I laugh at this shit every time I see it. Elites are like fucking cheerleaders, mostly over rated, although probably worth doing. Real farmers use seed, find your own keepers.
Sorry guys, but until you can live in Cali and get any gene you want with proven stability, strength, flavor etc. You have no clue what you just typed. Sure it's fun to dream about finding an elite (and with good seed stock like IBLs etc. from established breeders like Rez, Dj, Soma etc) but in all reality you're going to spend a grip anyway to buy seeds, test them, and then it's still the work of someone else..ELITES are just a clone off of some plant that somebody else grew out and people who have some of these clones call them ELITES so that they can feel better about themselves and this enables them to ironically look down on people who actually grow all of their own plants from seed. Some of the so-called ELITES are just something that some random joe grew out in a little cabinet grow. It seems as if many of the so-called ELITES just came about out of random luck, and had little to do with any growing skillz. A monkey could buy an 1/8 of bud and find a fucking ELITE seed right now if the monkey is very lucky.
Elites in Cali are the real deal, and the only way to quickly and inexpensively produce the best herb around. Sure, finding your own "Elite" is great, but very unlikely, because true "Elites" are not just named "ELITE" for fun and many will claim they have an elite, but bottom line, check out the San Diego's finest thread and bitch at those elites that can be had for $10 each. WIthin days you can have a harem of the best herb in the world.
This sums it best thank Rosy:
Elite clones can save you time, effort and money.
On the other hand, you miss out on the whole aspect of growing from seed, which makes you more accomplished as a grower.
You learn a lot about genetics, geno/phenotype etc, from working with greater variety.
It's great fun to receive a legendary elite clone, but maybe popping a batch of seeds tops it.
Simply because you don't know what you're going to get... exciting!
Especially if you crossed two good genetics and are dying to know what the cross will be like.
And, if that winner plant is in there, then it's all yours. Your ten minutes of fame could be found in a seed. You never know.
It's strange how surprisingly many of my home made crosses beats some of the so called elite plants. It's a personal opinion of course, but I would venture to say that there are many closet crosses out there that are outstanding, and that never get the hype some of the best known elite clones get.
With other words, quality's not in the name, it's what rocks the boat that matters.