Understand the form before buying raw material. Different forms serve different uses and have different thresholds; choosing wrong easily leads to waste.
Whole pieces and natural-shaped logs suit collecting, display, and hands-on handling; look at the resin, the grain, and the completeness. The threshold is relatively high, but this is also the category that best builds your judgment.
Chips come from processing leftovers or natural shedding, are friendly on price, and suit daily burning and nose-training by comparison. Beginners can use them to establish an olfactory baseline at a lower trial-and-error cost than buying large pieces directly.
Powder is the ground form, commonly used for burning seals, blending incense, or filling the burner. When choosing powder, look at the cleanliness of the raw material and the purity of the scent; avoid adulterated powder. Burning a seal yourself is a very rewarding task for beginners.
Forms have no hierarchy—only whether they suit your purpose.
Choose logs for collecting, chips for daily burning, and powder for hands-on seal-burning. Think clearly about how you will use it before choosing a form, and you are less likely to buy wrong.
Seeing and smelling the three forms together makes the differences clearer than words. The Songzhuang store has samples to handle; beginners who come feel them once will know which to buy when they go home.
Explain your specific situation clearly, and we will give corresponding judgment and advice—sourcing, personal use, and authentication are all accepted.
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