Like maybe many of you readers, I was hoping to purchase some puerh if the deals were right on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Things looked promising...
Out of the gates Essence of Tea did something kind of different and interesting that I never saw before. They offered a 20% more tea offer where they would add 20% of the value of your purchase toward any tea you wanted (per gram price). Very cool. I looked though their selection- there was surely a few that I am interested in but just didn't bite.
white2tea offered a bit of true discount and a lot of marketing spectacular side show which I totally enjoyed. They did offer free shipping and a free limited 200g Huang Pian cake on orders over $500.00. They added a few new puerh to their 2017 line up (here, here, here) that coincided with the sale. One that made me laugh out loud was their April fools special. I wonder how many suckers fell for that one. I definitely gave it a double check. You know what they say "You can't fool a fool!" hahaha Brilliant.
Yunnan Sourcing offered a 13% off everything sale which will probably see the best discounts this whole year. Anyone into puerh could probably find something they like. I had my eyes on a few cakes in the weeks and months before the sale and was ready to buy. I had some of those awesome loyalty points (cleaver marketing) sitting in my account for a while so really things seemed optimistic. However, I was disappointed when some of the cakes I was eyeing were marked up since I last check their prices (in the days?, weeks? before). Sigh... I looked and pondered but just could finish the deal.
Really I don't think I have it in me... There is something about these big sale days that I am opposed to... the whole idea of unhinged consumerism that these days are all about doesn't sit well with me... but yet, I feel irresistibly pulled in.
In the end I actually purchased some puerh but it wasn't even a vendor that had any deal or sale at all actually. They just had puerh that was, in my mind, an unmistakable value and always offer free shipping on orders anyways. I compared it in my mind to even the discounted prices offered elsewhere and still hands down their puerh was, to me, still a much better value in the end. They really don't make much of a fuss of it.
Anyways, there are still hours left for those procrastinators to get on board with the white2tea and Yunnan Sourcing sales. Essence of Tea extended their sale to the end of the month. I wonder...
Did any of you nab a great puerh deal on these days? Are there any puerh vendors that I missed that had great or interesting deals? Did any of you sweat it out without out dropping any cash at all (you are my hero and I am bowing to you right now)? What do you think was the best deal of all? How do these big sales influence your puerh spending?
So many things to meditate and contemplate...
Peace
Out of the gates Essence of Tea did something kind of different and interesting that I never saw before. They offered a 20% more tea offer where they would add 20% of the value of your purchase toward any tea you wanted (per gram price). Very cool. I looked though their selection- there was surely a few that I am interested in but just didn't bite.
white2tea offered a bit of true discount and a lot of marketing spectacular side show which I totally enjoyed. They did offer free shipping and a free limited 200g Huang Pian cake on orders over $500.00. They added a few new puerh to their 2017 line up (here, here, here) that coincided with the sale. One that made me laugh out loud was their April fools special. I wonder how many suckers fell for that one. I definitely gave it a double check. You know what they say "You can't fool a fool!" hahaha Brilliant.
Yunnan Sourcing offered a 13% off everything sale which will probably see the best discounts this whole year. Anyone into puerh could probably find something they like. I had my eyes on a few cakes in the weeks and months before the sale and was ready to buy. I had some of those awesome loyalty points (cleaver marketing) sitting in my account for a while so really things seemed optimistic. However, I was disappointed when some of the cakes I was eyeing were marked up since I last check their prices (in the days?, weeks? before). Sigh... I looked and pondered but just could finish the deal.
Really I don't think I have it in me... There is something about these big sale days that I am opposed to... the whole idea of unhinged consumerism that these days are all about doesn't sit well with me... but yet, I feel irresistibly pulled in.
In the end I actually purchased some puerh but it wasn't even a vendor that had any deal or sale at all actually. They just had puerh that was, in my mind, an unmistakable value and always offer free shipping on orders anyways. I compared it in my mind to even the discounted prices offered elsewhere and still hands down their puerh was, to me, still a much better value in the end. They really don't make much of a fuss of it.
Anyways, there are still hours left for those procrastinators to get on board with the white2tea and Yunnan Sourcing sales. Essence of Tea extended their sale to the end of the month. I wonder...
Did any of you nab a great puerh deal on these days? Are there any puerh vendors that I missed that had great or interesting deals? Did any of you sweat it out without out dropping any cash at all (you are my hero and I am bowing to you right now)? What do you think was the best deal of all? How do these big sales influence your puerh spending?
So many things to meditate and contemplate...
Peace
I bought from most of these vendors (Essence of Tea and Yunnan Sourcing) some cakes and samples. Also wanted to try the White2Tea offers but this "joke"made to refuse to give him money.
ReplyDeleteThomas (Tuo Cha Tea),
ReplyDeleteI really loved the joke... so funny! But then I was kind of turned off from buying as well. Maybe the marketing backfired? I just think its interesting that he attempts these things in the first place. The free shipping offer is probably targeting people who want to sample or pick up a small cake, I think. The over $500.00 offer is to give those who want to pick up a volume of cakes some incentive so I think its quite smart really.
Yunnan Sourcing's sale is the biggest of the year so what can be said about that!
I think Essence of Tea is the best of the sales- 20% is significant!
Happy that you found some good ones!
Peace
Can you elaborate the Snoozefest joke? Was the cake initially some sort of April’s Fools cake?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI was not the one who made up the joke. Think you had better ask Paul, he is the one who made it up. So funny!
Interpretation of the Snoozefest joke only plays into his marketing. Which I suppose I did a little of in the initial post.
What is your take on Snoozefest?
Peace
Black Friday was my 1st purchase from w2t. I guess I am trying to figure out how foolish I was to buy one Snoozefest :)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteOh sorry. I didn't mean to come off pretentious or anything. That is awesome that you are getting into puerh and trying other vendors.
To me the Snoozefest joke is multifaceted. Let me explain my analysis below:
1- The tea wrapper states "white2tea #1 for marketing & overpriced tea #22222 for tea quality & transparency"
This is basically pointing to some of the biggest criticism and controversy that surrounds white2tea. See here:
https://mattchasblog.blogspot.ca/2017/05/white2tea-post-truth-era-of-puerh.html
So this tea is really poking fun at its self- a little self depravation. However, by doing this it is effectively attempting to brush aside these accusations without dealing with them directly.
2- the descriptions states : Snoozefest is a limited edition blend of tea (only 100 cakes) that we would normally sell for over $40 per cake, however, we are selling it for $15 for each 200 gram cake ($75 per 1kg tong).
Another "joke" is this- How are you to actually know that they would normally sell this cake for $40 ? It sounds to me that they would normally sell it for 15$ NOT $40 because THEY ACTUALLY SELL IT FOR $15.
Another joke is that you cannot actually verify its quality weather its material is actually worth more than they are selling it because you will not get a chance to sample it. Nor will you get an opportunity before purchase to compare it to another $15 cake (or $40 cake) from a different puerh dealer.
If the description was about the actual cost of the Mocha or raw material then it would at least contain some truth to it (if you were to believe such a claim). Example: "We are selling this cake at only a 5% markup on the cost of the raw material"
3- the description goes on to state: ‘Tis the season for hype, generosity and laughter.No samples.First come, first serve.Drink now or age for the long haul.All love.
To note that the wrapper is pink and its "all love" is a hint at smoothing over some of these criticisms but in the end might just have done the opposite.
It really is setting up a false dichotomy of:
Haters and losers who take their tea why to seriously and can't take a joke or are not capable or love or generosity
vs
Lovers and laid back go-with-the-flow types who are up for a good joke, are generous, caring, and spontaneous
I reject this dichotomy and place my self somewhere in between and just laugh!
By the time I saw Snoozefest on the site it had a "sold out" sign on it so as far as I was concerned I didn't even know if it actually existed. With Paul, you never know.
So by explaining the joke I have effectively perpetuated Paul's ingenious marketing by giving his white2tea brand more air time than say Yunnan Sourcing or Essence of Tea (which actually still has its sale running).
Peace (all love)
Actually our discount rates were 13-20% off this year! Thanks for mentioning us!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking time to explain it, I really appreciate it.
I have been drinking puer for a year or so, buying mainly from YS, BLT and pu-erh.sk, I am just not familiar with W2T and his marketing.
I like your blog and I intend to keep on reading it.
Thanks.
Scott,
ReplyDeleteNo problem. Great sale Scott.
Anonymous,
Feel free to post your thoughts or notes on Snoozefest here if you wish. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Peace