People who use heirloom seed catalogs have a variety of reasons for pursuing heirloom gardening. Sometimes it's the pull of exotic or flavorful food; it might be part of a general interest in history; or it could be a wish to promote biodiversity.www.organicguide.com/blog/in-the-garden/seed-saving-and-garden-organic-interview/

In the past, people saved seeds that were worth saving because of flavor, unusual color or other unique characteristics. Examples would be the Purple Cherokee Tomato, which is red with purple stripes and is supposed to have been a variety grown by the Cherokee Nation; Chioggia Beets, which are bulls-eyes of red and white in cross section; flowers like Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate ; and herbs like Lemon Bee Balm. All of these varieties can be found in heirloom seed catalogs.

Look for the abbreviations "F1", which is a sign a variety is hybridized, and avoid it if you're looking for heirloom seeds. Heirloom varieties could be marked "OP" for "Open-Pollinated", or simply "Heirloom".http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100416/COLUMN1203/4160304/1001/news/If-you-save-seed--note-what-you-buy

One of the oldest public catalogs is Seed Savers Exchange, founded in 1975.www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=aboutus.htm The interest in old-fashioned ways was part of the Back to the Land Movement of the Sixties and Seventies.www.search.com/reference/Back-to-the-land People all over the world used to, and still do, save seeds from one crop to another as a part of frugality, and simple because the variety is worth saving.

Today, many general seed companies carry some heirloom varieties, and many specialize in heirloom seeds.

Shipping and Handling varies by company and state, and by type of seeds being shipped. Charges may be bundled. In the case of live plant materials laws vary by state.

Many companies offer choice of shipping, and some companies offer trackable shipping when shipped by Fed-Ex or UPS. Free and discounted shipping and/or handling is sometimes used as a sales incentive by some companies.

Return policies vary by company. Few companies will refuse returns outright because it is bad customer service; however, most companies do have periods in which to accept a return. For example, Heirloom Seeds does not accept any returns; Baker's Seeds will guarantees their seeds to grow but has an indemnity clause; Seed Savers Exchange has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Many companies specify the condition an item must be in order to be returned. Most companies have a procedure to follow.