Hi tkhooper,

Tell all please.

Here are some things that might help before sending a cold email about trading or seeds for postage, since some folks have 'seeds for postage' listed on their list:

1- Do a search here on the Seed Exchange (using the search box found just below the list of threads on page one), on their Member Name, to see if they have posted recently to the forum. If no results are found, then you might expand the search to see if they have recently been active on other gardening forums. Sometimes members post almost exclusively at just one or two forums...examples, Winter Sowing and Round Robin.

2- Check their want list and let them know what you have available that they are looking for.

3- Ask that they take a look at your seed list for a possible trade.

I occasionally get cold emails, asking to trade. Sometimes things of interest are offered and other times they list what they have or ask that I look at their trade list. Since I stay in a state of 'constant behind', I often don't reply very soon, but I try to reply, even if it is quite a bit late. I have a couple now that I need to reply to, but they are on the back burner until after I get caught up with some other more pressing stuff, and/or emails.

Last, but not least...be sure and make your email subject line something that they won't be afraid to open...maybe something like...Possible Seed Trade-Garden Web Chemocurl/Sue here.

Now the biggie...always, always always be sure and include your GW Member Name in the email, even if emailing via GW. The GW name doesn't always show up in some member's emails, and that then makes for an additional email just to ask, "What is your Member Name?" I refuse to discuss any sort of a transaction before first finding out the Member Name.

Sue...rbb

Thanks for the information sue.

You're welcome.

I'm sending you an email via GW (since you have chosen to not show your email addy to members). Please lmk if/when you get it.

Sue

I got your e-mail.

I also got responses from all of the members I contacted. They were really sweet and I'm working on some trades. This is very exciting. I will definitely use that feature again. And it's another really good reason to keep my trade list updated and to use the common as well as botanical names for plants.

I search member lists all the time and have absolutely no reservations about cold-contacting anyone. If someone has a seed list but they don't trade anymore then they should delete their seed list.
Also, if everyone had a "Last Updated" date at the top of their seed lists and kept it current, it would certainly streamline things a lot. Then I wouldn't bother contacting someone who last updated 2 years ago for example.
I have sent emails and received no replies. I take no offense as I consider this a "no I am not interested in trading seeds with you at this time" answer. I don't bug people by sending more emails to them - one is enough to get an answer (or a non-answer which is still an answer). I also have been involved in some of my best seed trades by cold-contacting. I have had some great seed trades by others cold-contacting me as well.
So my advice to fellow GWers is don't be afraid to use the search tool (or any other GW tool or feature for that matter). It exists to be used.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Seed Lists

I just received an email from a person who did not include her gardenweb id or a link to her page/trade list. She did, however, refer me to the list to see if there was anything we could trade. Obviously, there is no way for me to find her list with the information supplied.

It has been a while since I have traded so I just recently put up my trade list. I did exactly as you said while I was not trading, I removed the old list. Speaking of lists, soilent_green, I clicked on yours and love your cracker. How creative!