Tea Buying Hiatus Support Group

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Hello all..I am back on this group haha I’ve had a crazy amount of tea buying in the past week and a half, well buying and receiving orders from a while ago..last week it was Sloane Tea Company, yesterday DavidsTea and today I picked up my two Verdant orders, one with a gaiwan and some favorites, and the other the TOMC. Oh, and I got ready for summer with an iced tea pitcher yesterday and an iced tea travel mug…so yes. Prevent me from buying more please! I am getting dangerously close to 100 teas in my cupboard, and I find that..insane, for me anyways haha. It’s just too many. And I’m out of cupboard space for my tea lol. Thank goodness there is a hiatus group for us crazy tea drinkers, man, if the rest of the world saw this, they’d think we are nuts. :D

Chizakura said

I know what you mean. I’m feeling overrun with about 20ish varieties. xD; Which is nothing in comparison to a lot of people. (Though I have a large quantity for each. All are at least 1oz, but most are a bit more than that)

I find it’s easiest to keep it in control if you tell yourself it’s okay to buy more at the beginning of the next month. ‘Cause then you only have to wait a couple weeks, and you just take it a week at a time. (After next week, I’ll only have to wait three more weeks! :D instead of ugh four more weeks) Then in the meantime you can work on your sipdowns and shrink down the stash. That’s what I’ve been doing, anyway :)

Although I caved & ordered from Adagio, I’ve been good since.
I’ve also been doing numerous sipdowns (some not logged on here, as it’s been a busy week of trying to play catchup in my garden). So my Adagio order is due to come on the 28th, I’m working on trades with a couple people (including a very extensive one with lots of black, oolong, puerhs, & other unflavored teas. I’m SO excited). Also, TeaVivre is sending me the 3rd round of samples, so the next couple of weeks should be pretty exciting!

However, there are things I want to order from Verdant, Butiki, & I’m almost out of #49. I’m still trying to keep it to one order a month, alternating between companies. Butiki will most likely be next, as I have money in my paypal account from CD sales & iTunes downloads of my music (my playpal money). That money almost doesn’t count, as I have earmarked it for Butiki orders, LOL.

@Chizakura – Yeah, I know my 87 is not even close to lots of people’s, but it still feels like tons, I don’t even remember the last time I had 20 teas :( I will work on placing only 1 order a month, haha I should cancel my Tea of the Month from Verdant though, as that initially was my plan for my once a month buying, but there’s soo many teas I want from other places as well! Eek, tough to pick one. I will just take an extended break for now and see how that goes lol. I am attempting to work on sipdowns, but it’s so hard when I have all these new teas I want to try first :)

@TerriHarpLady – Yay for being good! I need to get on my sipdowns hard in the next few weeks. Also, I have yet to place a Butiki order…I really want to, but at the same time no because then I will want to order from them all the time, as their teas look awesome, according to reviews on here. I will bide my time with drinking what I have, and hopefully not order anything til end of June.

Sil select said

Terri…extensive swap?! with tasty goodies! of the right varieties! tell me more! lol

I’m hoping for a bit of time tomorrow morning since today was much more about going out and having tea heh. I need to get my tea together that is leaving the house asap!

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Chizakura said

I’m checking myself back into rehab. Although I’ve held back thus far, I’ve started up carts on several different tea shops just in the last week. I’m almost there. I need to make this. xD

LOL, Chiza, I start carts all the time…sometimes I get myself to close the page, other times I cave. Over the weekend, with all the sales EVERYWHERE, I had open windows on my laptop for several different places, all with carts going.
I guess I’d better come clean & admit it: I placed one order, on the Verdant website. There…sigh…now I feel better.
I have 3 days clean…one day at a time…again… ;)

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I wasn’t going to order anything, but somebody sent me a gift card for Della Terra. That doesn’t count, right?

Chizakura said

Unless part of your reason for a hiatus is to sip down through your collection, then no, it doesn’t count. :)

Yes. Many sipdowns soon.

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Lala said

Ok so it is totally not fair that these awesome tea companies keep stocking out of stock tea. Cuz you know that they know we have no will power. So unfair!!!! End rant.

If it’s restocking something that’s a staple, it doesn’t count?

Lala said

What if it is not a staple and just tonnes of stuff you have always wanted to try, or have wanted to try since you heard about it (5 min prior to placing your order)…

I think, if they are re-stocking something that has been gone for a while & may not last, that if you buy it, it doesn’t count.

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Nxtdoor said

Uuugh. I’m looking at tea this morning. Really stupid. You know why? I’ll tell you. You know how before Christmas you don’t buy yourself anything because it just might show up as a gift and you don’t want to have doubles, or you don’t want to pay money for something if you’re going to get it shortly from someone else… Well, Dexter3657 has generously put together a tea box for me and that box, as I track it, is likely getting delivered today. So a normal person — not a tea junkie — would just wait to see what’s in the box, and even enjoy those before making an order. But since I’m an addict… I know, I’ll just get off the computer for now!

LOL!!
I have teas coming from Nofar, Cavocorax, TeaVivre (their next round of samples), and Verdant, & yet, I’ve been in a tea viewing frenzy for a couple of days now, perusing & loitering on various tea-sites, fulling shopping carts & then closing the page in shame. I blame Sil! LOL! My partner in crime!

I’m in the same boat!! I have an order coming in (and just got a lovely box of samples to try) but still just ordered the Browncoat Genmaicha from 52 teas. Chocolate + Firefly? It made my heart sing, I couldn’t resist! I need to flipping resist.

Chizakura said

Urgh, I’m the same. I have an order from Verdant in transit, and I’m already wanting to put in another. There’s a couple things I’ve decided I want to try since that last one.

Nitoo6of6 said

Wahhhh!!! I’m the same :( I ordered a few samples from zen teas, and I have been on the search for a metropolitan tea lavender earl grey blend for my niece. Turns out one of my favourite tea stores gets some metropolitan teas so I HAD to go visit. Well he didn’t carry it but blended something on the spot for me. I walked out with not only tea for my niece but a few 50g bags of different black teas to try for me :p. I will have to hold off on verdant and butiki or anything else online.

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tbritton said

I know it’s shameless promotion but instead of worrying about buying too much tea you could try a tea delivery service like this project www.teastorks.com and have a regular delivery of just enough tea. You’d never run out and if you got low you’d at least know when the next batch was coming.

TeaLady441 said

I love your t-rex mug! So adorable. Did you mention your Kickstarter in the Companies & Promotions Thread? (http://steepster.com/discuss?category=tea-companies-and-promotions)

You can be as shameless as you like there, with more exposure!

Sil select said

OH.MY.GOD. Want! mug! Tea rex! yes!

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After the week/days I have had, I want nothing more than to order tea. I need to! But I haven’t, cause you know rent is due on Saturday & ugh let’s not even go there.

I desperately want to order from Butiki

Oh snap………… rent. Ugh. The first of the month always sneaks up on me. Well, no more orders till all bills are paid! That’s a good rule.

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Dinosara said

Ugh, Verdant Laoshan Oolong goes on sale tomorrow. I haven’t even tried all the tieguanyins I got with my last order and I want to order these. But, I think my willpower is strong enough. For now.

I’m in the same boat! Except I want to try all the teas. I’m hoping it will still be in stock by next week, which’ll be my one-month marker for not buying anything. My stash is also down a bit, but it’ll probably bounce right back up after next week xP

Dexter said

I am not allowed to buy more tea until I get under 100. Laoshan Roasted Oolong. I am not allowed to buy more tea….. Laoshan Roasted Oolong. That’s the argument in my head right now. Uuuuggggg

How many do you have? Are you not too far off?

I want to try both oolongs…gotta wait, though, gotta wait.

Dexter said

LOL I’m not sure. I thought it was 107, but then realized that I have at least two more that aren’t being counted, and two new ones in swap I got in the mail today. I’m scared to actually count in case it’s more than that. I really need to compare my actual cupboard to my virtual one here. I’ve send quite a bit of stuff out lately and I’m not exactly sure I’ve updated everything.
OK I’m probably NOT that far off, but also have several roasted oolongs here that I haven’t tried yet. Just seems silly to order more.

That’s understandable.

I’m too scared to count how many teas I have, but the number might be close to 100. I would have never ever imagined climbing up to that number before joining Steepster.

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Chizakura said

Eagh. My Verdant order is waiting for me at the post office, and apparently I have to pay $34 in customs for it. X_X Well, that’s the last time I order teaware online. At least they’re beautiful, but oi. The ware itself was technically out of my budget and now it cost $34 more. I don’t regret it because I know how much I’ll enjoy it, but I won’t be doing it again. Just can’t afford it.

Online teaware on permanent hiatus, heh.

OUCH. I winced reading this. Is that more, or at least half, of what you paid for the teaware?

Chizakura said

I winced when I saw the parcel slip too. Dx;

The teaware was $100 (I bought the yellow leaf jar, and the paired jars) so that’s 34%. Which is high enough for me! Heh. Especially since like I said I really shouldn’t have spent that much to begin with… Just thought I’d get myself a treat, yeah? Well my treat will be tea from now on when it’s online shopping.

yyz said

Not that I’m encouraging you but you don’t have to cut yourself off from all teaware just ensure the item(s) cost less than $20.00.

from the Canada Border Services Agency website:

‘Under the provisions of the Postal Imports Remission Order, if someone mails you an item worth CAN$20 or less, you don’t have to pay duty or taxes on the item. If the item is worth more than CAN$20, you must pay the applicable duty, the GST or HST, and any PST on the item’s full value.’

That’s quite a treat, and a beautiful one at that! Each jar looks like it holds a lot of tea. I would have liked to have the yellow leaf jar myself, but I just bought one of their gaiwans and tea cups. Being on a budget, I’m content with what I have concerning teaware (and gaiwans). I have to say, it’s quality!

Chizakura said

Yeah, I’m going to put my absolute favorites in those jars. :)

@yyz That’s very helpful to know, thanks. :)

yyz said

You’re welcome! I needed to know that to because I’m considering buying some pieces from a wholesaler in China for personal use and I’m going to need to split the order to avoid extra charges;).

Sil select said

that’s really strange… I purchased 40$ worth of teaware from verdant and there was no tax or duty.

yyz said

Yeah, I sometimes think the people at customs apply the regulations as they wish. It may be that they decided to give you a break Sil and looked at the $40 parcel as a ‘gift’ because there is an exemption of $60 for gifts from family and friends. $100 was probably just to much to ignore. As well I’ve heard if the recouped duty is to small to bother with ie the cost of processing would be more than they would recoup they pass on applying it. It might be the luck of the draw about who handles your parcel at customs.

It was $34 more dollars to get something from USA to Canada….. who is right next door????
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f397/m8a9e/TourettesGuy.jpg

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graceatblb said

I have just discovered funds squirreled away. Please tell me not to buy tea. Because I am currently looking at Mandala’s site and that’s always dangerous.

Chizakura said

No buying tea. You squirreled away that money for a reason, I bet. :)

Dexter said

No buying tea. I was looking at Mandala’s site (thank you for turning me into a Mandala junkie – I will always be grateful) for that dark special pu’erh you were reviewing/raving about. Didn’t find it. That was probably a good thing. Will keep me from buying until they post it.
Oh right, this is in support of you. As Chizakura said, you probably were saving up for something else.

graceatblb said

Chizakura-I was probably squirreling my money away for books. I am currently trying to decide which is worse books or tea.

Dexter3657-They haven’t put Special Dark on the site yet. I emailed Garret and he let me order it. If I succumb to another order, Special Dark will probably be on it. Amongst other ripe pu’ers.

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