One part of the shipping discussion that hasn't been mentioned is the quality of service, as in how quickly the chips are shipped and how well they're packed.

I believe that counts for something.

Case in point: Mike Spinetti. Anyone on this board who has dealt with Mike knows that no one in our hobby is more honest or has more integrity. Mike charges $2 to ship one chip. He also specifies in his auctions that for that same $2, he'll ship eight additional chips at no extra charge. Others might disagree, but I think that's a great way to generate more bids and is an effective business practice.

According to some comments tonight, Mike's $2 charge makes him nothing more than a money-hungry ripoff artist. I couldn't disagree more, and I am more than willing to pay him a little extra, even for one chip, because I know the care he puts into the packaging and shipping.

I do a fair amount of selling on eBay. I charge $1.50 for shipping one to five chips, a modification of Mike's $2 for up to nine chips charge. I also do my best to ship immediately - before payment arrives - even if that's the only chip I'm mailing that day and I could otherwise avoid a trip to the post office. As someone mentioned earlier - Bob Orme, I think - trust is a two-way street.

Is that kind of service worth a few cents extra? I believe it is, and I haven't had any complaints yet.