A collection of old teas
As a puerh tea collector for 20 years I often get asked by tea enthusiasts for advice on starting a puerh tea collection. The best advice I can give to anyone wishing to embark on this deeply fulfilling journey is to do your homework and find what aspect of puerh tea ignites your passion. An individual tea collection is a very personal project that should cater to your goals and personal taste in tea. Learn the basics and be generous to yourself when it comes to investing in your education and progression as a student of tea. Greater knowledge brings greater appreciation as well as greater opportunities. Seek out and acquire diverse experiences with different types/categories of puerh tea to broaden your awareness and add to your growth. I say this because the growth and value of a tea collection is a reflection of the person behind it. In this regard a tea collection is a reflection of the depth of appreciation, vision and investment that goes into it.
My love for the old vintages of puerh tea provided the inspiration for my tea collection.
Puerh tea offers a wide-ranging spectrum of characteristics to suit many tea lovers. It is important to recognize what type/category of puerh tea suits you and what you want to achieve with your tea collection. Having a clear direction when building and managing your tea collection will bring greater fulfillment to your journey. My own personal tea collection reflects on my love for old vintages of puerh tea and my fascination for the ageing process. With this in mind I have sought to replicate and follow the journey of the next generation of puerh tea. As a tea collector I have focused my attention on acquiring younger sheng puerh tea that has been traditionally produced with the same integrity that mirrors the past lineage. As a student of tea I have come to greatly value what history can teach us and sought out different ages of puerh tea to study. I take great pleasure in monitoring the changes of the tea in my collection and find it very fulfilling to see the development of age characteristics that link to the splendor of the past vintages.
It should also be mentioned that the purpose behind many individual tea collections can be quite simple. Puerh collectors take comfort in securing their future supply and are willing to make substantial purchases to do so. Many batches of puerh tea are amassed and stored for this simple reason. During uncertain times as with the current Covet-19 epidemic causing disruptions with trade and distribution channels, I personally feel thankful that I have an ample supply of my favorite teas close at hand. Furthermore the appreciation in value of puerh as an age tea also means a personal tea collection can guard against escalating prices in the future. Puerh collectors often form a strong affinity to the teas in their collection through the familiarity that builds from drinking the same tea over time. The relationship between a puerh collector and his tea is an ongoing one that will lead to ups and downs, and culuminate in success or failure. Being a long term tea collector I learnt the importance of placing a strong emphasis on quality. Acquiring puerh tea that is age worthy is not as straightforward as many tea sellers would like you to believe and should not be taken for granted in today’s market. It is crucial to be discerning and selective when building your tea collection. Too many tea collectors make purchases for the wrong reasons. Be wary of marketing gimmicks, impulsive buys and allowing your emotions to dictate your tea purchases. Acquiring puerh tea should always be about selecting quality. I would go so far as to say aim for the highest quality you can attain. It will make the effort and time that you invest into your puerh tea collection in the years and potentially decades ahead all the more rewarding.
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