It seems to be the trend to overcharge for postage, especially for fishing reels. Have a look at several auctions and you will find that postage costs vary enormously. USA auctions alone have huge differences in postage costs. Some sellers sending a reel for as little as $9.99 and other charging $19.99 or more. This is from the same state and the same postal service. If you are an international buyer it gets worse. You can quickly look up on USPS for the rates, so it's no use sellers trying to discount the sale price and inflating the postage price. We'll use the example of a reel weighing 2 pounds being sent to Australia. Costs vary depending on the type of postage purchased. $32.00 for Express Mail international to $15.90 for First Class Mail International. A big difference when converting your hard earned cash from Australian dollars to US dollars. For a reel of 2 pounds I've been quoted as much as $44.00 US for postage. So it does pay to check before purchase. From my experience most sellers won't discount postage even though their quoted prices are well above that of USPS.
Unfortunately a lot of sellers do not realise the untapped demand that could be had, should they choose to observe sensible postage rates. How many reels would they sell if they quoted postage correctly? My opinion is heaps ss postage costs is a huge factor as to whether you'll buy something or not.

So for the discerning buyer -

• Do your homework on USPS and know the costs for postage based on your items weight.

• Ask the seller for a quote before bidding.

• If shipping costs are non negotiable, then buy elsewhere.

For the Seller -

• Quote realistic prices - You'll sell more!

• USPS have several options depending on the buyers preference. If the buyer wants USPS First Class Mail international, then thats how you should send it. Not everyone needs their reel in 3 days at an increased cost.