I don't want to spend any more than about $15-18 per 100 grams, which limits my choices. I did find the "Legend" very good for its price, but then again it's been so long since I had dong ding that it might partially have been a nostalgic rekindling that would have happened almost regardless of the quality.
Taiwan Tea Crafts have two options within my price range (and one above): the ""Organic Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Lot 480" and the "Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Lot 453" (the one above my price range is the "High Mountain Heritage Dong Ding Oolong Tea, Lot 451").
The one from lot 480 is slightly more expensive than the one from lot 453, but the one from lot 453 is from a higher elevation (900m vs. 350m). The one from lot 453 is also of the same cultivar (Qing Xin) as the one that's priced above my budget, whereas the lot 480 one is from a different cultivar (or rather cultivars: Jin Xuan and Cui Yu). I understand that things are more complicated than "higher altitude = better", frankly I know nothing about how altitude affects the end product. I also know nothing about which cultivar is generally considered "better" for dong ding.
So I thought I would ask if anyone has tried these teas. The Taiwan Tea Crafts teas, while a bit pricier than Teahome's "Legend", comes with free shipping if you order for more than $50, and seeing how I plan to pick up 300g I will order for just above that sum. So shipping included, the price shouldn't bee that much more than Teahome's.
Feel free to recommend dong ding from other vendors if you have recommendations.
Edit: Regarding the varietals, Tea from Taiwanhas a short introduction that covers the ones mentioned in this post. Kayarazen mentions Jin Xuan as one of the "lower quality" varietals:
Generally tea from the green heart cultivar are thick and leather, and they are so full of flavour that you can keep steeping and pushing it. Jinxuan or other fourseason varietals, some of the red heart tie guanyin varietals, are thinner, and less “juicy”, and sometimes will run out of steam quite early into the steeps.