CONTEST! - First Tea Book ever written: 'The Classic of Tea'

by **tenuki** » Apr 18th, '08, 02:20

CONTEST! - First Tea Book ever written: 'The Classic of Tea'

by tenuki » Apr 18th, '08, 02:20

Contest Closed - end of month is past - winner announced! (see end of thread)

For offer: 'The Classic of Tea - Origins and Rituals' by Wu Lu

This is the first book ever written on tea (during the Tang Dynasty, ~780 CE) and it's importance to tea history both in china and around the world cannot be overstated. The english edition has a 53 page preface including a short biography of Wu Lu that sets the stage nicely and a large number of very nice illustrations, mostly wood cuts, etc. This is my favorite tea book hands down. It is in like new condition, ISBN 0880014164

I happen to have picked up two english editions of these a few years back in local used bookstores and now that it's out of print in english (and going for well over 100 bucks on ebay/alibris/amazon) it seems excessive to have two. I'm gonna keep the first english edition (which I picked up for 8 dollars, yikes), but the newer one I want to give away. It is against my nature to make money off of fellow tea geeks, this is a hobby and a passion for me, not a business.

So here's the deal, I wanna make sure this goes to somebody who will read it and love it and keep it, not just sell it on ebay for a profit. So I propose a contest with the winner getting the book for free (well, sort of..).

Contest:

Offer me something tea related in return who's bought value (what you paid for it) is not to exceed 10 dollars (how much I payed for the newer copy) and... here is the kicker, tell me why I should take _your_ deal in 50 words or less.

Contest will end at the end of the month, post your offers in this thread. Thanks for playing!

Last edited by tenuki on May 7th, '08, 04:06, edited 3 times in total.

by **tenuki** » Apr 18th, '08, 03:22

by tenuki » Apr 18th, '08, 03:22

And if no-one enters my TeaHeart will turn cold and I'll turn a profit on ebay.

by **Mary R** » Apr 18th, '08, 08:26

by Mary R » Apr 18th, '08, 08:26

Oooh...clever, clever. I think I might just enter this swap! Now...what tea stuff do I have/can I get that would be worth passing on...

I shall ponder.

by **PolyhymnianMuse** » Apr 19th, '08, 15:28

by PolyhymnianMuse » Apr 19th, '08, 15:28

That sounds awesome!

I'll have to look and see what I might be able to offer for a swap

by **olivierco** » Apr 19th, '08, 18:55

by olivierco » Apr 19th, '08, 18:55

Nice contest for sure.
The book is still available in french, so I ordered it yesterday.
I might anyway enter the contest if I can find something to send in exchange.

by **Eastree** » Apr 19th, '08, 20:56

by Eastree » Apr 19th, '08, 20:56

If you think he's kidding:

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?title=classic+of+tea

by **Wesli** » Apr 21st, '08, 22:57

by Wesli » Apr 21st, '08, 22:57

My offer will be of 4-8oz of Organically Grown Gunpowder Green.

Reason:
It was the first loose tea I ever tried. Afterwards, I tried every gunpowder I could get my hands on from online, and none matched up. I am offering you the only good gunpowder tea out there. My first loose tea (but I'll buy you a new bag

).

by **tenuki** » Apr 22nd, '08, 02:24

by tenuki » Apr 22nd, '08, 02:24

Wesli wrote:My offer will be of 4-8oz of Organically Grown Gunpowder Green.

Reason:
It was the first loose tea I ever tried. Afterwards, I tried every gunpowder I could get my hands on from online, and none matched up. I am offering you the only good gunpowder tea out there. My first loose tea (but I'll buy you a new bag ).

Intriguing, I would really like to taste a good gunpowder tea. Good offer, so far you are winning Wesli, oh wait, you are the only entered so far... everyone pony up, you got about a week left.

(omg, 50 words exactly if you count the smiley)

by **Beidao** » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:13

100 grams of nettle tea

by Beidao » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:13

All health freaks agree: this will make your life longer. I bet you're older than me and need it more. During the extra time you could drink far better tea than this spinach-soup taste-a-like. Dreadful. But Swedes say: "Taste and ass are both divided." Give it a try!

(Worst offer so far)

by **Salsero** » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:17

Re: 100 grams of nettle tea

by Salsero » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:17

Beidao wrote: "Taste and ass are both divided."

Indeed, the Swedes are a wise people!

by **Sam.** » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:32

Re: 100 grams of nettle tea

by Sam. » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:32

Beidao wrote:I bet you're older than me and need it more.

I'm so sorry tenuki, I'm sure it's not true! But that made me giggle uncontrollably.

by **tenuki** » Apr 23rd, '08, 05:02

Re: 100 grams of nettle tea

by tenuki » Apr 23rd, '08, 05:02

Beidao wrote:All health freaks agree: this will make your life longer. I bet you're older than me and need it more. During the extra time you could drink far better tea than this spinach-soup taste-a-like. Dreadful. But Swedes say: "Taste and ass are both divided." Give it a try!

(Worst offer so far)

Well, I see you are hoping I judge the contest on humor alone.

You sure you don't know me in RL? :shock:

by **Beidao** » Apr 23rd, '08, 06:06

by Beidao » Apr 23rd, '08, 06:06

If you have no good tea to offer, offer some humor

Should we say that if you give me the prize, I don't send the nettle tea? Win-win situation.

Honorary prize would be appreciated - nudge nudge

If you come from the Seattle Area, have never been in Sweden, and were not visiting Florida in november 1998, then the chance for us having ever met is minimal. But you never know...

by **Beidao** » Apr 23rd, '08, 06:16

by Beidao » Apr 23rd, '08, 06:16

Salsero: Oh yes! Or what about those proverbs?

"It's better to have a coin in your hand than a hayfork in your foot."
"Good day, axe-handle."

We are veeeery wise indeed.

by **olivierco** » Apr 27th, '08, 06:05

by olivierco » Apr 27th, '08, 06:05

I received my copy of the book in French, so I won't enter the contest.
Thanks Tenuki for indicating this very interesting book!

I had in mind to propose in exchange either Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi (best grass clippings I ever had), either my digital scale which I bought on ebay for 9€.

They both changed my tealife: As I drank Uji Gyokuro Kame-Giru-Shi for the first time, I had the feeling to have found all I wanted in a tea: strength, taste and enlightenment.

For the digital scale it is simpler: I like to experiment and a digital scale provides me a solid basis for comparison.