Hello Penny! I have a checklist.

1. named of person I'm trading with
2. seeds being traded
3. packed
4. sent
5. received seeds

I'm with you Penny. I just got into trading last month and it's crazy. I just write it in a notebook who I'm trading with, what seeds, how much postage required and the address. Then right before I send it, I write Sent in color marker and the date.
Now organizing seeds is a whole other story. Would love to hear how the Pros do that. Mine are in a gallon ziplock baggie :)

Hi Penny--
I'm pretty new to this myself, but I have been using a spreadsheet to keep track of everything.

I have one sheet with info about my seeds: where the seeds came from, date purchased/saved, and approx. amount.

I have another sheet listing all my trades: name/address of person, name/amount of seeds traded, date sent, date received.

If you're not handy with spreadsheets, you can definitely write it down instead. I just find it easier to do it on the computer.

I have my seeds in ziplock bags, grouped by type (veggie, fruit, etc.), all in a plastic tote. I'd like to get a better system for organizing them--I've read about people using photo or CD albums, which seems like a good idea.

Ok. Great ideas. I think I can do a spreadsheet in excel to include all the requirements. I like the photo album idea.. that keeps them all in once place and they wont fall out! Great idea!! Definitely going to save seeds this year..I always talk myself out of it because it's usually the dead heat of summer and the last thing I want to do it stand in the july or Aug heat and collect seeds from dead heading etc. But I gotta start and just do it late in evening or early morning..THanks!!

i ust make a big list with sections with the persons name address, etc- what they want...and do a lot of cut and paste and moving the sections around. when i have done the trade i put it on the bottom of the list, under done.....the ones pending are on top till i get all the info.

believe it or not i ust remember most of the seeds i have. its somehow organized enough in my head.

I've got the gallon ziplock baggie thing going too. So far able to keep track of things, but I can see that it can get a little crazy.

I organize all my seeds in 4x6 plastic seeds bags that I buy at walmart.

I label each bag with the letters of the alphabet, the smaller baggies of seeds that are ready for gifting or trading go inside these, alphabetically of course.

I also add in alph. order(in their own 4x6 bags) things like scabiosa,rudbeckia,balloon flowers and heucheras because I have lots of these.

I have them all lined up in a double row inside a rubbermaid covered container....easy, easy when looking for specific seeds!

Lisa

i've over grown the seed boxes i started with, now its four boxes. and its pretty chaotic except i kinda know whats in what box. then theres like a deep storage box that i dont mess with too much.....

have been thinking lately to do as you all are saying, in large sized ziplocks to group like things together- all squash in one big ziplock, all tomatoes, etc
and i got this file organizer. am thinking to use an old file system smaller sized metal box that closes tight....and the filing folder to find them easier. i got all the stuff to do it ...except some labels....and been meaning to get it like that before too long.

then maybe a couple of other boxes, one that is in deep storage that i dont mess with, my little seed bank....and one that i put stuff i am using currently, about to plant, more accessible. thats the plan anyway, and i have gotten far in organizing and tying it all together....

Wow..it's almost like couponing!! Organizing in baggies, totes and albums.. I think I can do this at some point. Can't wait to collect seeds this spring to put them to practice.

I made a spread sheet on excel to see if I can stay organized with trades. Hopefully that will help keep people, addresses and requests to/from straight.
Thanks for all the ideas!!
Penny

For trades I keep track in folders in my email account...sent trades, received, pending and so on. Once the trade is completed on both ends I delete it. One thing I don't do is too many trades at once and I've been trading for many years.

As far as seed storage I use photo storage boxes, one for trades, give aways, my special stash, things like that. Some have there own box like morning glories, vines, annuals etc.

All are in alphabetical order with dividers. They are marked with the name and year bought or harvested. Most are kept in either tiny zip bags or coin envelops. I like the envelops better they are easier to file.

I store mine in round craft containers, same stuff beaders use. Every box is labeled. I will not put more then 25 trades at a time on my list which helps keep organized. At the farmers market, yard sales, garden club it is total chaos. I have a friend who actively walks around plucking seeds from healthy looking plants everywhere she goes and has it all organized in a messenger bag. Some people consider this woman a loony tune.

YEah I use to work at a nursery and we use to have people go by and pinch off seeds or dried out flower heads of various plants and STILL NEVER buy anything!! :(( Not nice! THey would ask tons of questions and act really interested in the plants and then leave without purchasing. :(( Rude!!!

a member here offered a trading document in pdf format. if youd like a copy email me i can email it to you. I dont remember the person who offered it at the moment. I use it for all my trades. but i printed it out and keep in a a folder.

For record keeping I have just started using my Excel program. I have just up dated it to the point that I now use separate pages for those I have filled and those that need seeds and those I have requested seeds, etc. I found that for me the best addition I have started adding to the program is the Posted by: Hyperlink. These has allowed me to go directly back to that persons home page for more information, such as what they have to trade or their want list. I found they do not always state what the original request was. For me it is easier to check their site to have a better idea what their wants are and how to contact them later in case I run out of seeds but have fresh seeds later, etc. I post the date, name, hyperlink, email address, physical address, request and my response. Once the order has been filled I cut off that page and paste it onto my finished page. Cuts down on the confusion of having to check if I have filled their order, etc.

It all depends on the volume of trading that I am doing. I know last summer when I offered a free for all on my seeds what I do is I keep a pad of paper and write what each person requested. And then I cut some regular printer paper in half and made and envelope of sorts out it each half. And then using the list on paper I put the persons name or id on it and then just filled it the requested seeds. These were kept in a huge rubbermaid type container and so when the person's envie came I just dumped the seeds in it and got it ready to send off.

With my current trade going I have a list of requested seeds on paper with the day and time of request for those that want the same thing and when it is closer to send off I will then fill each want in either a sandwhich baggie or snack baggie depending on how many they requested.

Paula

Great ideas.