Buckwheat Pillows

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     My buckwheat pillows’s value in one important area, I must confess, has been woefully neglected on my part. I had noticed that I was getting sales in several rather concentrated areas, and I couldn’t figure out why.

     The answer came from an unexpected (by me ) source, and caused me to realize I was totally missing a big selling point. The first clue came when I got an email from a chiropractic clinic telling me how beneficial my buckwheat pillows were to their patients, and that they were recommending to every one of their patients that they acquire one of my pillows.

     Shortly after that, I got a call from an elderly lady who didn’t use a computer, and ordered a buckwheat pillow  by phone. In the course of our conversation, she told me she had recently had a back operation, and her doctor had told her to purchase one of my pillows to help her recover from her back operation, and to provide support for her back in the future.

     That gave me an idea, and I checked the areas from which I had been receiving  concentrations of pillow orders. Sure enough, the areas where those doctors were practicing were the same areas where my sales were concentrated, and I hadn’t even thought about my pillows being used for that purpose. I had, myself, experienced the difference buckwheat pillows provide in cervical support to the neck area, and in providing blissful sleep, but had not been so unfortunate as to have experienced the back problems.

     I am very thankful to have not had those back problems to contend with, but I don’t know why I didn’t think about the many people, many of whom I know, who do. I apologize for that oversight.

     So I hereby take inspiration and direction from my customers chiropractors and surgeons, and proclaim to those of you who suffer from back problems, that you need to follow their advise and use a buckwheat pillow against your back to provide the support you need in that area while sleeping.

     Before I forget it (actually, I already had) if you have an Ipod or Smart phone, try scanning  my QR code in the upper left corner to get a discount.

BUCKWHEAT PILLOWS = BLISSFUL SLEEP

     Buckwheat pillows? Some people ask, “Why would anyone want to sleep on one of those? Those would be the people that never have.

     Those who have slept on them ask a different question entirely. They ask, “Why in the world would anyone try to sleep on anything other than a buckwheat pillow?”.

     The people asking the first question are obviously asking that question because they haven’t a clue, and they desire to learn the answer to their question. Those asking the second question, can afford to be a little smug, even condescending, because they realize that they know some important things that the others don’t.

     People who have knowledge of something that they know is somewhat a mystery to others, just can’t seem to help flaunting their “superior knowledge” and trying to make those who are not as informed as they are feel a little inferior. That’s a shame, because sometimes it causes people who would honestly like to learn something a bit reluctant to ask questions, because being treated that way is not really pleasant. So they may just live with their ignorance, rather than risk being made to feel inferior, or to feel they are considered stupid.

     Now, I said all that to say this. There are two ways you can answer that first question for your self, if in fact you are one who is asking, even if only to yourself.

     First, you can read a sampling of the posts on this blog, and visit my website where I would recommend my “Frequently Asked Questions” page. Or you can save yourself some time and effort by simply investing in a buckwheat pillow of your own, and you won’t have to ask questions or do research.

     Then, I would certainly appreciate it if you would resist the temptation to flaunt your “superior knowledge” and simply share your new found experience with your less fortunate friends who are still in the dark as to why anyone would want to sleep on one of those buckwheat pillows.

FLAT OR FLUFFY

     Should buckwheat pillows be filled with the flattened buckwheat hulls, or the triangular unflattened ones? I had never thought much about that question before. I guess I should have.

     A few days ago someone called, and asked me whether my pillows were filled with flattened hulls, or the unflattened ones. I told him the flattened ones.

     He sort of jumped on me and asked why I would use flattened hulls in my pillows. Having not thought much about it before, because all the pillow hulls I had ever seen had been flattened, and I simply hadn’t thought to question why, I was somewhat at a loss as to how to answer him.

     He proceeded to tell me he was glad he had called first, because he had just saved himself from getting ripped off. He said he had an article right in front of him that said pillows were only filled with flattened hulls because they were inferior and cheaper. He said I was misleading people because I was touting my pillows as quality pillows, but I was using inferior hulls. Having not done my homework on that particular question, I didn’t know how to answer him, except that I said I would research it.

     Guess what. I searched that question every way I could figure out to pose it. Google let me down, so I tried several other search engines I had used in the past, to no avail. Finally, I pulled up some sites that sell both flattened and unflattened hulls. I posed the question to them as to which was the higher quality hull, flattened or unflattened.

     I was told there was no difference in quality, only slight differences in characteristics, and it was simply the buyers preference. The unflattened ones are a little more fluffy at first, but they flatten out naturally from use, so they eventually lose much of their initial fluffiness, and then they will need to have more hulls added if you want to maintain the same degree of fullness.

      The flattened ones will initially be slightly heavier, and a little firmer because you’re getting slightly more hulls. However, this difference will even out over time. The flattened ones aren’t quite as noisy as the unflattened, so the flattened ones might provide a slight advantage to someone who has a little trouble getting used to the “rustling” sound of a new pillow.

      I thought perhaps there was a difference in the cost of producing one over the other, or maybe one was more difficult to vacuum than the other ( Quality buckwheat hulls undergo a vacuuming process to eliminate any trace of dust from them), but they said not.

     The buckwheat hull dealers who I talked to said there was no quality or cost differences one way or the other, only slight differences in preference between buckwheat pillow customers. So, I guess it was much ado about nothing regarding the prospective customer who thought I was trying to rip him off. Unfortunately, I didn’t get his name or number. Live and learn.

BUCKWHEAT PILLOW

     Buckwheat pillows are the ultimate when it comes to comfort in the world of pillows. They are gaining in popularity to the point now where the buckwheat hulls are more valuable than the food buckwheat provides. The hulls used to be mainly used as a source of mulch in gardens and flowerbeds, but they’re getting to be a little expensive for that as the buckwheat pillow industry demands more and more of them.

     The company that supplies the hulls to make our pillows temporarily ran out this year, and they had to be shipped in from another state until the supply could be replenished. The demand for hulls for pillows is starting to push the price up, so it may be advisable to not wait too long to procure all the buckwheat pillows you may need down the road.

     While the health aspects of buckwheat pillows are arguably the more important among the various reasons for switching to them from a conventional feather or foam pillow, sleeping comfort still seems to be the driving force in their rising use and popularity.

     Oddly enough, the mainline box stores don’t seem to have jumped on the band wagon yet, at least not where I shop. I always make a point to check out the pillows for sale in the stores, and fortunately for me, I seldom find any, and when I do, they are of such inferior quality that I fear they will give buckwheat pillows a bad rap. I’ve known of a few people who’ve bought them, especially the ones sold on TV, and they were quite disappointed with them.

     While I’d certainly love to see quality buckwheat pillows become more popular, proliferation of those cheap imported ones certainly is not going to do anything to promote their widespread use, which is a shame. First impressions are important, so if many people get their first impressions from these inferior imports, it will further delay the general publics’ appreciation of all the advantages to be realized from quality buckwheat pillows as compared to conventional ones.

     So how does the uninitiated know if they’re buying a quality buckwheat pillow as opposed to a cheap import? There are a number of things to look for. First, look for a discreetly concealed nylon zipper sewn into one end of the pillow. This allows the user to adjust the volume of hulls to provide their own unique comfort level. Also, the pillow cover should be of a sturdy closely woven material, usually a natural unbleached cotton. This provides a pillow that will last fifteen or more years. Hopefully there will be available instructions and information on the website or store in regard to qualities such as being organic, made in USA of organic, N American grown components, and using triple vacuumed or equivalent flour and dust elimination measures.

     Also, a quality pillow should have an ample supply of hulls, either enclosed within the pillow itself, or provided in an additional container. If they are in the pillow itself, it should appear somewhat over filled, and it actually is. The reason for this is that over time, the tiny ridges on the hulls which provide the malleability, wear off a little (which actually improves the malleability) but it also slightly decreases the volume of the hulls. The extra hulls provide for this slight loss in volume. Before using, you should remove a quantity of hulls, and experiment to find your preferred volume.

     The other important feature is the guarantee. Since people’s individual comfort requirements vary so widely, it is actually possible that some may find buckwheat pillows not to there liking. This satisfaction money back guarantee needs to be long enough for anyone to give their pillow a thorough trial, so that they do not feel rushed in getting used to their new pillow, because they are substantially different than a conventional foam or feather pillow. Some, in spite of all their advantages, still prefer a conventional pillow. A quality merchant will gladly refund the purchase price upon return of the pillow. This only makes sense, because the last thing any merchant needs, is a dissatisfied customer. Look for a full year satisfaction money back guarantee.

     So, before the prices start going up, buy your quality buckwheat pillows and find out what all the excitement is about.

A BUCKWHEAT PILLOW

     Buckwheat pillows were developed in the Orient several thousand years ago, and are still used there today. No one, anywhere, has yet developed a better pillow, although they have been improved upon  with modern technology.

     So, you might ask, why are they not more widely used in the Western world? To that question there is no simple answer. Originally, it may have been largely due to the isolationism practiced widely by China and other Oriental civilizations, along with the difficulties of communication with, and travel to those distant regions.

     But those difficulties have faded away, so now what is the explanation? My guess, and this is only a guess, is that there were more interesting and dramatic items of the Oriental culture to interest and attract the Westerner.  I mean, compared to their fantastic silks, and oriental rugs, and exotic foods, and gunpowder, a seemingly common item like a bed pillow was simply relegated to the mundane.

     It didn’t look any different than a conventional pillow. It served the same purpose as a conventional pillow. They had no attraction to any particular component of humanity such as the military, the wealthy, the political, the historian, the artisan, or the explorer. In short, I think they may have been simply overlooked.

     That, along with the old adage of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. For example, I was always satisfied with my old feather pillows. I might get annoyed, on a hot summer night, when I’d wake up with the back of my head all perspired. I’d wake up enough to flip it over to the “cool” side, only to go through the same ritual again a short while later. It never occurred to me that there might be a pillow filling that could solve that discomfort.

     Complacency with the shortcomings of something that we just took for granted, coupled with ignorance of a solution to a problem we’d simply grown accustomed to, to the extent that no one was likely even searching for one, I believe caused the buckwheat pillow to be simply overlooked by those who seemingly should have recognized it as the great blessing that it is now finally becoming.

     I said all that to say this. The buckwheat pillow is finally coming to be recognized as the ultimate solution to every shortcoming of which the conventional pillow, whether foam or feather, is inherently possessed.

      The buckwheat pillow is naturally ventilating, whereas the conventional is insulating. The buckwheat pillow is naturally resistant to dust mite infestation, while the conventional is universally infested.

      The filling in a feather or foam pillow has a shape to which it is eternally trying to return, while the malleability of the buckwheat hulls allow the buckwheat pillow to derive it’s shape from your head and neck, thereby providing even support to all areas of cervical spine in the head and neck area. This relieves all sorts of neck and shoulder tensions which have built up throughout the day. Thus they are widely prescribed by chiropractors.

     This malleability is provided by minute ridges on the hulls, which allow them to conform to your particular shape and position. Through time and use, these ridges polish to a finish which causes this action to actually improve with use.

     The conventional pillows fillings are naturally conducive to producing allergens and noxious fumes, while a quality buckwheat pillow whose organic hulls have been properly vacuumed to remove all traces of buckwheat flour and dust are naturally hypoallergenic.

     While each conventional pillow is filled with a predetermined amount of filling, a quality buckwheat pillow has sewn into it a discreetly concealed nylon zipper, which allows it’s user to remove whatever amount of buckwheat hulls they need to, to provide the exact volume of hulls to provide the precise comfort level for the particular individual using the pillow. This is one of the greatest advantages.

     Now add to this the durability of these quality buckwheat pillows, along with the fact that they do not need to be periodically replaced due to the allergens being produced by the feces and the decaying corpses of the dust mites infesting the conventional pillows, and it’s not hard to determine the money savings that will be realized over time.

Sleeping Bliss

     Buckwheat pillow sales are running amuck in Texas. I’m curious as to why. About 90% of my buckwheat pillow sales are being made in Texas. I’d sure like to know what the reason is.

     I can not think of any reason why my website would be more effective, or would generate more traffic, in Texas than any other state. Is there something other than my site that is producing the interest in buckwheat pillows in the great state of Texas?

     If someone out there knows the answers to these questions, Please fill me in. As a marketer of buckwheat Pillows, I’d like to reproduce whatever is happening in the stare of Texas in all of the states, but since I have no clue as to what is happening, I can only watch in amazement as my sales soar in Texas.

      Perhaps there is some local advertising of buckwheat pillows taking place there which has nothing directly to do with me or my site, and I’m simply reaping the benefit from it. In any event, I’m really curious, so if you have even an idea, Please send it my way. Curiosity is killing me. Maybe I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. That sounds like a saying that could have started in Texas.

Happy New Year

     Buckwheat pillows have the advantage over conventional foam and feather pillows in every category I can think of, but I feel there is one particular benefit that really outshines all the rest. That is the ability to give each and every person the ability to customize the volume of filling to suit there own particular comfort level.

     Believe me, this volume preference varies all over the place. I have actually known of several people who prefer them to remain fully filled, just as they come out of the box. Not me. I like only about 1/3 of the hulls to remain in the pillow. These two examples are the extremes, I would say. Most people like them somewhere in between these two volumes.

     My main point of this post is to make sure that you don’t ignore this built in advantage. At a yard sale this summer I saw two very new looking buckwheat pillows for sale at a very reasonable price. I asked the seller why they were selling them. She said that she had bought them from a TV vendor, and that they weren’t in the least comfortable, like advertised.

     I asked her if she had tried using them with varying amounts of hulls in them. She looked very surprised, and asked why she should do that. I told her that I sell them, and that hardly anyone would want to sleep on them like that. I showed her the zipper in the pillow, which she wasn’t even aware of.

     She thanked me for explaining that advantage, and said she would try experimenting with that feature. I noticed they were not included in the yard sale the next day. I suspect she probably didn’t read the directions.

     I hadn’t sold those pillows, but I suspect that instructions to that effect probably were included at some point in the transaction. So if you, or anyone you know, is sleeping on a buckwheat pillow without taking advantage of the adjustable comfort level feature built into any quality buckwheat pillow, the degree of malleability is pretty much zero, if some of the hulls are not removed before using.

     Experiment. As I indicated before, everyone’s comfort level is different. You have to try different amounts of filling to find out what you like. Once you’ve found your comfort level, it will be a marriage made in bed for you and your buckwheat pillow. Never the twain will part.

     Buckwheat pillows have always been famous for their ability to relieve neck pain and stress. But I recently found that this very fact makes them much more relevant to relieving migraine headaches than I had ever suspected.

     I recently was asked by a website dealing with migraine pain, its causes and remedies, to provide a link from my site to it. I always check out websites before I agree to link with them, and as I checked out this site, I had my eyes opened as to the relationship of neck pain and tension to migraines.

      According to this site, 45% of migraines stem initially from neck stress and pain. I do know that my granddaughter, who suffers from migraines, got immediate relief when she took a nap on my wife’s buckwheat pillow. It didn’t occur to me that this isolated incident may not have been so isolated at all.

      Now, since suddenly becoming aware of the close relationship between neck pain and stress and migraines, I suddenly feel compelled to redouble my efforts to promote these (even more wonderful than I thought) buckwheat pillows.

     If you have a friend or relative that suffers from migraines, maybe they would really appreciate it if you were to suggest they check out the possibility that such a simple remedy could prove beneficial in alleviating their migraine problems. What do they have to lose? At worst, they would at least have the most comfortable sleeping pillow known to man, even if their migraine turned out not to be caused by neck stress. There are many causes of migraine headaches, but 45% seems to me to be a pretty fair amount.

     It may be worth their while to check out the website I’m referring to, as it really goes into depth on the causes and treatments for migraines. Its title is” help-for-migraines.com”. If they are interested in looking into the possible causes and remedies for their migraine headaches, there is a wealth of material on this site, including buckwheat pillows as a viable solution.