Last week I received a fabulous tea swap package, and it had me wondering- do many tea lovers swap tea? It's a fun way to try new teas and meet new people. I've done swaps through Steepster before, and have recently been swapping through the Tea Review Blog.
Swapping is sometimes a mixed bag- I've had swaps where everything was not to my liking, and some that were very successful. It's a nice way to keep an open mind to new teas. It's also fun to see how each person packages their teas, and what little extras they include such as candy and tea ware. I like the Tea Review Blog swap, because you can indicate what kind of teas you like, and which you don't. So I usually don't end up with a package of all flavored teas, and rooibos (I try and try, but I just can't get into rooibos).
Through swaps I've had the opportunity to try teas I haven't had a chance to purchase myself, such as an oolong Darjeeling tea. It also reminds me of teas that I like that I haven't had for awhile. It has also exposed me to tea companies I haven't purchased from before. Also, it's just fun! Who doesn't like getting a package in the mail, especially when it's filled with tea? It's also a good way to give away tea that wasn't to my liking to someone that will enjoy it. It's nice knowing you are sending tea to a tea lover, and you may even introduce them to a new type.
Readers, do you participate in tea swaps? Do you go through a particular group, or do you organize your own?
I've heard of book swaps, but I've never heard of tea swaps. Thank you for turning me on to this idea though! It's something I'm interested in trying out. I'm always a little hesitant to purchase new teas. If I've had a bad experience with a brand or a type of tea in the past, I'm not likely to purchase it in the future. I avoided oolong tea for years and years. But, a few years ago my dad bought me some oolong tea, and it was amazing! Tea swapping would be a great way for me to experience those teas I'm hesitant to purchase for myself.
ReplyDeleteI swap a fair amount in person but not as much over the internet, just because there is extra work involved in packing things up. Back when I was regularly selling on Half.com, I had streamlined my shipping process, but now it's a little more work for me.
ReplyDeleteI do think that trading teas to try more is a wonderful idea though. I've usually been very happy with what I received. Even if I don't like the particular teas I receive in a swap, I find that I learn a lot by trading. I find that trades can also allow people to share and sample smaller quantities of teas that are only sold in large-ish quantities, and that is a huge plus for me.
Jackie, glad you are interested! You can go to the steepster discussion boards for tea swap info, or i participate with the on through the Tea Review Blog, they have a FB page for the swaps: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/groups/teaswap/412662715436061/?notif_t=group_activity
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