Greetings tea lovers! We are a new company dealing only in rare and
unusual teas, and we've just opened our "doors" in America. Please
take a moment to visit www.kasora.com. We are not yet optimized for
search engines, and only 75% of our inventory is uploaded currently,
but we want true tea lovers to visit first and let us know what they
think. Thank you so much for your time!

!!! L-O-L ,
for your prices i'd rather buy some 'average' tea from my local store.


wrote:
> Greetings tea lovers! We are a new company dealing only in rare and
> unusual teas, and we've just opened our "doors" in America. Please
> take a moment to visit www.kasora.com. We are not yet optimized for
> search engines, and only 75% of our inventory is uploaded currently,
> but we want true tea lovers to visit first and let us know what they
> think. Thank you so much for your time!

Thank you for your gracious introduction, appropriate vendor notices
are appreciated. The site seems nice enough, but a little low on
information, and the prices are waaay out of my range.

wrote:
> Greetings tea lovers! We are a new company dealing only in rare and
> unusual teas, and we've just opened our "doors" in America. Please
> take a moment to visit www.kasora.com. We are not yet optimized for
> search engines, and only 75% of our inventory is uploaded currently,
> but we want true tea lovers to visit first and let us know what they
> think. Thank you so much for your time!


While your pictures show tea that "appears" to be of very high quality,
your prices are also astronomical by most standards.

You display teas seem awfully over priced. I am quite familiar with
that genre and your prices borderline on exorbitant. Are these any
better than the display teas we typicaly get from Kunming?

Your Yunnan Gold "looks" good but at $285 per kg it is 5-10 times
higher than what we pay for it on eBay coming directly from mainland
China.

The other teas I see are similarly high. You are unknown to us, we do
not know you or your teas. They may very well be excellent. May I
suggest that you might consider putting together, and selling, a sample
assortment? Lets say 15g each of your teas in order to let us consumers
judge if your tea really is worth the extreme premium you are charging.
You are expecting us to have too much faith in a vendor who has no
reputation. There is no way I am going to pay $200+ per kg, for tea
that I have not tried, from a Vendor I do not know.
_____
Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net

To add as example:

From kasora (http://www.kasora.com/servlet/Detail?no=11)
Makaibari Silver Tips (FTGFOP1S) 2006 1st Flush
1 oz = $38
----------------------------------
From Silvertips (http://silvertipstea.hostasaurus.com/)
Organic Makaibari Estate 1st Flush 2006 FTGFOP1S - Fair Trade Certified
2 oz =$4.50

Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips 2005 - Fair Trade Certified
2 oz = $15.75

Yeah, 1t's 2005 and not 2006 .. but still the price for Silver Tips is 5x !!
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com

"TeaDave" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Thank you for your gracious introduction, appropriate vendor notices
> are appreciated. The site seems nice enough, but a little low on
> information, and the prices are waaay out of my range.
>

Dear Mr. Prasad.

I don't normally respond to these posts replies myself, but I had the
unexpected luxury of a little free time this afternoon, so I figured
I'd take a stab. The Makaibari Silver tips first flush we are offering
is the last of that tea that has not already been purchased or sold
elsewhere. Take a stroll around the internet and try to find it and
you will see what we're talking about. Can you buy Makaibari FTGFOP1S
silver tips somewhere else? In addition, if you manage to find it, how
has it been stored? In a bag or some sort of "airtight" container?
And is it the tea they are actually claiming it to be? Many places
offering Darjeeling tea are reluctant to list the year of harvest, and
it is quite telling to say the least. Kasora will always list flush
years because they are important. And Kasora will always dispose of
tea that is past its freshness window, no matter the financial loss.
It is what our customers expect, and it is what they get.

Darjeeling teas are extremely delicate teas. They require storage in
airtight, inert gas environments, and after as little as six months
they have already lost much of their precious spirit. You quote prices
for a first flush 2005 tea that are low. As they should be for such an
old tea, most likely stored under inferior conditions.

We stand by the high quality of our teas, and we do understand that
they are out of the price range of many people. It is our experience
that there are serious tea lovers who are willing to pay for the
highest quality, and that is what they get with Kasora.

Thanks for your feedback,
S. Hudson Bedell
C.E.O Kasora Special Reserve Teas

Aloke Prasad wrote:
> To add as example:
>
> From kasora (http://www.kasora.com/servlet/Detail?no=11)
> Makaibari Silver Tips (FTGFOP1S) 2006 1st Flush
> 1 oz = $38
> ----------------------------------
> From Silvertips (http://silvertipstea.hostasaurus.com/)
> Organic Makaibari Estate 1st Flush 2006 FTGFOP1S - Fair Trade Certified
> 2 oz =$4.50
>
> Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips 2005 - Fair Trade Certified
> 2 oz = $15.75
>
> Yeah, 1t's 2005 and not 2006 .. but still the price for Silver Tips is 5x !!
> --
> Aloke
> ----
> to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com
>
> "TeaDave" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Thank you for your gracious introduction, appropriate vendor notices
> > are appreciated. The site seems nice enough, but a little low on
> > information, and the prices are waaay out of my range.
> >

I agree with you that the value of any product cannot be determined without
tasting it and comparing apples to apples. So your point is well-taken.

Ultimately, the value of any product is whatever the market will bear.

I have no interest in Silver Tips Tea Room, other than as a satisfied
customer. However, if you believe what they write in
http://www.silvertipstea.com/about_us.html
then it appears that the site is owned by the sister-in-law of the owner of
Makaibari estates. I'm assuming that this increases the probability that
they are selling genuine Makaibari products, as described on their product
description pages.Unfortunately, I am not in the financial position to be
able to sample and compare your products with theirs.

Good luck with your stores. Anything that promotes tea consumption,
especially in US, is a good thing.
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Dear Mr. Prasad.
>
> I don't normally respond to these posts replies myself, but I had the
> unexpected luxury of a little free time this afternoon, so I figured
> I'd take a stab. The Makaibari Silver tips first flush we are offering
> is the last of that tea that has not already been purchased or sold
> elsewhere. Take a stroll around the internet and try to find it and
> you will see what we're talking about. Can you buy Makaibari FTGFOP1S
> silver tips somewhere else? In addition, if you manage to find it, how
> has it been stored? In a bag or some sort of "airtight" container?
> And is it the tea they are actually claiming it to be? Many places
> offering Darjeeling tea are reluctant to list the year of harvest, and
> it is quite telling to say the least. Kasora will always list flush
> years because they are important. And Kasora will always dispose of
> tea that is past its freshness window, no matter the financial loss.
> It is what our customers expect, and it is what they get.
>
> Darjeeling teas are extremely delicate teas. They require storage in
> airtight, inert gas environments, and after as little as six months
> they have already lost much of their precious spirit. You quote prices
> for a first flush 2005 tea that are low. As they should be for such an
> old tea, most likely stored under inferior conditions.
>
> We stand by the high quality of our teas, and we do understand that
> they are out of the price range of many people. It is our experience
> that there are serious tea lovers who are willing to pay for the
> highest quality, and that is what they get with Kasora.
>
> Thanks for your feedback,
> S. Hudson Bedell
> C.E.O Kasora Special Reserve Teas
>
> Aloke Prasad wrote:
>> To add as example:
>>
>> From kasora (http://www.kasora.com/servlet/Detail?no=11)
>> Makaibari Silver Tips (FTGFOP1S) 2006 1st Flush
>> 1 oz = $38
>> ----------------------------------
>> From Silvertips (http://silvertipstea.hostasaurus.com/)
>> Organic Makaibari Estate 1st Flush 2006 FTGFOP1S - Fair Trade Certified
>> 2 oz =$4.50
>>
>> Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips 2005 - Fair Trade Certified
>> 2 oz = $15.75
>>
>> Yeah, 1t's 2005 and not 2006 .. but still the price for Silver Tips is 5x
>> !!
>> --
>> Aloke
>> ----
>> to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com
>>
>> "TeaDave" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>> > Thank you for your gracious introduction, appropriate vendor notices
>> > are appreciated. The site seems nice enough, but a little low on
>> > information, and the prices are waaay out of my range.
>> >
>

wrote:
> We stand by the high quality of our teas, and we do understand that
> they are out of the price range of many people. It is our experience
> that there are serious tea lovers who are willing to pay for the
> highest quality, and that is what they get with Kasora.
>
> Thanks for your feedback,
> S. Hudson Bedell
> C.E.O Kasora Special Reserve Teas

Hello,

I am not speaking for everyone here nor am I trying to be difficult,
but I have never heard of Kasora before. Nor has anyone here so far, I
think you may be underestimating the people on this newsgroup as far as
quality, affordability, and knowledge. Many of us get our tea directly
from the source weeks after it is made available, and are happy to
spend more than the average person for our favorites. Some here even
take it a step farther and actually go to the site and participate...
so please understand our reservations. If the tea is so fresh, then
storage is not really a concern since it will be packaged properly and
sold in short order.

As Mike has asked, we would be interested in a sample system to try and
evaluate your product. If it is as high-end as you claim, I think you
would have no problem gaining a few customers. How long have you been
in business? In what area?

Thanks,
- Dominic

wrote:
> I don't normally respond to these posts replies myself, but I had the
> unexpected luxury of a little free time this afternoon, so I figured
> I'd take a stab. The Makaibari Silver tips first flush we are offering
> is the last of that tea that has not already been purchased or sold
> elsewhere. Take a stroll around the internet and try to find it and
> you will see what we're talking about. Can you buy Makaibari FTGFOP1S
> silver tips somewhere else?

Yes it is available elsewhere, a quick search yielded several sources
who make the exact same claims that you do, including vintage, and
every single one of these is much less expensive.
http://tinyurl.com/l9now
http://tinyurl.com/znucq
http://tinyurl.com/hd9zj (yes this one is sold out, but look at their
price compared to yours)
http://tinyurl.com/gxbyh (very similar)

> In addition, if you manage to find it, how
> has it been stored? In a bag or some sort of "airtight" container?
> And is it the tea they are actually claiming it to be?

Why should we trust you more than we would trust these others? EVERBODY
"says" that they store their teas well, and they all say that their
teas are authentic. There is an old saying that "the tea doesn't
lie", which means that really the only way that we can know that your
tea is better than anyone else's is to try it. However, since the
price of admission is so high with your teas I strongly recommend
offering a sampler assortment. As Dominic stated, many of us are true
aficionados who WILL spend top dollar on tea, but you are unknown to
us, and EVERYBODY out there claims their tea is the best!

The thing you must understand is that most of us have been ripped off
too many times by vendors who claimed to offer great tea but only
delivered mediocre leaf at best. So, we are naturally skeptical when a
new kid comes on the block making fantastic claims. Since we can't
see, touch, smell, or taste your tea before we make our purchase we
have every right to be skeptical until we get to know you! You may have
the best tea in the world but this group is getting very street-wise
about our mail order purchases, and while many of us are willing to pay
top dollar for top leaf we also expect you to prove yourself before we
shell out the big bucks. The easiest way to prove yourself is to
offer/sell some samples or sample assortments.

The tea doesn't lie!
____
Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net

wrote:
> I don't normally respond to these posts .....

Please note that it is a bit of an insult to our group for you to
advertise here then say that you don't normally respond to our replies.
After all it was you who asked us to tell you "what we think". If you
dont intend to respond to our feedback then please dont advertise here.

____
Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net

Mike Petro wrote:
> wrote:
> > I don't normally respond to these posts .....
>
> Please note that it is a bit of an insult to our group for you to
> advertise here then say that you don't normally respond to our replies.
> After all it was you who asked us to tell you "what we think". If you
> dont intend to respond to our feedback then please dont advertise here.
>
> ____
> Mike
> http://www.pu-erh.net

I had forgot to address this in my reply, but you did a good job and
more succinctly than I would have probably.

For anyone who wants a strange insight to the OP, search google for
Hudson Bedell or . This guy is a self-proclaimed
Taoist Priest, Ukelele Playing, Aspiring Bartender, English Teacher,
Meditation teacher, and apparently "super-duper-ultra-high-end tea
purveyor" from Albuquerque, NM as well as Japan. Now _that_ is quite
the mix... No wonder he doesn't have time to respond to posts he makes
about his new business ventures to try to gain customers.

And it is to you Hudson Bedell - Bartender, Teacher, Ukelele Player,
Tea Purveyor, Taoist Priest - that I raise my cup of Pu-Erh!

....or more likely you bought an assload of tea while you were in Japan
and are selling it for a 5000% markup now that you are home to help pay
for your trip...

- Dominic

Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips Imperial 2006 - Fair Trade Certified - hand
rolled
2 oz - $15.75
http://tinyurl.com/jpg3e (SilverTipsTea)


I am not affiliated with SilverTipsTea in any way, not even as a customer.

wrote:
> And it is to you Hudson Bedell - Bartender, Teacher, Ukelele Player,
> Tea Purveyor, Taoist Priest - that I raise my cup of Pu-Erh!
>
> ...or more likely you bought an assload of tea while you were in Japan
> and are selling it for a 5000% markup now that you are home to help pay
> for your trip...
>
> - Dominic

Aww, it seems like Mr. Bedell was found out and decided to pull his
posts for some reason... just a slight hint to Mr. Bedell and to other
wannabe spammer/scammers. I take great offense to this type of
behavior, I am also a security and investigative expert... I will not
personally stand for it. I can and will pursue those who are engaged in
any sort of illegal attempt at scamming others here.

Regular one-post spammers/scammers are one thing, but when you
willfully provide false information and cross the line into illegal
practices I'll call you out every time.

Have a great day,
- Dominic

Mike Petro wrote:
> wrote:
> > Greetings tea lovers! We are a new company dealing only in rare and
>
> You display teas seem awfully over priced. I am quite familiar with
> that genre and your prices borderline on exorbitant. Are these any
> better than the display teas we typicaly get from Kunming?

The Darjeelings are also at least double the retail prices elsewhere
for identical estate/year/flush marques.

--Blair

Not to nitpick, but what "false" information did this guy provide? All
I saw was him trying to tell you about his new website where he sells
tea that is way too pricey (I mean, seriously!), and then you bunch of
babies begging for samples. I did take your advice and did a search on
the guy. I found a bunch of stuff from ukulele websites (that's
hilarious) and this:

Editor,

I have been following the letters in the Daily Lobo recently and felt
compelled to speak.

Not to agree or to disagree with any of the writers, but merely to
offer an idea that may have escaped the attention of so many
emotionally-charged minds.

It seems apparent that this country is headed off to war. I wonder if
any of you understand what that means? I wonder, can you set aside your
emotions for a minute and look at it with a clear and still mind?

War is death. And not the death of just soldiers or terrorists. It is
the death of innocents. It is the death of normal people with no
policies to defend, borders to police, or political ambitions to fuel.
It's not just soldiers who die in war; it's everyone. To ignore
that truth is to live in blindness.

You look into your televisions and you see only people being packaged
to be your enemy. You don't see the man in love, the child at play,
the joke being told, the meal being cooked, or the garden being tended.

You see six seconds of children jumping for joy that so many Americans
have died, and endless footage of turbaned leaders calling for
"holy" war. As if there could be such a thing.

Do not misunderstand me. I have no concern for politics. To me it is
just as deviant to destroy buildings full of people as it is to kill
thousands with economic sanctions. One of your writers closed his
letter with, "All civilized peoples must stand against and ruthlessly
destroy this evil."

I wonder, what would happen if all civilized people stood and refused
to destroy at all?

He continues with. "It does not deserve careful consideration of
whatever 'reasons' might have resulted in this specific attack.

It is wrong, it has changed our nation and it should pay."

Perhaps this is true. But one thing is certain. When it comes time to
extract "payment" for these wrongs, it will not be just those who
have committed these actions and those who harbor and support them who
pick up the tab.

It will be people. Regular everyday people, just like you and me. A
whole new batch of suffering, and this eternal movement of conflict
within the human consciousness will go on and on. Make no mistake,
killing the innocent during the seeking of revenge is still killing the
innocent, even when you innocuously label them "collateral damage."

I am told that a group of students once approached Mother Theresa about
participating in an anti-war march they were organizing. When she
declined, they were aghast. How could this woman, considered so
saintly, decline to march against war?

"I will not march against war," she told them. "But, if you ever
have a march in support of peace, I will walk beside you proudly."

I wonder. Can we do this? Not Americans or Afghanis or whatever foolish
labels we apply to ourselves, but "us" the regular people. Can we
cease this endless need to oppose and destroy what we dislike and
instead promote what we do?

Hudson Bedell
Ordained Taoist Priest

After I read that, all I could say was "wow". I won't buy any tea from
this guy, but wow.

Vicky.

Dominic T. wrote:
> wrote:
> > And it is to you Hudson Bedell - Bartender, Teacher, Ukelele Player,
> > Tea Purveyor, Taoist Priest - that I raise my cup of Pu-Erh!
> >
> > ...or more likely you bought an assload of tea while you were in Japan
> > and are selling it for a 5000% markup now that you are home to help pay
> > for your trip...
> >
> > - Dominic
>
> Aww, it seems like Mr. Bedell was found out and decided to pull his
> posts for some reason... just a slight hint to Mr. Bedell and to other
> wannabe spammer/scammers. I take great offense to this type of
> behavior, I am also a security and investigative expert... I will not
> personally stand for it. I can and will pursue those who are engaged in
> any sort of illegal attempt at scamming others here.
>
> Regular one-post spammers/scammers are one thing, but when you
> willfully provide false information and cross the line into illegal
> practices I'll call you out every time.
>
> Have a great day,
> - Dominic

wrote:
> Not to nitpick, but what "false" information did this guy provide? All
> I saw was him trying to tell you about his new website where he sells
> tea that is way too pricey (I mean, seriously!), and then you bunch of
> babies begging for samples. I did take your advice and did a search on
> the guy. I found a bunch of stuff from ukulele websites (that's
> hilarious) and this:

Well, let me tell you... I have information that I can't share here
from some searches I did initially on this "company" that are quite
telling. On top of that the response that this person made made some
claims that are false, which is illegal.

There are no laws stating someone can't sell an overpriced product,
there are laws against proper business registration and conduct. There
are also laws against mirepresenting your product.

The ukelele stuff and the fact that he claims to be a toaist preist
(under a number of different concentrations which change in everyone
of his posts) were just for fun and to let this guy know that I knew
who he was. This is a scam, and I have enough respect for the others on
this NG to try to prevent them from being taken (not that any I know
would have been, but maybe newcomers).

You are also wrong on another point. No one here is asking for *FREE*
samples, we are asking for a sample selection TO PURCHASE so that _we_
may decide for ourselves if they are legit and if the product is really
worth the prices stated. Please watch when you jump to conclusions
without all the facts. If they are a legit dealer, they will be happy
to work out an arrangement, when they are not this is an instant
giveaway. Between the folks on this NG we spend more on tea than most
household's make each year. I know that this year alone I have about
$400-500 personally in my tea, and this has been a slow year for me and
it is only half over. Multiply that by the lot of us and the few who
eclipse even my expenditures and you will see it is about the wisest
business decision to offer a sample selection at a fair price if you
stand by your product and want our business.

Sorry for the confusion, and I hope that clears it up.

- Dominic

Not only are the prices ridiculous, even for the loveliest of teas. It
is, in my opion as a N.D. (naturapathic doctor), unethical to stick
substances such a Gaba (which can be mood altering) into a tea ("Rain")
without a complete explanation (full disclosure).
The teas sound fine, but not much unlike any other in the market. And,
like everyone heard from, unbelievably expensive.
We do live, though, dishonorable as it can be sometimes, in a "what the
market will bear" economy.
Shen

wrote:
> then you bunch of
> babies begging for samples.

That is a little harsh isn't it Vicky? All we asked for was a sample
assortment that we could *purchase* in order to evaluate if his teas
were indeed as premium as he claimed. To the best of my recollection,
nobody asked for a hand-out! I can name many honest vendors who
accommodate sampling, at a fair price, because they want our repeat
business.

This group, which is frequented by many aficionados and connoisseurs,
is a very powerful buying force in the market. We have every right to
*demand* that vendors, who want our business, prove themselves. Blind
faith alone will seldom attract my dollars anymore. Like Dominic, and
dozens of others in this group, I have spent larger sums of money on
tea than I am willing to admit to publicly. I am not afraid to pay for
quality, but I *demand* proof of that quality before I shell out the
big bucks. The tea doesn't lie, but many vendors do!

The days of falling for unsubstantiated claims, believing mystical
stories of virgins and/or monkeys picking tea, or chests of ancient
puerh being "accidentally discovered" in someone's attic are over
for me. There is *no* better marketing technique than to let the tea
speak for itself. If the tea is truly premium, the tea will tell us,
and there are many amongst us who *will* buy.

I mentioned this in another group recently:
I now have a set of standards when buying aged, or premium, teas. I
will only buy teas that meet one of the following criteria.
1) They come form a vendor I know and trust.
2) I have personally sampled the tea.
3) Someone I know and trust has sampled the tea.
I have been disappointed, the vast majority of the time, when I have
not followed the above standards.

It is up to us consumers to DEMAND fair and honest transactions from
the vendors who want our business.
____
Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Not to nitpick, but what "false" information did this guy provide? All
....

redmonkey8... uh, I mean Vicky, how about some tea samples.