Thank you too. I don't have very many yet, but I tend to limit my acquisitions according to my affinity to certain appealing features. I like windows, color, texture, variegation, and the truncata form is something that interests me a lot.
I know what you mean about the high dollar ones. It's my impression that Haworthia cultivars command the highest prices in general of any plants I've collected so far, which is pretty amazing when you also consider how small they are. I tried a few times to purchase variegated truncata, even hybrids, and got blown out of the water even at what I thought was a high limit of a couple hundred to get even one small plant. Honestly, I don't know how I lucked out on that Italian one, maybe because it was coming from Italy, and few were willing to bid? I had already bought and received from that seller, so I felt good about the risk factor that I would get a good, live plant to work with. That one was only $150, and I pretty much thought that was a steal compared to others I bid on but by a long shot flew beyond of my willingness to cough up really big bucks. My confidence growing them though is increasing so my willingness to splurge a little might increase in the future as well. My immediate goal is to keep it alive (6 months so far - so good), and get it to grow and eventually flower. What's terrific about them is that all you really need is one to start, and time and patience. If it becomes a big enough clump, offsets can be removed, leaves can be used to propagate more, and the cytoplasmic inheritance factor can be taken advantage of to produce seeds that will generate some % of variegated seedlings. A breeding program including back-crossing to variegated parents increases the success rate of achieving more variegates. Apparently, the Japanese experts have been doing this for a long time, and the tiny shreds of info out there are enough for me to work with to give it a go. Anyway, I'm guessing my time frame to get somewhere with them is about a half dozen years out, on the short side...
If I'm lucky again, maybe I'll be able to add another one or two over the next couple of years to improve my odds of successful pollination.
If I'm luckier yet, this plant below too will figure into the mix. Right now, I have no idea why it's even alive, much less still growing (it's twice as big as it was). I was pretty sure that no green meant no chance of survival, but that seems to be less true when it comes to Gasteria and Haworthia than for Aloes, etc. It's a propagate from a partially variegated leaf that died several months ago. If it's still alive next spring, it will be a real achievement! I'm keeping it on the dry side, as I already figured out these truncatas rot very easily. As long as the temps heat up during the day to dry the soil, I give it a quick spray almost daily only around the base of the plant...seems to be doing the trick for now.
- 2016 09 14 Haworthia truncata Variegated b.JPG (81.52 KiB) Viewed 4006 times
At least I know I can actually grow them from seed.
Here's the results of my first such experiment started in January.
- 2016 09 14 Haworthia mirabilis v Badia _ H mutica v Nigra a X750.jpg (304.65 KiB) Viewed 4006 times
These have been out of my "incubator" for a couple of months now - an upside down aquarium on a seedling heat mat to preserve humidity and maintain some level of sterile conditions. I think I got accelerated initial growth due to LED lighting. They're doing well now also exclusively with natural light.
- 2016 09 14 Haworthia mutica v Nigra _ 8 months.JPG (94.79 KiB) Viewed 4006 times
- 2016 09 14 Haworthia mirabilis v Badia _ 8 months.JPG (123.08 KiB) Viewed 4006 times
These are still in the "incubator", about 6 months old now, and showing promise as something with a so far interesting appearance to the leaves. Not sure how that's going to hold up or develop as they grow into rosettes.
- 2016 09 14 Haworthia picta v Janvlokii _ 6 months.JPG (149.63 KiB) Viewed 4006 times
They all look very happy. 
Most definitely, the winter is going to be the real test/challenge. 
