Apparently there is a diffence in this hobby when you buy from a dealer as opposed to buying from a collector.

In general, collectors are in the hobby for the enjoyment of the hobby itself. They do not need to charge buyers for their time and effort. They would like to get a fair price for their items so that they can use the proceeds to buy other chips that they want. They also want to get the actual cost of postage and shipping covered. This seems fair enough to me.

In general, dealers are in the hobby, besides for the enjoyment of it, but also to earn a living. They provide a service and most collectors recognize the value of the service they provide and are willing to pay them for their services. That is, as long as the cost of their services are reasonable. I have no problem with this and I buy from dealers regularly.

The individual who is auctioning these chips appears to be a dealer, someone who is making a living by auctioning. The seller recognizes that there is a cost to him to prepare his items for auction, conduct the auction and for the fulfillment of the auction. The seller is trying to recover these expenses in the shipping and handling charges. That is clearly wrong. Shipping and handling expenses should only be used for the shipping and handling expenses. Anything else is a lie. All other costs involved in the auction should be covered in the price of the item. Everyone who sells something anywhere has overhead. The overhead is always covered in the price of the item. It should not be an add on to the item. I know that there are exceptions, I just bought a new car.

When I sell chips, through eBay or not, I only charge for the actual postage. The buyer decides the shipment options, since the buyer is paying for it. This includes whether it is 1st class mail or Priority and insurance. Since I reuse bubble mailers and I do not have any expense in them, I do not charge for them. Nor do I charge anything for any other costs related to shipping. Many other collectors do the same and I appreciate it.

The seller of this auction needs to get the message that they will lose perspective buyers if they continue to have excessive shipping and handling fees. I continually pass up auctions with excessive fees. On occassion I will email the seller and ask if instead of paying the shipping and handling fees, I can send a stamped, pre-addressed bubble envelope along with my payment. I have yet to be turned down.