> wrote:

>2) Selling older cakes in small bits? That seems awfully strange.
>It's also much, much more difficult to tell the authenticity of any
>particular old tea when it's only coming in pieces. In fact, you
>can't even tell if they're all from the same batch sometimes.
>
>MarshalN
>http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN


The thing is, in my neck of the woods, I have no teashops that I can
go try a pot of ancient tea from a reputable source. Consequently I
actually appreciate the opportunity to get smaller bits. I fully agree
that authenticity is extremely difficult if not impossible, however I
personally cant afford very many whole cakes of 60s and 70s era teas,
particularly site unseen.

I wish more vendors would sell aged tea by the gram. For example Guang
at Hou De often sells small bits and I fully appreciate that fact. As
a result I bought a full cake of 60s GYG from him because I tasted the
tea and really liked it. Was it authentic, I think so, but I am no
expert on aged puerh since I cant afford very much of it. All I know
is that I liked it and that's all that counts. I would never buy a
whole cake of 60s era puerh from *anyone* unless I really knew the
vendor, or I tasted it first. Hence the small bits I can taster are
really appreciated.

GrandTea is another vendor who occasionally offers small bits of
predominantly authentic old tea. Teahub does as well, but like I
admonished in another thread, they seldom post a price list.

___________
Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net