there is no record. But if there were, it would say this:

Trust me - this might be the first time you have had shipping issues, but many of us deal with these issues on a daily basis and have discussed them on this website. I have tested theories, made mistakes, read the postal regulations, listened to others, and learned from their mistakes.

As is typical in life, you must weigh costs and risks.

1. The most assured method is to ship as a first class mail package. $3.50 at the post office counter; $2.66 if using on-line postage. Tracking is automatically included. It means you have to adjust prices accordingly; you can't sell chips for $2 shipped and expect to do anything except clean out your house.

2. The non-machinable surcharge method costing 71 cents is less reliable. It is subject to interpretation by postal clerks from the moment you mail it to the moment it arrives. It can save money, but it is not assured to arrive without a postage due sticker that could alienate a customer or trade partner. The fewer postal clerks who handle it, the better your chance of the 71 cents going unquestioned, which is why the standard advice is to place it into a mail box and not present it to a clerk. In addition, even when marked "non-machinable" these often get routed through the sorting machines that squeeze and bend envelopes, and can lead to damage.

3. The cheapest method - 50 cents for an ordinary letter - is most risky, has the greatest chance of damage to delicate chips, and has the greatest chance of getting ripped apart by automatic sorting machines and arriving as an empty, opened envelope.

The costs of mailing have harmed everyday traders and small sellers, even though e-commerce seems to get bigger every year. It grows because larger users know they have to build safe and effective packaging into their sales structure. Customers may remember that they saved $2 on shipping, but they will remember more if a package arrives empty, damaged, or they had to scramble to find enough coins to pay the postage due clerk/carrier.

I always use option #1. I know a lot of dollar items aren't going to sell, but that's what the bargain bin is for at shows. (or I batch 5 or 10 chips to make it worthwhile)