This is what makes me aggravated. This has happened to me only a few times. A person has asked for some of my seeds, even though there posted for trade they ask for some. They don't even mention what they might have...to maybe see if I am interested. So I just assume they really don't have anything for trade.....AAAHHHHH...maybe I should just send them some.
Obviously trade is not SASE, it is a trade for some of mine and I get something of yours and (were both happy.) I have sent extras and many sase.......but see below.
So I see that this person does have things to trade, seen on a forum. So why offer to another what you didn't offer me? I had to get it off my chest.
And thanks to everyone whom has traded with me lately.
CLOSED: A good way to tick me off!!
POG if your offer is for trade and they have nothing to trade tell them maybe later when you have made all your trades if you have any left.
Nothing wrong with asking them what they have to trade in return. Unless of course they came straight out and asked for it in sase. In which case, don't forget that you always have the right to turn down.
Befor I had a list I would ask if there were any left I would like some, I hope I haven't offended anyone.
Doris
Hi Doris this person is not you and I am not irritated about it anymore. Life is too short. No problems here. Venting is a good thing!
potofgold...I FEEL YOU!!!!! LOL LOL. I'm sooo glad someone wrote it. I have felt and thought exactly what you wrote. Personally I have NEVER asked anyone for a SASE. It litterally has never crossed my mind to do so... Even when I first started trading..If someone had something I wanted. Then I would seek for the trade. But never ask for an SASE. I think I'll try that with my next seeds order! I'll see if I can send them an SASE...ha ha ha. Do you think they want my stamps or money? So in trading...would I want seeds or stamps??? There was 2 people around here. I tried to trade with... They just would not take anything any sent the seeds. That's a total different situation.
Okkk...I'm confused...I had to post again. Just read you post again sheran. If you see something you'd like to have. How is a sase less complicated for you? If the person has these seeds for trade. Also how is trading back and forth more complicated? The time you spend preparing a sase..you can very well stick the seeds in the envelope to the person. Help me out here! I am understaning your statements.
Well, I just want ya'll to know that you now have me SAVING seeds, something I never thought I would do!!! I'm also buying them via ebay so I'll have something to trade because I feel bad wanting seeds just for SASBE or postage, etc.
Not because of what has been said on this thread or any other one, but because I hate to take and not give in return ...
and I've seen seeds "to die for" being offered here as a trade or SASBE.
Judy
I feel you too Judy! But there's nothing wrong with receiving SASE's If someone had something I wanted, and was offering it SASE..I would jump on it! But they would have to be offering...
I just give the postage sase is just to much monkey motion for meand the seeds I share with others are given freely and I do not want to trade just a stick in the mud I guess Ernie
It helps if a person adds a ( wants ) to their trade page too.
That gives someone a chance to look at their page and see if they can come up with something to offer them back. Or if they have asked to trade seed, give some ideas as to what they might be looking for in return and add open to consider any others you may want to offer.
This let's the trader know that you may want something besides what you have listed in the post for trading.
The more information you can give in a trade suggestion is better. And when someone asks you in the future, just type up and say what you want in return.
A simple, "I really want to add to my seed inventory rather that just sase them, explains your position.
The more communication the better.
There are a lot of people who have just about everything and unless you offer them something rare they prefer to send them for postage just to find someone to plant them.
Sorry you had a bad experience.
Windy
I always prefer to trade if possible, even if the person is offering SASE. I just HATE sending an empty envelope! I guess it's a sickness!
I'm with you, Sequee. I just can't stand to send out empty envelopes. It seems like such a waste of mail! LOL! It's not often that I see something someone has for trade and I can't come up with something to trade. If it's not on my tradelist, it's in my secret stash.
Windy, I think you've hit on something. It always seems easier to let people know what we have to offer and not what we are looking for. I think most of us have that 'secret stash' we'd be willing to share if the need arose, but without a 'want list', we won't know what to offer. I'm as guilty as the next about not having a want list, and that's really not fair, I guess.
I've reached a point (and this is going to sound conceited), that I just don't really need much in the way of seeds. Because I live in an unusual climate, many of the seeds offered don't do well here, and I seem to have built up quite a selection of the ones that do. If I don't want to trade, I feel like a seed snob, and if I just offer to send the seeds without a trade, it makes people feel like they have nothing to offer. It's a dilemma.
When I used to trade quite a bit and had a number of similar instances where requests were made but nothing offered initially, I emailed to ask what they had to offer. 99% of the time it was just a case of people wanting to know if the seed was still available and if I wanted to trade with them but had forgotten to add a list of their seed or felt that I wouldn't be interested. I've also been that person quite often and hadn't realised it might upset/annoy someone by not including a list in the initial email. Definitely something for me to bring to mind next time, thanks for bringing it up! :)
WZ, I often feel like a seed snob too, like you, we have to be very selective, for me it's mainly because of the garden size, soil situation and plant interests being in the mildly obscure catagory. I took my tradelist here down partly because I don't like to say no thanks.
I've noticed some members have just a want list in their trade page, this seems to be a great idea to someone like me who doesn't update their tradelist often enough, then we can just post our seeds here and refer potential traders to the page.
Incidently, if anyone has any newly discovered Digitalis species (among rather a lot of other 'ooooh that's an interesting one' plants) I'd be delighted to hear of it ;)
Baa, I may have some Digitalis that I 'newly discovered' but they are probably nothing new to you! I'll email you with a list.
Thanks WZ :)
I keep an extensive excel spreadsheet (7 pages, about 400 items) of my inventory and I just don't have the time or patience to add everything to my Tradelist. If someone is looking for something, I do my best to cut a paste an appropriate list. I know that ticks a few people off, but that being the case, they don't have to trade with me. It's that simple. Trading, to me, is a blast! If it gets too complicated, or too much work, it cuts out the fun, and I'm outta here. Most of the people I've dealt with are pretty cool. The few ugly ducklings I've had to deal with I just write 'em off and move on!
I don't really mind doing sase so much as I mind when people will write to you and say something like:
"I'll try some of your seeds, please send them to: and then their address goes here."
Come on! Trying to take advantage of people just is plain old not nice.
LOL CaptMicha!
It just isn't as much fun when the person appears ungrateful, is it.
In cases like that I just send them a return email with the amount of postage necessary and tell them I will set them aside until their postage arrives. If it doesn't suit them, oh well!
The sentences I dislike (hate would be too much) are:
1. Let me know what you want in exchange and I will check my huge seed box.
In my opinion this translates into: either accumulation of old seeds or leftovers from trades which is almost the same because they cannot guarantee the freshness of the seeds.
2. I'm sure I can come up with something.
Yeah, but is it something I want/like?
3. I'll send you some surprise seeds.
99% of the times the 'surprise' will be you get the most ordinary seeds for your very special seeds. What a surprise! LOL
It must be the GardenWeb-syndrome(sp?) where I was scammed too many times.
This reminds me of a #"€··"@*(lousy) GW trader that has recently joined DG. This trader acknowledged receipt of the huge assortment of my very best seeds and said she would send her end of the trade 'these days'. After a long time without any news I sent her a reminder and once again asked her please to carefully follow my packing/mailing guides. Her reply was something like 'I will not mail seeds to a country where I have no guarantee of the honesty of the mail service'. Needless to say she kept all the seeds that reached her through this unreliable mail service .....
Ha ha ha ha Ursula and Michelle!! I'm cracking up! but it's really not funny.
Michelle - "I'll try some of your seeds, please send them to: and then their address goes here."
Ursula you are a gem! - It must be the GardenWeb-syndrome(sp?) where I was scammed too many times.
Well I am one of those that do not have many seeds to part with yet since I just started in July so I am one of those that says they would love to have your seeds, and I realy am, but if the giver have the envelopes I am more than happy to send enough stamps, or money to pay for them, I am seeing, and learning about plants I had never heard of befor, and take it from me you are never too old to learn, it's keeping me young, so expect to see a post from me when you are offering :) :)
Edited to add that some DG members I have traded with have been kind enough to leave feedback on me so you can check that out befor sending me seeds, and there is one person I sent cash to that promised me 1 pack of moonflower seed back on 9/9 needless to say after four emails to this person I gave up.
This message was edited Dec 19, 2004 11:08 AM
don't know why she thinks the postal service is unreliable. I tried twice to send to Ursula last year. Both were returned to me by via customs
I sent some also to Chilie and they came back to me a couple of months later, but they were not kept. The customs people do not keep them, they will be returned to you.
Ursula is so right in her comments. I had a swap that took months over a year ago and I think this same person was in it. She sent a small white letter envelope inside her white small letter envelope and three small packets with about three seeds in each one (the seeds were dry and broken in the envelope she used and I had to throw them away). This swap had over 40 packets of seeds going back to each and everyone of these people no matter what they sent in since most of the participants had an abundance of seed. Needless to say, her 37 Cent stamp did not cover her postage either. I don't know what this person is thinking. (then the seeds she received are traded) and she will not send you a decent list of possible things she can trade. Makes you wonder what is going on with this person.
Yes for me seed trading is fun for interaction and sharing.
. If someone is offering a sase I will ask for it...
And i offer tons of seeds for sase. .
My life has too many other responsibiliites . long hours to keep up a list of seeds.
If someone offers a trade, its simple, what do you want, perhaps I have it. Ill take anything, im easy. If its something I cant use, Ill donate it to someone who can.
My preferences are rr and yes, those can be a loss toooo, people who join,,, and seeds suddenly get lost....yes the no brainer fun trades are fun..... I post them often....
makes trading a suprise with the mailman.
Sending overseas is someitmes a conflict----some make it, some dont...... and can be costly.
I have traded and met tons of special people on daves.........and dont trade with people that are negative or had a bad experience with, its that simple.........talking about others behind backs even annonomus isnt impressive.
oh, well, this is a hobby, isnt it????? Cant believe im even taking the minutes of negative energy to post here.
This message was edited Dec 19, 2004 10:09 AM
So if this person from gardenweb is here now, why not leave feedback on this person's trading record. It does not say that the trade had to be made while both were members here.
I rely on the feedbacks to send seed in trades.
Good point, Windy. I've been refraining from giving a negative because I just hate doing that, but it's not fair to others.
Windy my problem is this person is not even listed as a member anywhere she sent me email to my personal email, and said she was a member but did not want to trade with DG email
Yikes - that would put me off right away!
Please forget about the people who have been jerks and concentrate on those, who are new to seed trading, that turly appreciate your kindness. There are many of us and you have truly opened a door (seed trading) that we didn't know existed.
Thank you one and all.
Judy
There is nothing wrong with being a newbie and wanting to have seeds to sow/trade. I was a newbie as well and discovered GW while searching for 'catnip' (had never heard of it before my friend Mercedes, a Vet, told me about it). All I had at that time was freshly collected Asarina scandens seeds and some left overs from commercial seed packages. My seed-trade-list was very small, but there were generous people that sent me seeds (including catnip which my Muschito happens to ignore LOL) and the following season I became a 'seed-hunter'. I was aware that sending seeds to Chile was more expensive than sending them within the States. Therefore I oriented my 'seed-hunting' to the seeds I thought were not very common in your country, which proved to be right. I have traded a lot, specially since I started collecting Chilean Native Plant seeds. This means driving long distances and many times only to find out seeds are not ripe to be collected, the location has been fenced, etc. But I'm losing the point: there is nothing wrong with being a newbie and asking for some seeds. The worst thing that can happen is that they either get a 'sorry, not at this time' answer or no answer at all. I think that what we traders dislike is when somebody wants to 'outsmart(?)' us.
Regarding the person that scammed me in a GW trade - I confess I was tempted to post a negative feedback with this story in her member page. However, that happened a few years ago now and somewhere I read Dave recommended to use the feedback for the trades we made from the date he supplied us with that option on. That's what I have been doing.
I don't think it is 'talking at someones' back' if I give an example of things that happen in trades. From what I told, there is no way anybody (except that person herself) can know whom I meant.
Kareoke, the only times I have said a straight 'no' to people wanting seeds from me is to the ones that do not belong to DG.
You are absolutely right, Judy, only that I think that stating here what we dislike will probably help new traders to 'play by the written and the non-written trading etiquette'.
Two more things I want to add:
1. If I post a list of the seeds I am offering to trade, I expect interested traders to supply me with their trade-list to make my choices from.
2. As I said before, I take a lot of trouble to collect my seeds and mail only very clean fresh seeds. This has a far higher cost than seeds just collected from one's own garden. For this reason I do not like to trade with people that do not clean seeds properly (it's a matter of preventing any pests to enter my country). I also dislike 'greedy' traders that want seeds from each and every seed-offer posted.
Mailing seeds to Chile, quite a good amount of them, in a padded envelope costs USD 0.80 postage. The seeds you will get in exchange from me, if commercialy bought, will exceed that amount many, many times.
And now, please allow me to laugh at myself for writing so much about trading, because I hardly ever am interested in trading anymore. This, because I have already traded for so many seeds and my gardening space is just two large balconies (I live in an apartment). In other words: I do not need anymore seeds. Why do I keep collecting seeds? Maybe because most of the people here are really nice and do really appreciate getting something different from South America. While on vacations in northern Chile I even looked for special hot pepper seeds for DGardeners and I do not eat hot peppers!
My name is Ursula and I am a compulsive seed-collector.
It's good to see that this thread is getting alot of look ats. Ursula is right that it is a good thing to remind or to educate people on trading ediquete. It may sound like complaining but for one, I'd like to know what things to avoid as bad trading practices. It makes it easier and smoother for everyone. Ugh.. why is my spelling so crazy tonight?
Collecting seed is time consuming..and sometimes can be a pain to clean. I absolutely LOVE to give away my seeds. It is a joy for me and to those receiving them. Unfortunately this is not always cost effective for me or smart.. I have found some don't even plant the seeds I send. But just want to have them. Some have made it hard for others with their nagging and complaining. But for the most part, it's still always a joy for me. I try not to keep any seeds I have no intentions on planting. I am very frugal with my seeds. I usually only germinate 5-10 seeds at a time. That's just me. So I always have left overs! So we all should go through our seeds and figure out what we know we wont plant....LOL. Then share with others
Oh and Ursula...I'm a compulsive seed picker too...LOL LOL That means..parks, woods, neighbors yard, relatives..ha ha ha ha
I tend to over sow to make sure in this sometimes unpredicatable climate that I get a good amount for the season. Sometimes it starts out a little dry in these parts and things need to be planted twice.
I just started here last year and was really overwhelmed by the generousity of people and their seeds. I didn't have much to offer, but I offered what I had, I got way more that what I was able to give out. I think the only mistake I made was sending them out in plain envelopes with no cushion in there, I know better now. I hope to have more seeds next year to trade and give away. I hope to have pictures that are postable, flowers that have been seeds off of here and who they came from.
I just had a talking with myself this past weekend that it was time to STOP, I have a load of seeds to plant and I was finding myself still hunting around on parks seed site and others. Now lets see if my talking to sunk in. :)
Has anyone covered the other irritation. When you post they you have x,y,z seeds for SASE and some posts that they want a,b,c off your list for SASE.
Unless, you're looking to trade, don't ask for something for SASE that isn't offered or stated on someone's list that it is available for SASE. Most people only offer SASE when they have a surplus of certain varieties or more than they plan to use. Please don't put the person offering SASE seeds in the awkward position of turning you down.
Jan...
I've only been trading seeds since June, We are all different, what irritates one may just the opposite for another!!! When someone is offering seeds, and I want some, I let them know I do, then ask what they might want in return. I don't think listing my entire seed list on a thread is the way to go for me, I have a trade list that can be looked at for that purpose,and then a ton more. I've given away seeds a lot for nothing because it makes me happy, period, and I've been compensated for them trif-fold and beyond. But I cannot begin to guess what the other wants without guessing and being somewhat new, and not knowing the trader's likes. So this offends me somewhat, and makes me sad. This is suposed to be a happy thing, sharing part of ourselves, I've spent a lot of money on sending free stuff, but that makes me feel good in my heart! We need to try and communicate to another what we want, and not think that we know it. Check the trade list, look at that person photos, PDB, I've done that, and it works for me. Let's be happy, Your Friend in the Garden of Life, Annie
Sorry folks,but I'm a gross violator of the term "seed trading". I am unrepentant,I have no shame for I entered the Seed Trading scenario knowing full well that I would not knowingly "trade" with anybody.You may chastise me in any way you deem appropriate.I love gardening,I am curious to see if this years seedlings will show different characteristics than the parents.For some reason I have more seed than I could ever use,and the new seed I like to buy from the two or three companies which I have confidence in.No offense meant to all of you wonderful traders,but I don't need anything and I am happy as a crab in Ernies crabpot if I can share a few seeds with someone. Who knows, one of my seeds may have had an illicit affair with a neighboring Hollyhock or Poppy and spawned a remarkable offspring.So next Fall you are welcome to my seeds,as long as they last,and I REALLY don't need anything in trade.Happy gardening to all ,and to all a very merry christmas.By the way,has anyone heard from Lophophora? He went through some pretty major storms.