I don't view SSE as a business in the traditional sense either.
Last summer, after joining, I did receive a card verifying membership...It was a black and white card similar to the cover of the yearbook. My address or name had a typo so I called and they straightened it out before the next mailing...I can't imagine the work it takes to keep things straight in an organization like SSE, but customer service sure is nice....and becoming scarcer all the time.

Jeanne

[quote=elkwc36]Carolyn,
After several days of not receiving any reply I sent an email asking if they had received it. ...Then sometime later received the summer book but still have never heard from them....I joined SSE because of what I had read here but don't plan to resubscribe. JD[/quote]
Did you double-check your spam filters to see if their e-mail got caught?

I agree with Carolyn & Papa Vic - SSE cannot be compared to a typical seed business for profit. I treat my membership fee as a donation toward a worthy, "charitable" cause. Anything else after that is gravy. Any benefits I receive from my donation are appreciated, but not contingent upon my membership. I am sending my money for the cause.

I think of it the way I think of my sponsored child through World Vision - I'm supporting a cause, the rest of it is just a bonus.

LMAO regarding the "take it into the john" comment!!! I have ordered from TT since 2004 and have never once encountered anything resembling a problem. Speedy, friendly, well-organized and other positive sounding adjectives come to mind when thinking of them.

Speaking of SSE I'm a new member. I had never gardened till 03'. Somehow I was directed/re-directed to their site during some random internet search way back when. My life, unquestionably for the better hasn't been the same since. Cannot obviously give SSE all the credit for turning me on to the heirlooms and OP'ed goodies but they lit the fire. I'm a fairly short drive to "the farm" in Decorah, IA and have been several times, including the summer conference back in July. I'm a gardening newbie, albeit slightly more passionate than some and was welcomed with nothing but open arms by Kent, Diane and dozens and dozens of diverse, experienced seed savers. Several of which I now consider close friends...not just names in the ol' tattered address book or holiday card acquaintances.

My meaning is that there is no meaning. The on- line world and its various communities are so anonymous for better or worse. Nothing works quite like a nice hand written letter and a follow up phone call. Its a big, smaller place(sorry Yogi Berra) but someone always goes and gets the mail.

I like TT -

But my problem is I used them when I first started getting into heirlooms ( hybrid / seedling buyer / grower before ).
And they sent me seed for Opalka ...

Some of the fruit had tips, and others didn't !!!

I only traded seeds from fruits that had tips -
but it appears to be crossed with something (from them not me ) ...

Bad news for everyone that wanted Opalka ...

Sorry everyone ...
Newbie mistake ~

Tom

What are [b]tips[/b]?

Some (but not all) fruit from Opalka tomato plants have a "nipple" on the bottom.

[img]http://www.superseeds.com/images/414opalka.JPG[/img]

DOH!

Trudi, smacking her hand to her forehead, but never hard enough to fall backwards and crash to the ground in her chair.

I guess when some people that I traded
with got Opalkas with no tips -
they were super puzzled ...
ME TOO !!!

Tom

Not every Opalka tomato has one of these protrusions. The picture at SeedSavers.org shows none.

oh boy ... I'm gonna run over
and look ~
Thanks ...

Tom

I love them, they are owned by Jung seeds, I order from both.
oldbutready

I ended up with a packet of Totally Tomatoes "Sweet Baby Girl" seeds through a 2012 on-line order with Hirt's - I assume they were acting as a distributor. I grew 6 plants and they were not Sweet Baby Girl, but instead, a rather tasteless gold/orange variety, highly inferior to Sun Gold. I sent a complaint note which has remained unanswered.

I always had good service when I dealt with Totally Tomatoes. Hirt is a different story. They started selling Bosque Blue, which is one of my varieties, and I've heard some of the plants have not been true. So I'm not real happy with them.
The new Totally Tomatoes catalog arrived and it is beautiful, as usual. This year there are a number of 'artisan' varieties featured - some from breeders I know and some I'm not familiar with.
We have had similar varieties on the market for several years. (but can't match the advertising budget of Jung!) However, this could give a boost to smaller breeders and I wouldn't be surprised to see more of these partnerships.
Lee

Lol this thread is old but I ordered from TT this year and I dont like them. My order was missing one of the varieties I paid for, when I emailed they said it was back ordered even though the site didn't show that it was. So I told them that I needed by the end of Feb (I ordered on Fed 2nd) and they said it would be in by mid Feb, well I still don't have my seed. I haven't heard anything else from them...I'm starting to think they are just gonna keep my money and never send the seeds.

The other seeds I got had decent germination but not great, so I plan to avoid TT from now on. Any site that doesn't let you know something is back ordered until you email them and ask where the rest of your order is I consider ridiculous.