Is Shipping Outside The US Much Of A Bother? Worth The Wider Bid Net?

Personally I would only focus on Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Great Britain, Iceland, France, Germany, Spain, and Austria. Do not Ship to Africa, or the Middle East, Russia, China, Italy, India, Mexico, South America, etc.

I TOTALLY believe yall when you say the USPS is more often the culprit. I have had my share of nightmares with them over the years, learned some very disturbing things from former employees too. Just like cops or any other position with power over powerless poeple and their property, when animals get hired they pretty much be animals without impunity. Lazily throwing packages is on the nicer end of what can happen because there are also sadists. --I once had a desk clerk lazily AND sadistically throw a box of live fish I brought in to ship, with her looking right in my eyes (she wanted to illustrate that I shouldn't ship live fish, because 'this' is how the box will be treated). I've also gathered that they HATE anything handwritten begging them to use 'CAUTION' 'THIS SIDE UP' etc. I've had customers try to dictate that I write such things on fish purchase boxes so I say "Fine if you want to void your live arrival guarantee" (that shuts them up). I've had a box of fish circle around Missouri for 15 days, then come back to me (3 of them were still alive!). But never had a package just disappear completely. --This is the first I've heard of postal workers STEALING, but if it's little envelopes I could totally see it.

I am interested in hearing about your experience as well Kawliga. I'm going to be doing a lot of the same once I can get past this period of listing only 10 items per month that ebay imposes on new sellers.