I'm both a seller and a buyer on Ebay, and while not the most experienced Ebayer, I've learned a few things during my experience.  There are many unscrupulous sellers out there selling 99 cent items with $70. shipping charges. That's the extreme, but there are still too many sellers who blatantly overcharge on shipping. I advise you to avoid these like a plague.  Bad enough that a new buyer takes a leap of faith when purchasing online, unlike a brick and mortar store where he can handle the merchandise, and take it home with him after paying for it, but when buying online, if he didn't check the sellers shipping charge before buying the item, he also takes a chance on getting beat by some scamming seller.  As a seller I know that shipping costs: Bubble wrap, packaging, tape, printer ink, and postage has to be figured in. Also, when I ship overseas, and must fill out a customs label, I can count on waiting on line at the post office for 15 to 45 minutes, so factoring in my postage cost,  I have some very real expenses, not even counting my time. I have nothing against an honest seller charging a handling charge to cover these expenses.  However, you can send a 70 pound package in a flat rate priority mail box anywhere in the US for $8.10 maximum. Therefore, I have no sympathy for the seller of a single coin, or stamp, which he sends first class for 74 cents at the most, to charge a buyer $5. for the privilige of waiting up to 7 days to get the item he paid for immediately via Paypal.  So examine each sellers shipping price before bidding. If your package weighs less than a pound, it can be sent first class, and should cost no more than $3. for shipping. If over a pound, it can be sent priority mail usually for a cost of about $4. The seller should not charge more than $5. to ship this. The extra dollar will cover his expenses. Of course there will be large, and/or bulky items which are difficult to pack and ship, and for these the buyer will be charged extra. This is fair.  As you gain experience you will learn what fair shipping charges are. You may also go to the post office web site, and use the postage calculator there to estimate your charges. Ebay buying should be a good experience. Don't let a few bad apples spoil it for everyone.  Look for sellers who offer free shipping, although you'll pay somehow, but especially patronize those who charge a reasonable shipping charge. These are the honest sellers, and they deserve more customers.  God bless. Larry (ambulancedork1985)