It all depends for me. Some things I rather see in bloom and know the quality. I buy seedlings if I don't have a choice or if funds are low or I just can't pass up a cool species for $7. I have enough patience to wait but " larger is better" when it comes to orchids, especially slow growing ones like Paph rothschildianum. I have even made my own crosses and sent them out knowing it would be quite a few years before I ever see them bloom. (BTW, my first cross L. anceps X C. walkeriana var. alba 'Pendentive' has just been deflasked. I am having them grown out in Hawaii, so I am guessing 2 more years to blooming) Some species are hard to come by and I will take whatever I can but still prefer BS.