AKgardener wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 9:23 pm

Tormato wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 8:05 pm

AKgardener wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 7:48 pm I’ll just watch from afar I have nothing to share this year but I’ll pop in and watch the action

Things don't pick up until I start chummin' for the sharks.

Chief Brody



Newbies should be aware, there may be many references to my needing a bigger boat.

Haha I’m all about it then looks like ur famous now saw your name mentioned on a video tonight haha cheers there is 1 tomato I want now soo guess ill be posting soon

Just so people know, sharks are those circlers who want everything, and they want everything now.

MrsTomatoHead wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 5:21 am I will be so happy to be participating for the first time! And happy to see so many new members from TLC here!

Thank you, @Tormato for organizing this massive swap!

NJ ZA LA

I run the swap by winging it. What's organizing?

Tormato wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2024 7:10 pm Playing for free (no return postage required) would be any Canadian from...

Stoner, BC
Sober Island, NS (would anyone move from one to the other?)
Crapaud, PEI (what does aud mean?)
Punkydoodles Corner, ON
Bacon Ridge, Manitoba (regular or Canadian bacon?)
Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Quebec (did the Simpson's Nelson Muntz do the naming?)
and last, but certainly not least, Misquito Grizzly Bears Head Lean Man, Saskatchewan

And speaking of Saskatchewan, land of the exploding watermelons when they don't get shaded (Cream of Saskatchewan, been there, done that)...


if a package ever originates in Dildo, Newfoundland, gets rerouted to Climax, Saskatchewan, and then gets sent on to me...the local postal authorities, here, are going to confiscate that package.

This post made me chuckle! There are so many funny/interesting place names (Crotch Lake, Goobies, Come By Chance, Blow Me Down, Balls Falls, and Eyebrow are some others).

Crapaud ("un crapaud") means "toad" in French.

I'd like to participate again this year.

WA Go L

Tormato wrote: ↑Fri Aug 16, 2024 8:57 am For non-US participants, sometimes I do bubble mailers, which are getting quite expensive to mail.

If only small seeds are requested, like tomato and pepper, trading is usually done with holiday/greeting cards, or small plain envelopes.

I'll detail more information a bit later, on how to best package thin and light letters, in order to get through the high-speed sorting rollers of the post office, without the seeds getting crushed.

I usually put about 40 packs of seeds per envelope, with one US "Global Forever" stamp, which costs about US $1.65. You will have different stamps, and different rates. Going beyond 40, or so, varieties just means multiple letters, which I usually space in mailing by more than a week apart. There will be an arrival and departure thread to somewhat know the status of mailings. You also will likely have different maximum (and minimum) letter sizes, maximum thicknesses, and maximum weight. You also may not have access for US stamps or cash for return postage. Several of us US participants realize this, and donate for your postage.

As I told Jen, who will be making a video on how to navigate the swap, I don't want anyone stressing over this. Relax, as we have several months to go.

On your end, if you've traded with people from the US, perhaps letting me know how long it takes mail to travel between countries, such info may help me.

I have traded with US residents several times through TLC trades and they usually reach their destination within 2 weeks but some exceptions have taken almost 2 months (especially around the Holidays). Very rarely they haven’t made it but I think this also happens within the same country with our marvellous postal services.

I am in!

MO Ca M

Yes please!
UK Lo K

I would love to participate. I came over from the Tomato Collective on facebook. I have heard many good things about this swap and I will have ao many seeds to trade by the end of October.

WindyWI1968 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 3:12 pm I would love to participate. I came over from the Tomato Collective on facebook. I have heard many good things about this swap and I will have ao many seeds to trade by the end of October.

WI Lo W

I’m new! But, I would love to participate if able.

What? Again?

Sure. Why not.

Sending in tomatoes, peppers, beans, maybe winter squash, maybe a few other things. We'll see.

VA BA R

WindyWI1968 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 3:12 pm I would love to participate. I came over from the Tomato Collective on facebook. I have heard many good things about this swap and I will have ao many seeds to trade by the end of October.

The end of October is just about the perfect time to send in seeds, as long as (for all participants)...

the seeds are thoroughly dry.

There's no need to rush anything, if another week or two means dry seeds.

theresalbegin wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 12:57 pm I’m new! But, I would love to participate if able.

If something is stopping you, send me a PM.

theresalbegin wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 12:57 pm I’m new! But, I would love to participate if able.

If you need help with seeds to share, many of us will sponsor you! Just ask.

MissS wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 7:24 pm

theresalbegin wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 12:57 pm I’m new! But, I would love to participate if able.

If you need help with seeds to share, many of us will sponsor you! Just ask.

Thanks Patti. There will be a youtube (I think) video on navigating the swap, and I forgot all about sponsors.

I’m able to share seeds, I’m just having difficulty finding the particulars.

I will participate. Have seeds for about 30 varieties by 10 packs and about 10 varieties by less then 10 packs.
Some Peppers and a few flowers

Charline wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2024 5:31 am I will participate. Have seeds for about 30 varieties by 10 packs and about 10 varieties by less then 10 packs.
Some Peppers and a few flowers

It's been a few years.

The latest, since Covid, is that a few letters/packages from Europe first get sent to Canada, then over the border to Chicago. BIG cities, I've found, are the worst for either stolen, or Customs confiscated (this happened a few times), letters/packages. I believe it would be best to send more than one thin plain letter/greeting card type envelope, about 3 mm (maybe 4 mm at most) thick, rather than a bubble mailer. And it's best to mail them a couple of weeks apart.

Perhaps PMing me a list can reduce, if any, varieties that might be plentiful.

Me please!

OH An K

theresalbegin wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2024 2:18 am I’m able to share seeds, I’m just having difficulty finding the particulars.

The reason for 10 packs sent in, of a single variety for each "Category", is for a balance to the swap. If everyone sent in cherries, but everyone wanted back beefsteaks, there would be an imbalance. Usually, each year, there are a few people requesting to be sponsored, who either have no seeds, or they have no, or few, seeds of the Categories they request.

If there is no, to little, posting about requesting a sponsor, those participants still show up.

Participants "may" likely receive about 150 tomato varieties back. That's been the average for the last several years. But, there is no typical donor. Some will send in 0, others will send in 300, and it averages out. Every few years there will be someone super generous who sends in 1,000 to 2,000 packs. One year would have been a near disaster if it wasn't for 2 people sending in a combined 3,000 packs of seeds.

And, this year is currently the biggest unknown one since the first year of the swap, with 50, or so, new participants already, with little known about what types of tomatoes they would like.

Send in as much as you'd like to send in.

Popular Categories are; Beefsteak, Black, Micro Dwarf, Dwarf (Project), Pink, Cherry, Heart, Eastern European and Striped, with lesser request for the other Categories. Also, there are many requests for tomatoes from individual breeders, like Gates, Wagner and the Kozula varieties.