Lets face it, for the most of us hobbie sellers here on eBay shipping can be confusing. I used the calculator to find the cost to ship an Item to Texas, cost $123.00. When I called Fed-Ex and UPS I was quoted around $75-85. Why such a big difference? I have tried to do both flat rate and calculated shipping. In most instances when I just use a flat rate, after packing and shipping it usually ends up costing me more. I just shipped two guitars for a flat rate of $35. It cost me $42 to ship. I have found that my items with flat rate shipping sell better than items using the calculator or the buyer having to wait for my invoice. I firmly believe that the buyer knowing the total cost of shipping going into the transaction feels better about the deal. I know shipping makes a huge difference to me whether or not I bid on a large item. So to sum it up, for me I use mostly flat rate shipping. I might add though, even with 100% positive feedback I still get a half star sometimes. You can't make everyone happy. You just have to do your best.