When sending SASE's for seeds, a little common sense goes a long way. Based on some of the requests I've gotten lately, however, common sense seems to be rather uncommon
So here are some tips you might want to follow:
1. Use a large enough envelope. One I received this week sent me an undersized envelope (with, btw, too little postage) asking for six seed packs.
2. Include a note (even a post-it will do) detailing what the SASE is for. Got one yesterday from a name I didn't recognize that had nothing with it. So there's no way I can send anything to the requester. If I don't contact him by mail, he'll probably assume I burned him.
3. Be generous with postage. Somebody sending you seed for an SASE is doing you a favor. If there is any question about the postage, go overboard rather than the other way around.
4. Use tape on padded envelopes. If you merely tape the flap closed on a padded envelope, it's easy to reuse. If you use the self-stick or water-soluble glue on the flap, the envelope will likely tear. I got one yesterday in which only one envelope was used. A large padded envelope contained a note from the sender, a return address label, and stamps. She suggested I use the big envelope to reply. Not a bad way of handling things. Except she sealed it with the flap-glue, and the envelope got ripped up when I tried to open it.
There is a FAQ here at Dave's Garden that deals with fulfilling trades. Wouldn't be a bad idea to review it, if you have any questions, before sending something out.
Sending SASEs
