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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 11:04:01 GMT -5
Anyone with me? Or am i just mumbling to myself? Anyways.. that sounds like a huge cost savings in time and labor.. you could just pinch some seeds straight from the pie ties in Zac's case right onto the pad and fold. Only time would be to fill in the TOM number, date, germ, and grower info. Unless you think i should try to have them printed with the TOM number already pre done. Say TOM0001_Black cherry_Lot #1 and date just as 2010 and for grower info just use Unique Seedbank Inc. Also thinking of putting www.Unique Seedbank on every packet somewhere. Possibly on top of front of label. If we do it that way we might be able to have stacks of one hundred made up for each one. In my mind it'd be cheapest and easiest. Also on the packet front have $1.25 value.. or even $5 value if you want right under the one dozen trial size line. What do you all think bout that? That's gonna be where i'm making the profit to pay you guys.. i just want to make a buck a packet and i'll be thrilled. You should be able to do thousands of those a day.. least in my mind. I think i'd be able to do ten stacks of a hundred sheets in a couple hours. Dave |
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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 11:20:54 GMT -5
Ok.. no thoughts from anyone yet huh? I really do need someone to help with product research.. i'd like to market this myself on the website to the customers. Just the blank template with a spot open for the photos.. and all the pertainaint info pre-printed on the labels.. with the stick em of course as i said.. then on the reverse side of the label have it pr-printed onto the 4x3 inch size pieces of paper so that when folded it'd fit inside the baggies.. and when unfolded could be just resealed after use. Have that glossy finished yet waterpoofed just in case. In my mind those small 1x1 ones should fit right onto a tongue depresson stick.. but that's just the way i see things. I'd still like them all to be waterproofed. You have no idea how many times i've left a photocopied labeled packe of seeds out in the garden only to have it erased. Either inside the packet where it's protected or just make the darn things laminated.. i hate it when they fade.
Dave
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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 11:39:20 GMT -5
Ok.. again no responses.. that's ok.. i can do it. One more thought on the value thing. I know you all can't see my logic here. But what i want printed on the outside of the packet on the label is $20 value. And bear with me please.. the value has nothing to do with the selling price. The value i determined is based on the fact that there's 100-120 seeds in a 1/4 tsp. Most seed companies sell in 30-40 seed packets. figure it out with multiplying their selling price by 4 and you may come out somewhere near $20.. add to that that my seeds are as extremely rare as you can possibly find.. and i think the value is even more than $20.. but i know that's just me.. I value seeds more than i do gold.. and seeds to me do have values. But, it's a physcologial reason i want that put on my labels. Also thinking of preprinting a line such as Extremely/Rare (circle one) on the backside of the label.. just for physcological reasons too.
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 11:42:37 GMT -5
I just woke up, Id say you shouldnt set up completly for any style of packaging until we know which way is easiestt/cheaper.
DEFINATLY have the website on the seed packs, they might find it two years later, check it out and see youve got more varieties. Are you dead set on the name, it is neutral which is okay, but I think it could be cathier, and maybe thinking of a name that makes a easy webite to tell someone is a GOOd idea.
You said in one post you had a 1000 past people who bought from you on ebay right. More then send them a email how about a email and maybe a packet or two of the 12 seed size, send in a simple envelope. would cost maybe 1 for everything or less, and that is above and beyond what theyve seen with a description, of hey your ordered from me before, come visit me at, blank, I have x number of seeds.
Didnt you say once you had over 1000 tom varieties? I highly doubt anyone else does, need to highlight that the first year, give the current growers a reason to check out your site. Join gardening sites ALL over and just hop on for 5 minutes twice a week or three times, find a thred about heirloom varieties and jump in and say hey I heard of this place with x number, lol sneaky but not exactly wrong.
Im having trouble figuring out what your packaging exactly I guess I missed a post or somethingI will go reread. What are all these samples for? Did you look at how baker creek grew. Im sure you did. It was boom boom boom, suddenly they made it and growers of OP and Heirloom seed know their name. Now why is that of course it is quality and especially variety. You can get you things you cant other places. So you need to highlight that aspect, as Im sure you know, but Im just adding my thoughts. So you want a blend of seed savers and BC, best of both. Hmmm I wish I had a clearer picture of the whole thing, Im pretty good with ideas, If I knew exctly what you were thinking, I might think of something that helps you, or gets you to think f something else. i have my email linked to this account now I think if Im ever not signing in. its open for anyone else on here too. I dont want any of that chainmail stuff though....
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 11:55:18 GMT -5
if the money can be found to send to those who bought from you before, you know two things, you know alternatve sources of seeds are fine with them, and that they buy seeds of course. How many of us delete ANY email about buying or selling something if we dont know the name of the company. Even when we do most of us delete it. BUT if a packet of seeds show up in the mail, hey WILL check out the site, and if they like it tell their frriends.....
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 12:17:16 GMT -5
If we are making the packs ourselves, a little research could be done, should be to hard, I will play with it, but should be cheaper tobegin with until you have more money. hmmm but with glueing it might cause a issue, doing ti by hand they al need their own room, maybe it wouldnt work, BUT maybe an idea is finding a good sized and priced blank packet, envelope and cutting it in half and sealing one side. well for on it would be two sides I guess. two quick fold a drop of glue and a staple maybe? to start. nearly cut the packaging in half, but I think folding our own muight be way to much time.
put a little label on it, whatever you decide with that, but should be respectable enough to start.
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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 12:32:08 GMT -5
I just woke up, Id say you shouldnt set up completly for any style of packaging until we know which way is easiestt/cheaper. Totally agree.. this is a new product and it'll have to be tested first. But in the meantime i'm designing it to fit within the existing ziplocs... if it turns out it's ok without the ziplocs then i'll eliminate that step and that cost. I still have to find a manufacturer who will agree not to sell my product to anyone else.. that kind of stuff. and agree on a cost per thousand.. perhaps they can just make an entire sheet of paper with 8 templates each on there.. just with the stickup and preforated. And of cours waterproof on the outside and already preprinted with as much info as possible. I think i'm done with the design.. just got to test it and have em made. That will take me a little while. In the meantime.. labels without stickup will have to be used inside the ziplocs.. beleive me i've priced coin envelopes and to have those imprinted it's still ten times more than the ziplocs. The extra time you guys put into packaging them is more than offset by the price difference. Yet i still want to make it as efficient and easy for you guys when i can. Just bear with me and i'll simplify everything. And hopefully bring down fixed costs. Sorry i can't backtrack.. the name is set.. i have to go with it now.. i can't have a contest or anything cause i don't have time. It will be on everything that comes out of our company.. letterheads everything. Nothing set up for you guys to make invoices or letterheads yet.. but perhaps in the future we'll get the graphics dept on that. Excellent idea.. i do have their addresses.. a sample packet and a letter telling them i'm open for business wouldn't be such a bad idea. I'll check into the costs of it.. but hey.. it's better than mailing a catalog that'll be tossed in the trash.. maybe they'll even keep it all together and when planting time comes they'll be so used to seeing our name on the envelope they'll know the website by heart. But, i like the idea.. just we have to see bout timing and costs. Yes i have over ten thousand varieties... 3000 alone in just tomatoes. Cept most of em will be needed in trial size packets for my trials next year. Not enough seed to make more than 20-30 packets up of most. And i don't have time to join anymore gardening sites.. perhaps later i'll show up in some and promote the new website.. but that's what i'm counting on all of you for.. to get the word out in blogs and other forumns.. but not so that you're outright selling anything yet.. just talking. To sell of course.. only for legal reasons we can't sell them without germination test results, Purity, and country of origin. It's just my way of bending the rules a bit to make it work where my members can exchange packets without having to worry bout that rule. Yes i've checked into Jeres set up and i know how many customers he has approximately. I've done my homework. I happen to have ten thousand varieties Jerre could never in his wildest dreams ever hope to have. Very few of my varieties are as common as his. His are like old seeds.. mine are like long lost and forgotten varieties that are believed to be extinct. Lot's of differences in rarity of seed.. lots of differences in varieties to be offered for sale.. i couldn't care if i list one that he also sells.. but i'm not gonna worry bout it. You can't find another collection of seeds like mine anywhere in the world. I'm the only one that has all of these believed to be extinct varieties in my inventory... thousands of em. I will see what i can do.. i still need help with the website.. so if someone else knows how to write up something bout that.. well feel free.. i'll copy and paste it. Now where seedsavers leaves off is they have alot of varieties.. something like 25,000 or more.. again.. most of em aren't duplicates of my varieties.. but more are. What i'm talking bout is how they trade exclusively among members. To me that's the same as locking the seed up.. i want to distrubute every variety to every person. That's one change.. there's not much more that they don't do right.. just since i can make a profit by mass marketing to everyone.. i want that option.. and i got it since i'm setting it up my way. Dave |
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 12:55:29 GMT -5
I dont know anything about websites, and am likely not the best to write anything really.
maybe we can meet in that chatroom soon so i knoww more of whats going on
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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 12:56:28 GMT -5
Ok.. time to change hats again.. back to the marketing aspect. As you know what i want for packaging.. i want that toted up as new and unique. As i said i want to try and sell just the packages to people.. at one heck of a markup. I want them waterproof so that they can withstand the weather if stuck on a toungue depressor type stick for the entire growing season. I know i'd use it if anyone else ever made any like that. I like the idea of just plucking the popsicle stick out of the ground and being able to fill it out an then just peelling the label off and sticking it in a bag of seeds.. to me this is a convience.. it's new.. it's unique.. and it'll save them alot of headaches. Maybe it's just me that sees the logic in it.. but hey.. if it's got a ziploc that can be slid over the top of a tongue depressor.. market it that way instead. There's all kinds of ways to fluff up something no one has ever heard of before. But yeah.. perhaps we should explain our packaging to people so they'll know how to use it right. You know they can always reseal it with whatever seeds they don't use too.. that to me is a convience.. even the way it's opened is new and unique.. could market that.. but if it works right.. it should be resealable.. i'll have to check to make sure. I think with gloss finish they're shouldn't be too much of a problem. anyways.. hope that works out for later on. I still need product researchers.. think i should advertize that on the website?
Dave
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 12:59:41 GMT -5
I dont know exactly what you mean but if the packet wasd reealable and had a water proof thing to stick by the plants would make the seed you bought from that person that much more likely to be what they say it is.
Im going to that chat you should go any important things I will post here if you want it in one place lol
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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 13:02:29 GMT -5
Ok.. Zac again.. here's what i want to do with your last idea. I wan to send you a list of addresses for the first 500 old customers i have.. you can take one sample size packet out of each batch of seeds you package and mail it to one address.. that's it. As you do more.. we'll send out one each time. If i'm right you should be mailing while they're a fermenting... might be good timing on that. Anyways.. one per customer.. and i'll reimburse you for stamps. We'll set you up with a form letter you can send with each. Again people.. i need writers if anyone is interested in sharing your skills.
Anyways.. that's the idea.. what do you think?
Dave
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 13:05:30 GMT -5
out of neccessity youd have to have the money for stamps, but otherwise sounds good. you should go to the chat.
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 13:53:58 GMT -5
you post about the packs on Idig but no here? lol Im sitting here waiting to understand whats going on, we should meet soon in th chatroom linked to this site. I need a more interactive forum to understand this better I think. I know you know whats going on, but Im sill only half getting it. We could post anything you want to save to this hread of course.
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Post by americangardener on Jul 10, 2009 14:01:19 GMT -5
Ok.. me again.. FP and SS.. if you want to get to work on those letters.. i can't think of anyone better to write those and send em out. I want some sort of price list or short version catalog to go with it though.. why waste postage. And while i'm at it.. may as well offer them all a free membership... explain to em how i'll have a public section and a membership section.. let them know they're free to post on the auction part of the public section with that membership.. and that we're planning a swap forumn for the members only section where they can trade or sell their seeds. That kind of stuff.. give it some value to membership though.. and then give it to em free. I haven't figured out any membership fees yet or any types of members.. just tell em they get a free one of any and all of em. Just a year though.. don't go giving away the store.
Dave
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Post by silverseeds on Jul 10, 2009 14:06:01 GMT -5
I really have only a small idea of whats even going on
All I know is a little about the package, and that you have alot of seeds. and you plan for me to mail to old ebay costumers. Im not sure what your expecting me to do. This doesnt seem to be a good way to talk about these things. because you seem to think I should know what exactly your talking about
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