Ways to send seeds... WAY TO SEND SEEDS!

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#1

Hi guys. I’m sad today. I’m also angry. And I’m missing something. Things actually. Beans.

I’m not saying anyone didn’t send out theirs, I actually think it ALL got sent. I, though, also feel, like the coin flip into Europe is not just a danger to my personal safety, but also something that is landing hundreds of seeds in the can.

There are a MILLION ways to send seeds. I ask of you to think along. I ask of you to be CREATIVE. I ask we WORK TOGETHER to overgrow the world.

In order to make sure no ones copies my idea, because let’s face it, it’s the copy that killed the cat, I won’t post my idea. I also ask of you NOT to post your idea. Instead of sharing ideas about how to send seeds, that can then be copied, or made money on by selling people seed holders, let’s share what protects seeds.

Seeds are protected by materials thicker than they are. Seed shipments are also protected by being as flat as possible and being relatively free of oddities.

Remember the days of the Grateful Dead. Be CREATIVE. We can use NATURAL MATERIALS, that are preferably FREE. I think most everyone here owns a corded or cordless drill. I’m not gonna say more than IT MAKES HOLES; a shitload of us people here will also have access to a paper perforator. That makes holes too!

Holes can be covered with tape.

In closing I would like to add that I sincerely hope this is a completely useless message and I’ll receive a couple bean letters any day, but I fear there is more at play than lost mail, and that makes me skiddish to say the least.

Let’s not let the “handy coin flip” flip us off into jail.

I also want to sincerely thank the people that took the effort to send me seeds, regardless if they arrived, and let you know I don’t hold grudges or anything the like. This is not a message to berate you or any others that send coin flips so please don’t take it that way. It’s just that I see room for improvement and a higher level of personal safety.

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#2

I didn’t understand your text completely because the translation is not exact, but on the whole I think I understood the substance of your message.

It is important to be careful with sending seeds for sure!

My idea was to make a thin key ring with a drill as you say, to add a ring and a fictitious key.

What do you think of the idea?

#3

Honestly? It stinks.

Think of it this way: your letter is supposed to be a letter, so it’s supposed to hold something that is sent in a letter, and postal machines work at a VERY high rate and shoot letters through rolls and whatnot. when at a certain point your letter becomes noticed because it will get stuck in the rolls, IT ATTRACTS ATTENTION.

At this point it will probably NOT be in the rolls yet, if it is, the letter got ripped. If it’s not, the letter got sidetracked because it didn’t fit the rolls in the machine. Both are not ideal situations.

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#4

What in the world comes flat? And how flat must it be? It all depends on your envelope! A padded one can take some wiggle room, and usually does well, but is more expensive and not necessary. I have no idea if padded envelopes are accepted as personal mail in the US, if it’s treated similar to a postcard, or if it’s treated as goods that need declaring or something?

Off the top of my head, cheese slices, wood boards, cardboard, washcloth, fabric samples, ham slices, corrugated cardboard, flat matchstick packets, cards of various nature, hankerchiefs, all come flat enough to be shipped, and could be drilled into, taped over, made into a tiny flat box, or whatever, with some imagination and willingness.

Ok, I won’t like it if you send me cheese or ham and seeds might go rancid inside it, but you catch my drift, there’s a million ideas to explore, but whatever idea you end up with, should ideally be scrutinized to the postal process.

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#5

Have you bothered to look at the methods others are using other than washers and coin flips?
I have sent all over the world using corrugated plastic sign material successfully.
Pucks are also a very good method.

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#6

I’ve personally had 100% success with the coin flip method. Pretty much everything I get is from overseas and there’s definitely been a few letters come through over the last few years. I’m keen to hear about improvements to sending but I’m very happy with the results

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#7

I’ve heard of pucks, if they are the 3D printed thingies, I both like and dislike them. It’s a good way to protect seeds, but at the same time I prefer to keep things natural and not have to own a 3D printer. I don’t even have a regular printer :grimacing:

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#8

I’ve sent seeds to many places in Europe in coinflip/card all have gotten to where they were sent.
I will continue to use this method as long as it works for me.

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#9

I understand but I think there are a lot of keys sent by mail, if the key ring is discreet… I guess it can pass…
Even if the mail is opened, it’s still just a key! :wink:

I’ll make an example and put a picture… to get an idea!

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#10

But it’s true that the small cardboard with a plastic seal to protect the seeds works really well in general!

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#11

I like coin flips. I do tape them to the top of the spine of the card so it feels like one of those musical birthday cards at first glance.

Or buy some pucks.

Or drill holes in something.

Or use corrugated cardboard or plasticor.

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#12

Or
How to safely send seeds across the pond
Or one of the other threads on this topic to be found with a search

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#13

UberSeeds - new business idea.

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#14

man I absolutely despise that corrugated plastic…

–

This right here.
I’ve sent out over 300 cards to europe and the rest of the world with 1-6 flips each without any issues. Every single one landed. Maybe shipper error or something?

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#15

Maybe you should ask people sending to you to specifically use different packaging, if you don’t want them to be sent using the standard packaging that most of the forum uses… seems like an easier way to get where you want than trying to change the habits of of the entire forum.

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#16

I concur. I’ve sent MANY flips in cards, all over the globe, with out any problems. The exception being Australia. That place is a bean eating black hole! :sweat_smile: Not really, I only lost a couple there but had 5-6 make it to the land of plenty.
:grin::v:

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#17

I’m starting to think my adress is flagged or something fml

#18

Same, everything shipped to me in a coin flip has made it. Anything I sent with a flip made it. It’s under the thickness and weight for a regular stamp. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it :grin:

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#19

what if yer addy appears broke…?

#20

I use the smallest box possible and send bags of unpopped popcorn along with the beans taped to the side of bags. probably not that Great for international/crossing borders but it’s how I feel good about less chance of damage or vanishing. never had a box not make it and never had damage to the seeds.

p.s. doing it the cheapest way possible assumes risks. eg. coin flip in a letter than goes through many rollers and squish points.

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