Giveaway/Swap Packaging and Amount
I’ll be mailing out tea for the first time and I’m interested to know how those of you who regularly send out tea package it for shipping.
Edit – And how much tea do you usually give as a sample? In servings/teaspoons please.
Depending on the volume, this http://steepster.com/discuss/509-how-to-find-good-bags-to-package-samples thread may be what you’re looking for.
I have not tried them, but these http://www.uline.com/BL_234/Amber-UVI-Bags look like your best bet for sample sizes.
I used to use a sandwich bag, nestled inside another sandwich bag, until I got the small tins from Specialty Bottle:
http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=232
and now I use them. I like them a lot!
If you don’t mind using something that lets in the light, I really don’t see the use to double bag.
The advantages of tins are they are better for larger sizes and are better for preventing leaf breakage… unfortunately they make shipping costs more if you aren’t using a flat rate box.
I used two because many of the teas I sent were dessert teas and very fragrant! The double bags helped cut down on the scent contamination, but ultimately I didn’t find them to be good enough. I remember sending Ricky tea, and EVERY tea became chocolate tea – not the intention! lol! That is why I switched to the tins, even though they are a bit of an expense.
Personally, I use small plastic ziplock type bags. I usually try to put in about 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons based on how much I actually have in stock and then use a flat rate box to ship so it is in a solid box that would make it less likely to damage the tea itself. I have considered tins but haven’t gone that route yet. I may do so in the future for the above aforementioned reasons.
Labels are nice. Pens don’t often work if you’re using plastic and magic markers smell.
Thank you. Just labels, a computer and I got the bags on sale at JoAnn Fabrics. I have the flat rate boxes at home and purchase shipping labels online, print and tape on the box. You save a little bit of money that way too and that also means no trip to the post office with a 3 year old in tow. Nice all around!
That’s funny my mom in-law works part-time at JoAnn’s LOL :-)
I had a ton of the sample-sized tins from Adagio that I emptied out from before their switch to bags, so that’s what I’ve been using for swaps.
It sort of depends whether it’s a tea that a I want to get rid of (in which case the person gets the entire amount) or if it’s something I’m sharing from my stash. In the latter case I usually measure out enough for four or five cups of tea.
The teas are in labeled ziploc bags and I usually mail them in bubble envelops. I try and make the envelop as flat as possible because if it’s under a certain thickness I can send it via airmail which is much cheaper. :D
Here is what I had been thinking about doing, since I’m not sure how regularly I plan to send out loose leaf teas. Teas in ziplock baggies, either regular size or snack size. Mailed in bubble mailers. Tea is very light and I’m used to shipping paperback books the cheapest way possible, which is usually only a few dollars, so I’m sure it will be cheap to ship. And sending enough so it can be tried several times (3-5 teaspoons sounds like a good amount). I know I don’t always get a tea quite right the first time. This sounds in line with being acceptable for sending tea. Thanks for the input ya’ll.
My tea shop serves tea in silver lined resealable bags w/ a paper bag material on the outside.
Those aren’t exactly cheap or easy to get for most tea drinkers though and frankly I think plastic bags do the job for perfectly fine for a week or so in the mail.
Jillian, my whole point was that I reuse them if I’m not planning on getting the tea again (if I reorder and use the same bag I get a discount) so I was just pointing out original or otherwise packaging that can be found at her local tea shop may work. The bags are fine for in the mail if you don’t care about aroma seepage, it’s when they’re out of the mail that I have problem. But we’ve gotten into this arguement before. We’ve both stated our opinion so let’s let chrine weigh the pros and cons of each method- because no matter what is used there will be some of both, ok? Thanks.
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