot: $40
When we tried to bargain, a salesman named Sebastian said he’d sell both trees for $120.
* No.4
Good Buy Brothers Inc., 1299 First Ave., at 70th Street
6-foot: $60
3-foot: $20
Wreaths here start at $10, and we even negotiated a 6-foot tree down to $50 with our salesman, Steven.
* No.5
SoHo Garden, 40 Prince St., at Mulberry Street
6-foot: $75
3-foot: $45 to $85
Despite having “garden” in its name, this is a deli selling trees.
* No.6
SoHo Trees, Sixth Avenue and Spring Street
6-foot: $79 to $125
3-foot: $29
“I pay $36,000 to rent these 2 acres, and it costs $8,000 a day to operate, pay my 23 young guys and have a generator and a Winnebago,” says SoHo Trees operator Scott Lechner. He also sells wreaths for $45. “I get my trees from all over the place, and they’re always the last cut — they hate me because I make them chop them down at the last minute and put them on the truck right away so they’re here in 72 hours, but they love me because I pay ’em an extra $10 or $15 per tree. Do you walk into Macy’s and try to haggle the price of a sweater? No. If they tell you it’s $50, you have to pay it — but we work outside, so people think it’s OK to bargain.”
* No.7
The Tree Guys, Houston and Essex streets
6-foot: $90 for a “premium”
3-foot: $35
“We’ve got steaks and hamburgers. One is a little nicer than the other. Which one do you prefer?” asked a vendor who introduced himself as Chris and said he’d package a 6-footer and a 3-footer for $110.
* No.8
Carmine Trees, Sixth Avenue and Minetta Lane
6-foot: $100
3-foot: $40
* No.9
81 First Ave., at Fifth Street (outside Rite Aid)
6-foot: $40 to $75
3-foot: $30
“We’ve never had anyone try to bargain with us, so I don’t know. I’m sure we could work something out, but I’d have to talk to my manager,” said a pine-peddler named Daniel.
* No.10
Whole Foods, 270 Greenwich St., at Warren Street
6-foot: $49.99
Whole Foods sells only “whole” trees — there are no 3-foot Charlie Brown trees here.
* No.11
51st Street and Eighth Avenue (outside Rite Aid)
6-foot: $75
3-foot: $40 trees are fresh from
Eastern Canada.
* No.12
Broadway at 73rd Street
6-foot: $85 to $90
3-foot: $40-plus
Sure, these are a bit pricey, but they traveled all the way from Nova Scotia, Canada.
* No.13
70th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
6-foot: $110
3-foot: $20 to $50
“I normally don’t tell the price, but I just woke up, so it’s $110,” said a salesman at about 11 a.m. His trees are fresh from Quebec, Canada.
* No.14
At the intersection of Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, at 71st Street
6-foot: $48 to $90
3-foot: $24 to $45
Along Broadway, the trees are from North Carolina.
* No.15
At the intersection of Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, at 71st Street
6-foot: $75
3-foot: $35 to $40
Along Amsterdam Avenue, the trees are from Eastern Canada.
* No.16
Columbus Avenue at 80th Street
6-foot: $75 to $120
3-foot: $40
“[The price] is based on how wide,” said a 20-something saleswoman, explaining the range of prices of these North Carolina trees. “Come back when you’re ready, and we’ll find you a tree.”
* No.17
82nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
6-foot: $50
5-foot: $40 (no 3-footers)
There isn’t much English spoken here, but they do sell 6-foot balsam firs for $30.
* No.18
Broadway and 84th Street
6-foot: $50 to $90
3-foot: $25 to $35
“The more expensive ones are the ones the farmers [trimmed] while the trees were growing up,” said a saleswoman, comparing scraggly trees to manicured ones. These, too, are from North Carolina.
* No.19
Oscar L Grocery, 52nd Street and Ninth Avenue
6-foot: $50 to $70
3-foot: $30
* No.20
The Flower Shop, 49th Street and Ninth Avenue (next to 7 Brothers Deli)
6-foot: $55 to $75
3-foot: about $30
Bonus: The salesman here really seems to enjoy his job, as he sometimes stands on the corner singing. While most of the trees at this stand come from North Carolina and, in a few cases, Eastern Canada, this is the only place we found also selling evergreens from South Carolina. The prices are on the low side, (throw in an extra 20 bucks and maybe he’ll take song requests!)
* No.21
22nd Street and Ninth Avenue
6-foot: $60 to $75
3-foot: $40
“It takes a farmer four to five years to grow [it],” a salesman explained, about why trimmed 6-footers from North Carolina were 25 percent more expensive than the untrimmed ones.
* No.22
Eighth Avenue and 24th Street (outside Rite Aid)
6-foot: $60 to $120
3-foot: $25-plus
“Whatever you want to spend, we’ll find you a tree,” said a vendor.
* No.23
51st Street and First Avenue
6-foot: $80 to $120
3-foot: $30 to $50