Seed Runs Co-Op Logistics/Cost/OT Discussion Megathread

@Hephaestus can you please provide a link to the Amazon labels you mention that are compatible with the QL-550?

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They used to have a amazon brand version - now even comes up 404 in my buying history.

Think it’s the aegis DK-2205 that amazon called their own.

The betkey doesn’t stick for sh*t like the brother oem ones from staples. I’m 100% sure on that.

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thanks for the tip, I will avoid those.

Does anyone have any experience with these?


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Even the crappy brother ones from staples - just a matter of running packing tape across the label.

Just way easier if it’s one step. Peel stick done.

Most of mine go onto plastic padded mailers so stick is usually my greatest concern.

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From what I recall, the $8 flat rate plus the 2 dollars per strain was supposed to cover the packaging expenses from what I recall from the payment restructuring you all did last year.

I’m on my phone right now and scrolling is more difficult but I believe it is outlined in post 1 of either this thread or another coop thread in this category

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Here is the thread that discusses the Co-ops. I think I pinned it back to the top of the Seed Run Co-op category, but I’m not real savvy yet with my leader abilities, I may have just pinned it to the top for myself. Let me know if you guys see this at the top now. If not I’ll figure it out… For now, as far as distro, cost etc… should all be explained here.

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it is at the top of the Breeder category. Not sure this thread and some others as well as it might need a sub category of the breeders…or its own.

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Well, if the co-op needs a separate thread pinned or something or another thread they can start one or let me know if they need something pinned. I just noticed that the same questions keep coming up that have been worked out, so I figured the “Read First” thread should be back at the top for people if it wasn’t anymore.

Seeing everyone going in circles seems silly when these things have already been answered and addressed, especially when they made a READ FIRST thread. lol

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well it is not entirely clear to anyone just seeing say a preservation run that it is the co-op that distributes ,could be wrong of course. a search of the breeder category with co-op yields 18 threads. I just prefer some structure lol ocd likely

also not so much a thread rather a category to sort things better …getting to be alot in that breeder
cat

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Maybe they could put a link to the read first thread in their initial post with the standard preservation run sign-up sheet. So everyone ummm Reads first…before signing up?

The Seed Runs Co-op is already a subcategory of the Breeder’s Lab. So it already is OCD organized lol

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I’m no breeder, and like many millions of other people around the country, I’m currently unemployed due to the pandemic. As such, with the seeds I’ve produced for the Overgrow coop, it’s important that I provide a lot of seeds for almost no cost. Here’s how I’ve done it:

I’ve packaged my seeds in 0.5ml centrifuge tubes and put those in 2" x 3" heat-sealed mylar bags (thanks to @SCJedi for the suggestions). Instead of wasting time counting, I make enough seeds so that each tube is filled full and holds between 20-26 seeds, depending on the variety. No reason to skimp on F2 since they’ll have such wide variation (I hate it when people skimp). Bigger seeds = fewer per tube, but size doesn’t mean shit.

Anyway, on that mylar bag is a 1" x 2-5/8" label printed on my laser printer. Nothing fancy because it’s what’s inside that counts - I’m not trying to impress anyone, just provide an accurate label.

Total cost of packaging for each is around $0.50. Despite being perpetually broke, I never want to receive any money in return for cannabis. I consider all of this a donation in service to the community that has given me so much. For the future, I’m researching biodegradable packaging, since all these little plastic things slowly poison our planet.

This is how things will be sent to Sebring. If I send any direct to people after the co-op seed run is over, I’ll use an alternative method in first class letter mail, rather than shipping each one as an expensive shipment. That method is pretty cheap as well, and very reliable, but less fancy.

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I love that sort of thinking. Don’t feel too bad about the ones you are using now though, my guess is that most of the stoner recipients will reuse them for other seeds once they are empty. Little things to put seeds in or to share them always seem to come in handy. I personally never throw them out.

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We are looking for a new volunteer for distribution in latin america.

I want to thank madscientist for all his volunteer work distributing the previous co-op projects.
After checking in with all of the distributors, madscientist let me know he was having too many problems with the mail service in his country.

If anybody would like to volunteer as a new distributor for latin america, please leave a note here.
if you you would like to suggest someone, please PM them and ask if they would like to volunteer.

We would love to hear from all of the latin american members, please post here if you have any suggestions, ideas, or questions.

Thanks everyone

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I totally understand what you’re saying. I was more referring ‘reimbursement’ which is different then ‘profit’.
The breeders are ‘losing’ money, but the distributors are also doing a lot of work, I was just thinking about some ways to keep the distro happy.

In a ‘co-op’ the members usually split/share all the expenses and overhead.

I’m not trying to change anything. Just throwing out an idea/option - I wanted to make sure no one was getting overwhelmed by their projects or commitments. You guys were rocking along before I got here, so I’m not trying to interfere or derail anything. :innocent:

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Great post. Thanks for doing all that. For me, the labeling and packing are the hard part.
I tend to overdo things- I spent $20+ mailing out 5 packs of seeds. But that was my choice. and I added a lot of extra stealth feature. But no way could I do that for 20 packages. I tried the drip line as a container, but it’s hard to fill it and then stuff it with cotton. I found a corrugated plastic sign that I will try for a few mailouts. I like the vials, but I’d probably need 2 or 3 per package but NBD.
My handwriting is in the ‘doctor-scribble’ variety, so I like printed labels, but then I need a templates and matching labels.
For the mailing labels, I went low tech and just copied the address into notepad and printed it out, cut it out with a pair of scissors and used packing tape to affix it to the envelope.
So my system obviously leaves a lot to be desired.

As they say “Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics”

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Avery seems to be the dominant brand in labels. They offer standard templates to match their different size labels. But for me, it always takes a bit of tweaking and test printing to get it to work correctly.
Anyone have any other advice on mass producing the labels?

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For a long time I used the half a4 packing list sleeves then it’s just print on the laser slide it in and you have mailing and return - but that’s huge for an envelope…

That’s why the label printers designed for printing makes sense. The avery packs are super expensive solutions.

Gotta figure out how to send the cut command - had it printing this week straight out of excel. But then it’s a continuous print. Not that scissors are hard to separate them :rofl:

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I hate that corrugated plastic. You NEED to put in chopsticks or something on the sides so it doesn’t crush, and they’re just a big pita to take seeds out of without mixing or damaging any compared to other shipping containers.

Centrifuge vials are cheap on amazon or ebay. Can usually get at least a couple hundred vials for less than $10. The 0.5ml should do ~15-20 seeds. The 1ml vials will easily fit ~30-40. May or may not be compatible with rollers in an envelope.

If the vials are too small to deal with due to arthritis or other issues, Lacon Sample Containers are a bit more expensive but sooo much easier to work with. These are what i’ve seen Sebring use for a lot of the seeds he sends out. These should also easily fit in an envelope for the rollers.

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They are right on the limit, you have to tape them between to piece’s of card so they don’t move and keep the tab and hinge to the side’s.

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You can use excel or word to print labels. It lets you choose Avery sizes and numbers. It’s not complicated. If you have any experience with Microsoft office it’s fairly user friendly.

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