Hi Renny,



On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 05:34:57 +0000, Renny
> wrote:

>
>Hey Mike,
>The only real way to get any good tea (in the mail that is) is to have
>someone you trust send it to you from China. If the guy you trust
>cheats you I suppose you should learn the intracacies of caveat
>emptor.

Yes, I have been buying puerh directly from China for years now, and
you are right that it is largely a matter of trust. It is not only
enough to trust your vendor's ethics but you also must trust your
vendors knowledge level. This is particularly true for Westerners
trying to buy aged puerh. Many of the vendors in the US don't know
enough not to get ripped off themselves and they then innocently pass
off these poor purchases onto their customers. As you know the vendors
at the markets in Kunming or Guangzhou think nothing of ripping off
Chinese customers so you can only imagine what they would do to an
unsuspecting laowai. I have developed good relationships with honest
vendors at both of these tea markets but even so I seldom buy aged
tea.


>Did he really say the only way to get good puer in the states was to go
>to China town or did I misunderstand?

Yes, a year ago when I was condoning buying puerh from ebay and other
Internet vendors he did chastise me heavily for not traveling 6 hours
to the nearest Chinatown. Now he is buying from the same people I
recommended back then.

Don't pay much attention to the exchanges between Space Cadet (Cowboy)
and myself. He has attacked me with a vengeance ever since I opened A
website a year and a half ago that teaches people about puerh. My site
is non-commercial and I don't sell anything at all, not even
advertising, however I do provide links to every online resource I can
find. He is determined to insult it and me anyway he can. Just search
out the "Poo Poo Puerh" thread dated Feb 14th 2004 and you will see
what I mean. Its all a matter of public record.

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
"In this work, when it shall be found that much is omitted, let it not be forgotten that much likewise is performed."
Samuel Johnson, 1775, upon finishing his dictionary.