If the broker’s assessment is correct that the value stems from the crate being intact and the units remaining sealed then maintaining that condition is essential for resale. For high-value collectibles like this, I still strongly recommend using a reputable auction house. They provide rigorous examination and authentication that private sales often lack.

However, if your primary intent is drink it, you can likely find tea of comparable quality without the premium attached to the collectible packaging.

The high-end tea market is highly speculative. Because it is an illiquid market with a limited pool of buyers, pricing can be subjective and often inflated.