Q1. What is Speakeasy Seedbank?
A. Speakeasy Seedbank is a USA shop operating in full compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill (H.R.2 – AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2018 SUBTITLE G SECTION 297A). Our legally compliant hemp seeds contain a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of less than 0.3%. We only service the United States (no exceptions). My vision for Speakeasy Seedbank is to provide a private, relaxed, responsive and reliable ‘members-only’ experience that centers our identity around the hushed tones, wildly diverse & unified spirit of 1920’s New York speakeasies. My aim is to provide the most highly coveted hemp seed products by the world’s most credible brands so as to keep my member base’s collective whistles nice and wet without forcing you to trip over your own feet in the process (leave that to me friends!).
Q2. Why the Speakeasy theme?
A. Despite terrible circumstances during prohibition, people put heir superficial differences aside in favor of the deeper commonalities we all share. Race, gender, ethnicity, social class…none of that stuff mattered when you were within the sanctity of the speakeasy walls partying the night away as an anonymous member. What mattered then was having a good time, listening to jazz music, and perhaps getting far more inebriated than any one would ever consider wise. It is this Good-Time-Charlie spirit, this feeling of wild anything goes nights…this unconditional unification through diversity….that’s the spirit I love about speakeasies, and that is the essence I hope to capture for all of my members here at Speakeasy Seedbank.
Q3. I’ve heard this name…Blind Tiger…who and what the heck is a Blind Tiger? Is that you?
A. Yes, that is me! I go by the name ‘Blind Tiger’ and I serve as house curator for Speakeasy Seedbank. As a long time hemp seed collector who has put himself through nearly every experience imaginable in the name of furthering my habit (oh the things we do for love!), I have personally felt the satisfaction of getting my hands on those long-sought-after packs from overseas while also suffering through the more recent phenomenon of missing out on yet another drop while my phone sends a push notification hours too late for me to even stand a chance. Oft times I find myself wondering why there isn’t a better, less nerve-racking way for me–for others like me–to add to our collection than participating in what amounts to a crummy-feeling competition to be ‘first in line’, only to find ourselves collectively left wondering–in the face of a deflating lack of response to our email inquiries from the same fine folks we sent our cash off to–if our shipment will even arrive, let alone contain what we ordered……Enter Speakeasy Seedbank…
Q4. What sort of brands do you work with?
A. I only work with brands whom I consider ethical, respectful, courteous, and professional. In short, I am very picky about which folks we do business with and—while genetics are an undoubtedly important part of this equation—the relationships I form along the way are perhaps even more important. Believe me when I say that I truly treasure each of the relationships I’ve cultivated and consider myself enormously honored and humbled to work with some of the most legendary, yet simultaneously gracious brands in the game.
Q5. So I’m familiar with regular and feminized seeds, but what are ‘S1’ feminized seeds?
A. To put it in extremely–and perhaps oversimplifed!– words, S1 seeds are created when the sex of a mother plant is ‘reversed’ and the female mother plant itself is pollinated with it’s own pollen (IE Self-Pollinated). Rather than a by-product of some kind of accident, our S1 seeds (for example, the S1 Collection bred by CSI: Humboldt) are produced purposefully and responsibly through careful pollen collection / donation techniques. With S1s, you will see the full representation of the mother’s genetics (including very similar phenos to the mom) which makes for an indescribably enriching, educating, and fulfilling experience but please remember that–as a natural by-product of in-breeding depression–you will also encounter some undesirable mutants along the way. A roughly 50/50 ratio exists between the two (making it very similar to the M/F ratio in a pack of regular seeds), so make sure you have a little extra room and perhaps even grab a 2nd pack – we feel very strongly that finding a near identical representation of the original clone-only mom (and in many cases an even better version) FAR outweighs this little bit of extra work!
Q6. How do you source your gear?
A. Speakeasy Seedbank seeds come directly from my personal hemp seed brand connections. No strange back alley deals or malarkey auctions going on ’round here! With Speakeasy Seedbank you can always take comfort that our packs are 100% legitimate and we encourage you to contact our hemp brands direct if you have any questions about us…They’ll let you know that we are the real deal!
Q7. What sort of benefits do speakeasy members receive?
A. Speakeasy members take comfort in knowing you always receive the absolute best price I am in a position to offer. No catches. No hunting around for promo codes. No worries. Additionally members receive reward points, the ability to track the status of their order 24/7, and so much more! Suffice to say I <3 our members and I wear my <3 on my sleeve! Here is a direct link so you can create an account and earn some bonus reward points at the same time: https://speakeasyseedbank.com/my-account/
Q8. Will I get freebies with my order?
A. We’ll throw in freebies whenever we are in a position to do so, my friend! Some of our brandsgraciously provide free gifts for us to disperse with every order, so please do check out all the ‘Notes’ on each product page to find out what we are currently in position to provide.
Q9. What payment methods do you accept?
A. We accept CASH payments by mail (USD $ cash only). Please note that we do not accept money orders–if you mail a money order to us it will be returned to you First Class Mail with no tracking. We also accept on-chain and lightning network enabled bitcoin payments in addition to giftcard payments.
Q10. How long will I have to make payment arrangements after I place my order?
A. If paying by mail, upon placing your order you have 2 business days (IE Monday – Friday excluding holidays) to provide the tracking number with your payment…otherwise we will be forced to release your items back into our online inventory. If paying by bitcoin, upon placing your order you will have 1 hour to complete payment (there is a 1 hour timer on every OpenNode invoice that ‘locks in’ the dollar > bitcoin conversion to ensure the correct amount of coin is exchanged)…otherwise your item(s) will be released back into our online inventory. Please don’t let this happen friends…place your orders and pay for your orders responsibly so we can keep these speakeasy walls bumping together buddy!
Q11. Why are you an advocate of the cashless transactions? I thought cash was king!
A. Cash shipped securely is a tried and tested option! But digital bitcoin exchange is such a wonderful alternative–it is far more secure than a debit or credit card which requires your personal information to be transmitted with every transaction. Bitcoin requires nothing like that as an anonymous HASH number is utilized, transactions are near-immediate and you don’t have to volunteer any sort of personal information that could possibly be compromised in the process.
Q12. What if I’m new to bitcoin and need help?
A. Entering the cashless future can seem very daunting at first, but with a little guidance you’ll be exchanging coin and checking for ‘comfs’ in no time (that’s short for confirmations…you’ll learn soon!). If you’re looking for a great ‘all-in-one’ solution, we recommend ‘COINBASE’ or CASH APP. Through Coinbase or Cash App, you are able to both purchase your bitcoin and send it to us upon placing your order. Here is an additional official coinbase guide that will help walk you through your first official bitcoin exchange. And here is a youtube video that shows how to copy a bitcoin address from a digital invoice in order to provide payment.
Q13. Neat! I am ready to place my bitcoin order now…how do I send bitcoin to you?
A. We utilize software by OpenNode to ensure a safe, secure, transaction occurs that is 100% trackable via the transaction hash you’re provided with at the time coin exchange is initiated. It only takes a few minutes for us to receive payment after you initiate coin exchange and–if for some reason–it does not come through automatically we are always able to track it down via that transaction hash to ensure it is properly received. 🙂
To complete bitcoin payment, ensure you have funds loaded into your bitcoin wallet and select the ‘Pay With Bitcoin’ option on the checkout screen of our website. Next, select either ‘Lightning’ or ‘On-Chain’. This refers to the type of wallet you have and if you aren’t sure go ahead and select ‘On-Chain’. An invoice will pop up with our bitcoin address (the one you will send funds to). From this screen, you can either copy the address and paste it into your app, directly open your bitcoin wallet if it is connected to your web browser, or you can click the QR Code button to pop open a scannable QR code that you can scan with your mobile device to complete payment.
There is a 1 hour timer on this invoice and coin exchange needs to be completed within this timeframe. We’ll send you a quick email confirmation upon receipt, and your order will ship out within 5-7 business days of us receiving it (and often much sooner than that!). Also, feel free to send us an email after you provide payment and we’ll confirm back with you accordingly. We’ve had great success utilizing OpenNode to receive bitcoin payments–it is quick, safe, private, and secure.
Q14. How will you know the bitcoin payment is from me?
A. The bitcoin address you will send funds to (the one you’ll be receive on the invoice after clicking the checkout button on our website) is a unique address created specifically for your invoice. That way, we will immediately know the payment is from you and that your invoice has been paid as soon as it comes through. You are also welcome to send us an email right after you send payment and we’ll confirm back with you accordingly. And it usually takes just a few minutes for the payment to come through.
Q15. What is your shipping policy?
A. We are a USA shop in full complaince with the 2018 Farm Bill–this means we only ship to the United States. Orders are shipped via post office priority mail. Orders are shipped within 5 business days of payment receipt (and often much sooner than that!). A tracking number is emailed to you immediately upon your shipment going out. I always use discreet packaging and take extra precautions to ensure your package is secure and not temptingly vulnerable enough looking for anyone to even try to open up during transit. Here is how each package is prepared: your gear is placed inside a sealed foil bag which is placed inside of a priorty flat-rate box. We seal that box securely and completely in shipping tape / priority mail stickers. The sealed box is placed inside a priority mail bubble pack, which is securely and completely wrapped in shipping tape to create multiple layers of protection. The package itself ships out of Oregon, is completely discreet with no branding mentioned whatsoever. 🙂
Q16. What if my order doesn’t arrive? What if it arrives damaged or missing items?
A. Make sure your address is a secure one because if the tracking number indicates that your package was delivered, I sincerely apologize but there is nothing I can do friend (no exceptions)! However, if the tracking number indicates it was not delivered because your package was lost or a similar reason then I will replace the order for you for free no questions asked. I am confident in the post office’s ability to deliver packages, but am also wary of any sort of ‘scamming’ attempts. The aforementioned stance is the best way I have found to balance those two things together into a reliable policy that I am proud to stand behind.
Q17. Why isn’t there a promo code field on the shopping cart page?
A. As a speakeasy member you will always receive the absolute best price we are able to offer right up front. No waiting for the right promo (which always happens right when you happen to be low on funds, right?) or feeling like you ordered at the wrong time (right BEFORE a promo code is dispersed, right?). I like to keep things simple so become a member for free at https://speakeasyseedbank.com/my-account and take comfort in knowing that I always take care of my members without making you jump through any crazy hoops.
Q18. How can I contact you directly?
A. New and Current Members: Please can contact us directly at info@speakeasyseedbank.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form https://speakeasyseedbank.com/contact.
Q19. Can’t I just DM you on instagram if I have a question?
A. Because of rampant bans to many of our favorite follows on instagram, I am taking extra precautions when it comes to communication…I don’t want to lose my account buddy! However, I take great pride in being extremely responsive and punctual in answering any and all inquiries so please feel free to reach out accordingly (but please please please do not post anything sales-related on IG!).
Q20. And what about this patreon thing? Something about VIP perks?
A. To aid in dealing with the constant shadowbanning imposed upon our instagram account, we have come up with a creative and unique approach to a VIP membership system that incorporates the patreon platform. Patreon — https://patreon.com/blindtiger — and free app in your app store) allows us to speak freely about anything we please! No shadowbanning. No vague language to avoid having our post deleted. To repetitive answers of ‘Link in Bio’ over and over! On patreon, we are free to truly build a real community that will last independently from whatever fate our instagram account ultimately meets. VIP members also receive free US shipping on every order, early access to new drops, and even access to exclusive patron-only drops that will never even be announced publicly! If you’re planning to make an order from me at any point in the near future I strongly recommend becoming a VIP patron first because the free shipping alone makes you immediately come out ahead! Here is a direct link to my patreon page: https://patreon.com/blindtiger
Q21. This all sounds great Blind Tiger…I’m ready to order! Uh, how do I go about doing that?
A. Make sure you sign up as a member first over at https://speakeasyseedbank.com/my-account so you can receive all the benefits that come along with that on your very first order! Then Head over to https://speakeasyseedbank.com/offerings to check out our current selections. After you’ve made your selections proceed to checkout, select your payment option, place that order, and start dancing the Charleston because you just made a very very wise decision indeed my good member! A toast in honor of your welcome to Speakeasy Seedbank friend…Cheers!
Q22. So I just made my order and saw something about reward points…when do I get the points?
A. Points are earned at a rate of 1 point per $1 spent. For every 20 points you redeem, you will earn a $1 discount on that order. And you can earn up to 40% off your order if you have enough of them stored up! Please note points are distributed to your account automatically after we mark your order as ‘Completed’ in our system. So be sure to get your payment in ASAP and keep an eye on the status of your order and your current reward point balance by respectively clicking on the Orders tab and the Reward Points tab of the My Account page, my friend!
Q23. So I just mailed my payment to you. How will I know when you receive it and will I receive a tracking number when my order ships out?
A. Upon placing your order, you can log into the My Account page 24/7 at your convenience and click the Orders tab to view the current status of your order. Status updated will appear right there on your invoice as will your tracking number after we receive your payment and ship your gear out. We will also send a courtesy backup-email copy of your invoice to you, but the best way for you to stay up to date is the My Account page!
Q24. I never received any sort of email confirmation from you after placing an order. I have an @icloud.com email address. Does that have something to do with it?
A. As of 12.07.19, we are proud to report that–upon personally working directly with apple iCloud techs–that this problem has been fixed! We can now communicate directly with all of our @icloud.com friends!! That said, we peviously were affected by a restriction called Silent Filtering. Unlike gmail (that filters every message sent to you into corresponding tabs/folders) iCloud may block incoming/outgoing email correspondence silently without notifying either party! We’ve tested this ourselves, and this is a known issue as a quick google search will yield many folks who have been frustrated by this for multiple years now. Here is an additional resources if you would like to read more about this known problem of icloud Silent Filtering, but the short story is that we strongly encourage everyone who is currently utilizing an icloud email address to switch to an alternative email provider and all your problems will instantly be solved! I promise. 🙂
Q25. Going to the post office and standing in line to get a tracking number sounds like a pain in the butt…is there a different way that I can do that?
A. Indeed there is, my friend! You are able to print your own prioirty mail shipping label with a tracking number from the convenience of your own home using the Post Office Click-N-Ship service. You can also utilize Self-Service Kiosks inside select Post Office locations (select Self-Service Kiosks from the ‘Locations Types’ dropdown menu). Some post office locations even keep these self-service kiosks open 24 hours a day! So there is no longer a need to stand in line and wait at the post office, my friend! There is indeed a much better way. Please note that tracking is mandatory and if not supplied, we have no responsibility if your payment gets lost in transit.
Q26. Giftcard payment? I’m confused…how does this work?
A. To pay via giftcard–you can use either 1) a physical giftcard or 2) an e-giftcard. You will want to purchase your giftcard before placing your speakeasy order as you will redeem the giftcard itself on our website. We only can accept USD $$$ giftcards. You can purchase giftcards from the individual website of each supported brand’s card type (Apple–not iTunes, Best Buy, Home Depot, Walmart) or at physical storefronts / local supermarkets or anywhere that sells official giftcard for our supporting brands. If purchasing an e-giftcard please ensure you enter your own contact information as the recipient. That way you receive the giftcard yourself and can redeem the code on our website accordingly when placing your speakeasy order.
Please note there are certain $$$ amount limitations for each brand–you can view this information on the checkout screen of our website. If you know which products you would to purchase and will use a single giftcard for payment, you can select the ‘Giftcard’ payment option on our checkout screen to pay for your order. Conversely, if you will use multiple different cards to pay the balance (or are uncertain which products you would like to purchase), you will want to use our ‘top-up’ product–that way you can build up your speakeasy ‘Account Funds’ to any $$$ amount of your choice and utilize the ‘Account Funds’ payment option that becomes available at checkout after topping-up for the first time in order to place your speakeasy order.
Please note there are certain $$$ amount limitations for each brand–you can view this information on the checkout screen of our website. If you know which products you would to purchase and will use a single giftcard for payment, you can select the ‘Giftcard’ payment option on our checkout screen to pay for your order. Conversely, if you will use multiple different cards to pay the balance (or are uncertain which products you would like to purchase), you will want to use our ‘top-up’ product–that way you can build up your speakeasy ‘Account Funds’ to any $$$ amount of your choice and utilize the ‘Account Funds’ payment option that becomes available at checkout after topping-up for the first time in order to place your speakeasy order.