So I was burning time earlier this evening in Academy while the wife was shopping in a nearby store and started reading the stickers on bags of seed to see what was in them. I've found these are the best way to find out exactly what seed is in the bag and how much as a percentage of the total volume. Anyway, even though I always do this before buying seed in such places, it was only tonight that I noticed all the labels included a date the seed was tested, while others included an expiration date as well. I also noticed that all the "sell by" dates had passed, meaning they were most likely leftovers from last season. It makes you wonder if Academy, Walmart, and other places that sell these packaged seeds should sell them at a heavily discounted clearance price when the sell by dates have passed.

No

see it all the time

Ask a manager. They may offer you a deal. The worst that can happen is no deal.

Many farm Feed and Seed stores are the same. Some will try to get you to buy last years seed at a discount. Don't do it. The heat kills the germination rate of most seeds. It is just a sad truth out there. I get most of my seed from my family's farms....straight out of the harvest!