According to Pu-erh tea collectors, the following issues must be noted when storing Pu-erh tea cakes: First, distinguish between raw tea and aged tea. Most teas before the 1970s were primarily raw teas, meaning they underwent no artificial fermentation process. Tea leaves that are withered, sun-dried, steamed, pressed into shape, and then dried are called raw tea (raw Pu-erh cake). These teas are exposed to air to undergo natural post-fermentation; the longer the storage time, the mellower the tea quality becomes. Teas fermented through controlled warm piling technology under specific temperature and humidity conditions are called ripe tea (ripe Pu-erh cake). The fermentation of ripe tea is already fixed, and storage duration does not alter the tea's inherent quality. Second, identify the storage location correctly.

1. Must be aged in dry storage

Dry storage prevents mold and allows for slower transformation, preserving the true character of Pu-erh tea. "Tea delights in its leaf nature but fears strong spices, prefers warm dryness and dislikes cold dampness." - Cha Lu, by Cai Xiang, Song Dynasty. Dry storage refers to storing tea in an environment with moderate humidity and temperature and good ventilation for post-fermentation. Wet storage refers to merchants placing tea in poorly ventilated, high-humidity environments to accelerate aging for profit.

2. Avoid sudden temperature changes
If the storage temperature is too high or temperature fluctuations are too sudden, it will affect the liveliness and taste of the tea liquor's character. Excessively high storage temperatures creating a stuffy heat can even transform raw tea into ripe Pu-erh, a situation that sometimes occurs in Hong Kong tea warehouses.

3. Prevent contamination by foreign odors
Tea is highly absorbent of odors. A handful of dry tea leaves can clear odors from the air. Therefore, ensure the storage environment is clean and free from foreign smells. "Delights in its leaf nature but fears strong spices." - Cai Xiang, Song Dynasty; "Prefers cool freshness and dislikes stifling heat. Enjoys purity and detests fragrant or foul smells." - Wen Long, Ming Dynasty; "The nature of tea is susceptible, easily tainted. Absolutely keep it away from anything with a foul or fishy odor. Even fine incense should not be placed near it."

4. Use bamboo husk for packaging
"Tea must be packed solidly. Still use thick bamboo husk to fill tightly. Seal the jar mouth again with husk, wrapped with genuine tough paper." - Cha Shu, by Xu Cishu, Ming Dynasty. This traditional packaging material and method help filter out odors during Pu-erh's post-fermentation, ensuring purity. Often, people repack opened aged tea with lower-quality plastic paper. Over time, this can produce off-odors, directly damaging the Pu-erh's flavor.

5. Pay attention to the tea's aging lifespan
There is no definitive data on the lifespan of Pu-erh tea—whether it's sixty years, one hundred years, or several hundred. It often relies on the taster's intuition to judge its level of maturation. For instance, teas like Fu Yuan Chang and Tong Qing Lao Hao Pu-erh round cakes have reached their peak maturation and must be sealed for storage to prevent continued rapid post-fermentation, which would gradually diminish the tea's character and lead to flavor decline and spoilage. The Palace Museum's 'Golden Melon Tribute Tea,' aged one to two hundred years, has a character where "the liquor has color, but the tea taste is aged and thin." Pu-erh tea, known as "a drinkable antique," becomes more valuable with age, possessing significant collection value and appreciation potential. Older Pu-erh generally commands higher prices and offers better taste. High-quality Pu-erh can appreciate annually by 10% to 15%. For example, a standard recipe 7542 tea cake (dry storage) from a factory in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, sold for only 10 yuan per cake (seven taels) initially, but its price rose to over 150 yuan after six years. A 350-gram tea cake stored for 50 years can be worth more than a Honda car. The "better with age" quality depends on various factors, primarily the storage environment, the tea's inherent characteristics, and the aging period. Due to the unique nature of tea, its storage年限 can only be determined through tasting by tea experts, with no unified standard. Furthermore, many unscrupulous manufacturers exploit this consumer mindset, using wet storage—placing tea in poorly ventilated, high-humidity environments to accelerate aging artificially.