Any interest in a (MOSTLY) unflavored TTB? Closed

178 Replies

Interested, only can ship to the US. I can swap in lots of pu’er on my end.

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apt said

I have cool oolongs and some interesting greens and whites

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MzPriss said

Do y’all have any thoughts on how many people it ought to be? I’m going to shameless steal some rules from other TTBS – but would welcome input as I haven’t ever started one and have only participated in one other.

My opinion is no more than twelve people. If the list gets too long people get antsy about the box staying in one location too long even if it’s within the time limit. People also tend to lose interest or drop out if they have to wait too too long. And of course there’s the big fear of someone not sending the box, so I think it’s best to be selective with a smaller group of people who have shown they are trustworthy with other ttbs and trades.

Dr Jim said

We’ve had trouble with other boxes when people just disappear from Steepster. They find the site and get really enthusiastic for a month or two but then drift away, and are surprised when the tea box arrives. When I signed up people for the second round, I used a combination of # of teas in cupboard, people following, and number of ratings (and duration) to screen people.

Yeah, I check all those things as well. I’m very selective, and it seems to be working.

apt said

have fun everybody

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I’m not familiar with TTBs, and I don’t want to shamelessly copy Butiki too much…but I’d be happy to donate some Single Origin Teas for the box.

Oh that would be awesome! I love Single Origin’s teas.

Thank you! That would be great.

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Cheri select said

I’m really interested in this box now, the more everyone comments. I’m very interested in trying pu-erh’s but I don’t have any to share.

I’m in the same boat. I have only maybe two pu-erhs, samples-sized.

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Dr Jim said

I’m torn. I feel that I’m in too many TTBs, but this one sounds interesting, especially if it drifts into a Pu-Erh direction.

I’m coordinating two boxes, so feel that I need to stay involved with them, but plan on dropping some others.

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MzPriss said

It looks like there is significant interest. It wasn’t my intention for this to be all puerhs. Or even mostly puerhs – but to have some mixed in with other unflavored (mostly) teas.

So let’s discuss – are y’all wanting mostly puerhs? I would like to see some blacks and oolongs I haven’t tried as well.

And 12 seems like a good number.

Thoughts?

I wouldn’t like it to be mostly pu-erh, but I’m definitely interested in SOME pu-erh, especially ripened. Black, pu-erh and oolong are my favorites, so that sounds good to me.

Cheri select said

I wouldn’t want it to be all pu-erh or even mostly. I’d like to try them, but I’m also interested in oolongs, greens, whites, and I’d be willing to try some blacks, too.

I wouldn’t like it to be mostly pu-erh either. I only have a significant quantity of one pu-erh and then samples of a few. I’d be most interested in a box that has a nice mix of unflavored teas. Or mostly unflavored. :)

Ubacat said

I would be interested pu-erh, oolong, greens, & whites. I don’t have a huge amount of pu-erh in my cupboard so couldn’t add that much to the box.

I’d be happy to donate some of our Amba Ceylon (black), Coonoor (black), Vietnam OP1 (black), Jun Chiyabari (black), and Idulgashinna (green).

I don’t want to take up too much space and sway this into a SOT box, so if MzPriss would like to PM which teas y’all would be interested in?

Well, it’s entirely up to MzPriss to include any, since I might not even be picked for the box. But I’ve tried the Jun Chiyabari and definitely suggest that one. The Yunnan sounds good too.

kimquat said

Black, pu erh and oolong are definitely my favorites. I’ve got a fair amount of green to contribute to the box and only a handful of pu, and even then it would probably only be a few sample servings of each. I have more oolong to contribute than anything else.

I’d like to try more blacks and pu’er, maybe some greens.
I can, like I said earlier, swap in pu’er, I have quite a bit of raw/sheng pu’er. I also have some blacks.

I would like to try pu-erh and oolong, but I’m open to anything.

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MzPriss said

I have a long day at work today but I will check in when I get home and we can make some decisions. Single Origin people, I’m sure we could include some of yours.

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MzPriss said

OK y’all. It looks like we have the following people interested:

US folks:
MzPriss
Tea Sipper
Dr Jim
Awkward Soul
Veronica
apt
Cheri
KiwiDelight

Canada:
Ubacat

kimquat – not sure where you are

Single Origin Tea – were you just wanting to put tea in the box – or do you want to try some of the others as well?

Ubacat, I would really like for you to be able to participate. I know several people have said they can’t ship outside the US. So, if there are no objections I would be willing to start the box by sending it to you and then you can send it on to the next person.

Figuring out the routing beyond that might will make my head hurt – but I will do my best unless someone wants to help with that part. So everyone needs to say which state they are in so we can do that.

I have appropriated the rules from the recent Teeny Tiny TTB and modified slightly:

No tins, please, since they’ll take up space and weigh it down!

The teas you include can be anything but please try to send teas that are good quality. This doesn’t mean expensive, just not things that have lost their flavor from being 4 years old!

The idea is to replace an equal amount of tea that you take out; try to keep the box about the same size when you send it on, but feel free to swap stuff out (or finish it off).

RULES:

You must mail with the delivery confirmation option! Post updates on the box in this thread. Please add an equal amount of tea that you remove.

+ Also include on this thread what you added to the teabox and what you took out so that those of us playing along at home can keep track.

+ Please send the delivery confirmation number to me and the person to whom you are mailing the box. Please do NOT post in this thread with the delivery confirmation number for privacy reasons.

+ When you get the box sample (or decide what teas you want to remove to sample) and replace them with the teas you are sending on. Please only keep the teabox for a week or two at most…that should be plenty of time to try a bunch of samples and make a decision about what to keep and what to put back in.

+ Please make sure you are following at least a couple people after you and before you on the mailing list so you can give your address, get the next address and in case the next person doesn’t respond. Also, ask for the next person’s address as soon as you get the teabox. Check to make sure the next person is ready to get the box shortly before you mail it out because something may have changed – maybe they moved or are out of town or are indisposed.

If you do not get a response from the person after you on the list within 3 days, move on to the next person, making sure to let me and the person you are skipping know they are being skipped. If you cannot send a PM to the person next on the list because they are not following you, let me know. I will be following everyone on the list and you must follow me after being added or I will remove you from the list and add someone else.

Also, let me know if something comes up before the box gets to you and I can shuffle you around in the list – like if you are going to be on vacation or out of town when it is your turn to get the box.

+ Make sure each tea name and brand is labeled, at minimum. It would also be a nice addition to list the recommended steep time and temp. If it is something that isn’t found on Steepster already, please include ingredients.

+ If you put in strong smelling teas, please at least double bag them and even wrap in foil if possible to keep out any cross contamination of other teas.

+ Make sure the box isn’t too beat up before you send it to the next person and replace with a new teeny tiny box if necessary.

I will start by saying that I am in Texas.

Comments?

Cheri select said

Thanks for organizing this one, MzPriss! I’m in Michigan.

I’m in Southern California. I can only ship within the US.

I’m in New Jersey. Thank you, MzPriss for organizing this tea box!

I’m in New York. Thanks for organizing this and including me :]

Ubacat said

That sounds good but I don’t have a lot of Pu’er right now, only a few samples. I’ll see if I can get some more before the box starts. I won’t be trying the black teas.

I’m in NY and I can only mail US right now. Maybe for Ubacat there is somewhere in the US cheaper to mail than somewhere else? Ubacat would know, I suppose. With my teabox, I just go by who in which state is closer to another state, so it isn’t going from coast to coast.

I know I suggested it for the other teabox, but these are PERFECT for teabox samples. They fit a 5-10 teaspoons and are completely scent-proof, no matter how strong the scent is: http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-3-5×5-Ziplock-Stand-Up-Pouches-Bags-SUP-AA-Clear-Silver-/310658911232?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4854b6cc00

thank you for organizing this, MzPriss! I’m very looking forward to an unflavored teabox and I’m already thinking of things to add to it… and even thinking of things to order to add to it!

MzPriss said

@Ubacat – you don’t actually have to put in any puers. I will be putting a lot of black and several pus to start, so if I send it to you first – there might not be a ton of things for you to try. I’m likely to be the only one who would ship it to Canada. Do you want to wait until it has made a round and I get it back and there might be more pus? Up to you. I just want to be sure it would be worth it to you.

MzPriss said

I have these bags – they might not be quite as large as yours – they are (I think 3×5):

http://www.amazon.com/Static-Shielding-Silver-Pouches-100pcs/dp/B00GYM9T82/ref=pd_sim_sbs_misc_14?ie=UTF8&refRID=10W1ZBXPXEP285MG3CST

MzPriss said

@Ubacat – OH! I am also gonna put in some whites and greens if that helps

Oh, those will work for the road-weary teas. :D I was suggesting those pouches to everyone in the teabox, not just you MzPriss! I’d buy them just to make my own teas last longer.

Dr Jim said

I’m in Massachusetts. I just ordered the bags that Tea Sipper recommends.

apt said

another NY here

Ubacat said

Thanks so much for organizing this MzPriss and trying to make sure it works for everyone. If it makes it rounds and comes back to you, then you would have to pay for shipping twice. That’s not fair. I’m just wondering if it would make it easier if I didn’t participate since there’s only the one Canadian. This box really interested me initially but if there’s too much black tea that doesn’t work for me.

kimquat said

I just realized that I wasn’t receiving notices for this thread. Sorry for that! I’m in NE Arkansas. I just followed everyone involved. Thanks so much for putting this together MzPriss!

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MzPriss said

@apt – can you follow me and we can chat a bit?
Thanks.

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