Pu'er Tea is said to improve with age, hence it's often referred to as “drinkable antique.” But does Pu'er tea have real collectible value? How should one go about collecting it best?

Is There a Necessity to Collect Pu'er Tea?

Firstly, some people blindly pursue Pu'er teas that are 30 to 50 years old, even seeking rare aromas like camphor and lotus. In reality, Pu'er teas over 20 years old are already quite rare, while those more than 30 or 40 years old are even rarer. Some so-called “aged teas” sold in the market for hundreds of yuan are actually produced by merchants using teas that are only one or two years old, or even just a few months old, at a cost of only tens of yuan.

Secondly, many believe they can make substantial profits by collecting and aging Pu'er tea. However, storing Pu'er tea at home presents several challenges. The aging process of Pu'er tea is influenced by factors such as time, temperature, air, humidity, and environment. Different storage environments and temperatures can result in significant variations in the quality of the tea. Tea has a characteristic of absorbing flavors, so storing Pu'er tea requires it not to be sealed but to be exposed to the air to continuously oxidize. However, finding a location in a household free of odors for eight to ten years is challenging. Once the tea absorbs odors like kerosene or perfume, it becomes worthless.

Thirdly, some assume that the older the Pu'er tea, the more valuable it is. This is not necessarily true. In the 1970s, there were still some “human head” compressed teas from the Qing dynasty stored in the Forbidden City's warehouse, which were once used as tributes. Tea evaluation experts found after brewing and tasting that this century-old tea had only a dark red color and no flavor, due to being excessively aged.

Collecting tea tests both the buyer's ability to identify good tea and their skills in storing it. If you lack adequate expertise, the tea you buy for collection may not meet the standards. Factors to consider include: which production area is the tea from? What is the annual yield? Is it scarce? What is its market price? Are there any issues with the production process? I can assure you that very few people can fully understand these aspects. It's quite normal, and even many tea producers, including ourselves, are considered “guardians of the trees,” so don't laugh.

Storing a small amount of tea for daily consumption is generally manageable for most households. However, if you store a larger quantity, you might need a dedicated room, and controlling humidity and temperature can be quite challenging. If you're waiting for appreciation in value, you must ensure that the tea improves over time without any mishaps. Otherwise, after storing it for three to five years, you might find that it has developed flaws, making discussions about appreciation irrelevant. Additionally, if you're not part of the right network, it doesn't matter how good your tea is; finding buyers will be difficult, rendering discussions about appreciation meaningless.