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Rough Handling

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

With gas prices so high, more stamp collectors are turning to the Internet for their purchases, 
rather than traveling.

Some of the prices on eBay in particular look very enticing...until you read the fine print.

A stamp may be offered at a bargain price...but the shipping and handling charges are high. 
Worse, say some collectors, sometimes when you pay 3, 4 dollars or more for shipping and handling, 
all the packaging consists of is a plain envelope and a 42-cent stamp. That's hardly getting your 
money's worth.

One collector asked me if eBay regulates these charges. The answer is no. It's Buyer Beware.

Here's what I do: If an item looks interesting to me, I immediately look at the shipping charges. 
If it's an auction item, I subtract that amount from the maximum I'm willing to bid. If it's a 
fixed price item, then I add those charges to the price.

And if the total is too high, then I walk away from the deal...or to hold  my nose and pay it.

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, 
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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