Hi Cheryl,

I would be interested in your sunberry, arugula, lemon cucumber, and winter thyme if you still have some seeds available.

I have mexican sunflower, strawflower, french marigold, purple echinacea, pink eye purple hull cowpeas, purple morning glories, purple tomatillo, black turtle bean, sugarbaby watermelon, and butternut squash seeds available to trade. I didn't see an email on your profile.

Thanks,

Dawn Woodruff

dmeadows73@gmail.com

Instead of purchasing seed envelopes, why not make your own? You can use plain paper and fold it for the envelope (origami style) or you can find templates on the web that can be cut out and folded and taped. Google seed envelope templates and origami seed envelopes. You can use any kind of paper that can be folded. It's really easy. Even old magazines. Just make sure you label them well.

Where have you found a good price for coin envelopes? Many people use little plastic baggies that seal shut. They are found in Walmart in the jewelry-making section. I think they are $2 for 100, but make sure your seeds are dry.

How do you figure shipping costs? I found an old thread from 2011 but I know shipping charges have changed. Short answer: it depends. It depends widely on your local United States Postal Service worker. That being said, you can send seeds that are relatively flat or small with a single layer of bubble wrap for one stamp. The envelope has to be 1/4" or less thick. The bubble wrap protects from the automated machines. If you want your letter to be hand-cancelled you have to go to the post office, pay the price of an additional stamp, and they will be hand-cancelled. Writing the words HAND CANCEL doesn't mean it will be hand cancelled. A 6"x9" bubble envelope usually costs about $2.60 and you can stuff it full. If you receive a bubble envelope save it and reuse it. We don't care if we get a reused envie--we think it's great! Save your money for seeds! We all have crazy shipping stories that bring us to tears. (sniff)

Is there anyone that is interested in buying seeds through catalogs and share costs? There is a specific swap for trading seeds one has bought that are rare or unusual. Even with a few seeds, it's an adventure to try to grow them. I believe it's listed under Round Robin or Exchange-Seed Exchange. Without trying to sound snotty or snobby--the seed traders don't want someone trading 25 cent sale seeds for expensive seeds.

Where do you get bags to prevent cross pollination? Or how big should I get/make? No clue--I'll wait for someone else to answer that one.

How do you search for rare seeds from other countries? I have a friend that travels the world and I need to make a shopping list to get me seeds!! Be careful crossing international borders. We don't want you to end up in jail arrested for smuggling in contraband or dangerous items. Taking seeds from one country to another requires a great deal of research. Many countries restrict seeds. Ever heard of kudzu? That's one invasive plant that was brought to the US and now it takes all kinds of work to keep it under control.

Hope I didn't sound too inflated. Keep asking questions--those are good ones.

Heidi

Discussion on plant isolation and methods from the pepper forum -

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2080993/bagging-pepper-blossoms

You can buy 6" x 9" organza bags from Amazon or eBay.

Do you need seed envelopes? How about an endless supply for free? Check
out this thread for instructions on how to make seed envelopes out of
paper. Great use for old seed catalogs, wrapping paper scraps, etc. We are all about to have extra gift wrap lay around. Put it to good use!

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1643721/endless-supply-of-seed-envelopes#4925987

Welcome to the site!

For postage search "usps price list" on the Internet. The list is updated every year, but the rules stay pretty much the same. Here is the recent 2015 list: DMM Notice 123 Price List. Read pages 1 (prices) and 69 (dimentions).

For seed envelops, I keep my seeds in origami style paper envelops. To send seeds, I use those tiny plastic baggies that Heidi mentioned, and they are $1 for 100 at Walmart. But if seeds are tiny, it is still better to use paper envelops, as they don't get all static and stuck inside.

People use organza bags to protect from crosspolination. I heard they sell them at crafts stores. It is easy to make them, I use tulie for this. As a plus, you can make them all shapes and sizes. Bigger baggies are better. They are still light, and it is easy to put them on or take them off. My most used size is 4'' wide and 4.5-5'' long.

Edit: Just looked at the thread kchd gave and this is exactly the type of envelops I use. Only at the end of the instruction there is no need to tape anything. The flap folds inside and seeds are secure.

Dawn - sent you an email :)

Karen, Thank you! Didn't think about making them! What should I make sure is on the label?

Heidi- Thanks for the info on baggies. Phew! That's much cheaper. I think I will try to make my own and use the bags to do trades with. With the shipping I have lots of bubble envelopes from when I had an Etsy shop (crochet dog hats), I understand about the trading seeds. It's tough when there is one person out there to ruin it. I was thinking more of I want this asparagus and someone wants the other. Figure out what each other are okay with exchanging and exchange half of the seeds. I have only got one catalog and want almost anything in it :) On the bags looks like someone else commented :) I have done research on how to find out what is required to bring seeds into the country and what is prohibited but I'm trying to find out what seeds I want from which country. Ex: He is from India, so I'm researching what they have there so I can give him a list after researching which ones can come into our country. Not inflated at all!! hehe

Phylis- Thanks I will make my own! I work inside Joann's at Viking and will pick some up and get to sewing!!

kchd - Thanks! I will try to make that!

gvozdika- Looks like I will be making my envelopes and getting the baggies tomorrow. Thanks for the shipping info!! I have possibly 2 people to send seeds too. On the bags do you use drawstring?

Thanks for the info everyone! I appreciate it and hope to trade with you in the future!! Now just to figure out cuttings I can expand what I can offer. Also need to research Ashitaba seeds ( Angelica Keiskei) I only have 12 seeds and I want to succeed at getting more so I can share with others.

Cheryl

I used to trade with a proper bubble mailer with 2 stamps at least. Then I learned from another that I could use 1 stamp and good padding, by cutting up some used UPS/FedEx bubble-pak (thinner than a kraft bubble mailer) and fit everything inside a regular envelope. This way, I'll recycle what ppl usually throw away and never run out of bubble mailers. :)

Instructions w/ photos: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2084553/need-to-send-a-sase-do-it-on-the-cheap-how-to

Phylis -that's pretty crafty!! I think I might use bubble mailers because I have 2 boxes of them and maybe when they are gone I can try doing it that way :)

Cheryl, you can expand your trade list crazy fast by joining round robin swaps. There's a tomato swap going on right now.

Try not to resurrect old exchange posts especially if the original posters haven't been active on GardenWeb. These expired posts congest the forum and push down current posts.

Cheryl, you will want type of seed and at the least, date seeds were collected. :)

Phyllis- sorry I think someone else resurrected that tomato one. But I'll watch out better next time! I'll look into round robin swaps. I signed up for some newbie stuff, secret Santa and I have 2 traded I'm going to be mailing out :)

Karen- I think you posted that the the wrong post ;)

I'm so sorry. I meant to answer your question. I suppose not enough coffee.

Karen - That's okay!! I need some too!! Thanks!! I was planning on putting as much info as I can :)

Cheryl -- Welcome to GW/Houzz. I have to say that I'm impressed how mindful you are of learning the ins and outs of swapping.

Getting shipping right is the hardest. I know that Goz linked you a USPS shipping price chart, but check this one out, as well: Complete Breakdown of Shipping Cost It's extremely detailed and was/is a life-saver for me.

I will chip in with information on mailing costs of a recent seed order I received that was mailed in a 6 X 9 mailer. There were two seed packets, a brochure and a one page letter inside and the total postage was .98 cents, mailed from Gainesville FL to N Little Rock AR. The stamp was printed by a stamps.com machine so I know it was weighed before the postage was calculated. No postage was due when it arrived. Yet seems like I remember recently asking at the PO and was told the min postage on this size mailer was abt $1.50.

Thank you for the link to the shipping costs. I'm off to have a look.

Mary

Thanks Erica!! I'm definitely going to need it!!

Thank's Mary!! If I can remember correctly using stamps.com you get a discount on postage and that maybe the difference on the costs.

mary - the correct postage for what you described is 0.98 = two stamps. this is assuming the "flat" was under 3/4 inch in thickness, and weighed less than ounce. add 22 cents per ounce, for slightly larger sizes.

actually even if the size was much larger, like a large size bubbly, it would still be 0.98. up until one side was larger than...i think 12 inch is about the maximum. the actual size of the envelope doesnt matter as much as the weight, and most importantly, the thickness.

above 3/4 inch thick, it is considered a "parcel".

a few years back there were one and 2 ounce parcel prices, but then they changed it to be a minimum of three ounces. this further confused an already confused issue (and some are deliberate, to intentionally confuse the issue, to steal a bit from people by forcing them to pay higher prices) and many post offices will force people into paying "parcel" prices for envelopes that are really "flats". instead of paying for the lower priced 1 ounce parcel that used to be, or the "flat"/large envelope price they should be paying, now people are sometimes forced to pay for a three ounce parcel, minimum $2.54...even to mail something thats half an ounce in weight.

Thanks Leila!! I will have to bust out my scale and measuring tape. Have 3 bubblers to mail :). Happy Thanksgiving!!

Just a blurb, but for seeds I use the organic green tea bags from Trader Joe's.

Dawn mailed your package first class. Also sent you a message in case you don't see this.

Cheryl

Cheryl, I received your package. Thank you so much for the trade and lovely Christmas ornament!

Dawn, glad you liked it!! I made it on my embroidery machine.

US postal question, if anyone can help? Can we add "non-machinable surcharge" to the 2-stamps large flat-rate envelope (bubble mailer) to make sure it doesn't get put through the mail sorter?

@ phylis theoretically, yes -- practically -- no, i dont think so.

adding an extra stamp, a 17 cent stamp (??) or whatever the "non machinable surcharge" is -- and writing hand cancel please on it, should be enough to make them hand cancel it.

though the 2 stamp "flat" was supposed to already include an implied "non machinable surcharge"...if that makes sense. the old machines only went up to 1/4 inch thickness, so thats where that surcharge comes in, anything over 1/4 inch thick had to be hand cancelled.

but now even if they charge you for parcel rate, if the envelope looks like it will fit, they put it in the machine, with no attention to how much postage has been paid.

before those were always hand cancelled. and back then too i think the people processing mail were more careful and would always hand cancel anything that looked delicate, but not anymore.

now its like probably a rare person who is willing to do the hand cancel, and they have made new 3/4 inch thick processing machines...so these get machine processed

you could try these --->>> non machinable surcharge stamp

those and writing "hand cancel please" under the stamps, might work.

but thats more for a first class letter size, the surcharge is added already...so either extra thick, lumpy, or of odd dimensions would be allowed for an otherwise normal first class letter.

if you made them really short on one end, or greeting card extra large size, then they couldnt get it into the machines !!!

man i think i just talked myself into this idea. if only i had a lot of odd shaped envelopes. i sometimes make my own stationary, and so have used those before for actual greeting cards with hand made envelopes that were too square. but that actually would be a clever way to send seeds, and even cheaper than the two stamp bubble....while also guaranteeing hand cancelling rather than machine sorting. if you had the right thin bubble for the inside you could cut it to whatever shape.

Thanks Leila for the idea. Is the 1/4" thickness rule not enforced with the nonmachinable surcharge stamp? Someone mentioned he'll stick a used pen in the envelope to make sure it's lumpy enough to not get sent through the machine.

Sadly the postal clerks aren't the best ppl to ask. A mean one insists all bubble mailers must pay parcel rate so I avoid going to her station.

yes i believe that the non machinable surcharge stamps (or using two stamps on a letter that looks like a normal first class letter) should cover letters over 1/4 inch thickness. i wouldnt go over 3/4 inch though, but technically even a lumpy envelope, or with loose contents in it, should be covered under the "non machinable surcharge" stamps and rate (71 cents).

i'm gonna try that out someday for smaller trades of like 2-6 packets or whatever...i do have some hand made envelopes that are odd shaped, more square. i believe those could be mailed for the 72 cents rate, even being slightly over the 1/4 inch thickness, or "uniformly thick" rule...but it would be best to use those specific non machinable stamps.

sometimes i use a similar trick as with the pen, tape something down onto a cardstock thats thicker than the main packet, so that stops the pressure of the mailing machines....somewhat protecting the other packet.

some i do this with are "bonus" seed packs...calendula, or roses, others --those are crazy hard and thick enough, but if you pack them right can be taped down to be less than 1/4 inch. basically they take the brunt of the machine processing, so the other seeds arent squished. its not fool proof, but i do this sometimes with less fragile seeds, thin seeds, inside a cardstock, taped down , thicker "bonus" packs on each side-- one .49 cent stamp.

the non machinable one would be even better, just because they would automatically hand cancel them if it doesnt conform to the regular dimensions, like a square envelope.

*edit* actually i got curious enough to look this up, and i am not so sure anymore, if they can be thicker than 1/4 inch. sorry thats not too helpful, but i just dont know.

i think, previously, once before...that would work. not so sure now. but it can be lumpy, have a metal clasp, or a button, be square, or oddly shaped. i havent found one way or the other if it says it has to be under 1/4 inch or not. maybe somebody else know.

I make my own organza seed collection bags as a winter project. Use polyester organza-- it dries fastest. I don't go to the trouble of making little rectangular bags -- I cut circles, make a running stitch around the edge, and I'm good to go.

Make cereal box cardboard circles of the sizes you're likely to need. If you need bigger pieces, just tape them together w/cheap 3" wide packaging tape.

Make circles that are 3 times the size of the seed-collection poufs you want. A 9" circle (across the circle) makes a 3" round pouf; a 12" circle makes a 4" pouf; a 15" circle makes a 5" pouf, and an 18" circle makes a 6" pouf.

Lay out your fabric (no need to pre-wash) on a table covered with a big piece of corrugated cardboard. Set your cardboard circle patterns on the fabric and start marking with a Sharpie (reg, not thin). Cut out the circles.

Get a decent-sized needle and some thread. I don't bother cutting the thread off the spool -- just run the end through the needle, unwind some, and make a simple 1/4" gathering stitch all around the edge of the circle, about 1/4" inside the raw edge. Perfection isn't needed. When you get to the start, loosen any gathering that has accumulated, and make the circle lie flat with about 6" of thread hanging loose at each end; store them flat like this, or folded into quarters.

When your seed heads are forming well, bring out your circles and pull on the threads to make a pouf with a wide opening. Place the pouf over the seed head, gently pull both threads to close the pouf around the stem below the seed head, and tie a bow. If you cut off the extra thread, you'll have to sew/gather it again before you can use it again. I don't cut it off

Let the seed heads mature. This is important! Only mature seeds will sprout. Most of them darken to brown or black, but not all. They're ripe if they're falling out of their pods, for sure. Some seeds have to be gathered moist, like Trillium seeds. Do your homework. But if you bought your seeds dry, use that as a guide.

As soon as the seeds are ripe, cut the stems off & let the heads dry thoroughly indoors. Then open each pouf into a bowl and collect and label the seeds with their name (both common & scientific, if possible, and the year they were collected.

I will try doing those in a circle!!! With all the seed swaps I was in I need to harvest a lot of things for seeds.

I had traded with someone for seeds and they put hand cancel on the envelope. They had to resend because I hadn't received it in 2 weeks....I get the old envelope and the new envelope....the old one was shredded!!! At least we found out what happened to the first one!!

thats a good idea with the circles. i used to make a lot of pouch bags, in circular or even, my favorite, the flower petal shape, that when gathered together with a good tie string, make pouch shapes like that.

i am lazy and just buy tons of organaza bags very cheaply. actually i use them for sales of my crafts, they are prettier and more useful than just a plastic ziplock or paper bags i could use for selling them. so i tend to have a lot of those around and use them in that way...also to dry and gather seeds. keep a few in my purse for wandering around, just in case i find good seeds =)

it would be nice to have some extra large ones. something else i have read of and never tried - panty hose. i bet those would work pretty well in a pinch. for all those seeds that like to explode everywhere when they disburse themselves.

I would advise against making letters lumpy. These will be charged as parcels, at least in my post office.

Since this post came back to the top I have updated my trade list :D But I will not be trading until after February 10th.

Thanks gvozdika for the tip!!

Leila I might have to check for pre-made ones at the rate I'm going...lol

Thanks~ Cheryl