Friday TeaDay 10/8/10 Ka-ching, cheaper or more expensive?

[Chip]

Happy TeaDay to you all. Please drop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed more ordering practices. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Continuing with the current theme. Currently are the teas you order more expensive than last year, about the same, cheaper compared to about a year ago +/-? Please share and why.

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone, bottoms up.

[Seeker]

I have to say a little bit more expensive.
As I've found a really good organic matcha - Tenkei Hana, and it aint cheap!
And my other fav's are Ippodo's top 2 (also top two most expensive from Ippodo).
Only a little more expensive overall tho, as these are not the only matchas I order, and all the other teas are pretty much in the same price range as before.

Just finishing some puerh mix and a bit of cupcake. Very nice pairing with
Top Chef: Just Desserts!
(for a challenge - they should make them incorporate or build a dessert around Puerh! Ha ha).
Well, I hope they at least do something with tea.

[LauraW]

More expensive, but mostly because last year I was making the transition from crappy bagged teas to much better quality looseleaf.

Yunnan again today, I think.

[JRS22]

Definitely more expensive - I've been buying various green and white chinese teas from several vendors in small quantitites - usually 25 grams - to experiment and find my favorites. With the right vendors the more expensive teas generally do cost more - right now I'm waiting for a Jing Tea Shop shipment that contains samples of their AAA long jings. I'm not sure that I'm actually spending more on tea in total - I've been using 1 gram at a time and many steeps.

[TwoPynts]

...and again. Wasn't ordering tea last year at this time, so yeah, more expensive. And since i've been ordering, the price per gram has been rising.

[JBaymore]

A bit more expensive.

That's the way it is with an addiction......... first they get you hooked...... a few seemingly innocent little teabags..... then before you know it, it is on to the hard stuff. The next thing you know.... you're knocking off banks to keep yourself in matcha.

best,

............john

[Victoria]

I think more expensive. I'm eliminating lesser vendors and just buying the best now. So it's costing more, but it's worth it.

Darjeeling to start the day. Oolong up next.

Yay, Friday!

[laura99]

I put about the same, as it went back and forth.

Hard to belive that 13 months ago I still had not ordered tea anywhere but Tevanna. Just for grins, I looked up my order history. Last September, I bought 6oz's of English Breakfast for under $7.

But then a month later, almost $10 for 2oz's of Copper Knot Hongcha (my first discovery of Yunnan). So that was up just a bit . But now I buy 100g of Yunnan Gold buds for the same as that 2oz! The last year has seen a drastic change in my tea knowledge.

Forgot I had brought all my sencha home from the office so my dry spell continues. Genmaicha extra green in my cup to make up for it.

[debunix]

Some more expensive, some less expensive. I've been figuring out where the extra expense is worth it, and where it's not.

Haven't been keeping notes overall, however.

No tea yet today, but yesterday drank some medium-priced 'commercial' Phoenix oolong, not a Dan Cong, perfectly adequate for thermos brewing; and then a brewing a relatively inexpensive Tai Ping Hou Kui, which was quite nice, but I haven't ponied up for the fancy stuff to really compare; and ended with some Anji white tea, a very expensive grade but entirely worth it, when brewed and drunk fresh gongfu style.

[verus]

I think I'm exceptionally lucky to have found a shop here that sells absolutely delicious stuff for very little money.

I have a tian mu qing ding green tea from them that is pretty awesome, for € 4,00 per 100 grams.

edit: which is also what I'm currently drinking Man that is some good stuff...tastes like a more subdued dragon well, with lots of herbal impressions...

[msurads06]

I said more expensive, although i really wasnt drinking more than teabags a year ago. But even since i started drinking tea last december, the amount i am wlling to pay per ounce has gone up, when i first started, the idea of spending $5/ounce was pushing it when i could get teas i liked for $2-3. The last order i placed, both teas wer $10+/ounce. Still like less expensive teas, but am learning to appreciate some of the more expensive. maybe by next year i will be willing to pay $20/ ounce, ther are a couple teas i am interested in trying, but i just dont know if i can shell out that kind of money.

No tea so far today, Im on vacation and limited to black tea so less enthused than normal.

[entropyembrace]

I think about the same though I´ve been drinking mostly different teas this year.

No tea yet today...I slept in today and had to run to school without even a bowl of matcha...will have to brew something up ASAP now that I´m home!

two bowls of kiri no mori matcha...the situation is resolved!

[edkrueger]

Cheaper and more expensive. I'm buying pounds of bancha and small quantities of top grade stuff.

[RaynBeatle]

Getting much more expensive as my taste matures to finer quality teas.

[Skippyandjif]

About the same, except for the bit of gyokuro I bought recently.

Lapsang souchong accompanied me to a physics colloquium and cleaning off a massive telescope lens this afternoon. Pouchong right now, mmm!