When you buy from me, you are agreeing to the contract that I represent to you, and that includes shipping and handling fees.

I've learned through the school of hard knocks how to run an e-business, and that included being accurate in my shipping charges, cost of boxes and envelopes and additional elements involved in shipping and tracking that all cost money. Many Sellers add their shipping costs to the item cost and ship for free, I do not do that. Ebay encourages that because that's more money for them (they get a per centage of the sales fee, not the postage fee), and items often sell faster when offered with free shipping and Sellers just add the cost of shipping into the cost of the item. Ebay makes more money. My shipping costs are real, I do not make a profit, it is a toally separate category of fee, it is a service fee. Postage.

Since the postal increases which occurred in May of 2007, the impact has been far greater than expected, especially with the smaller items. When it comes to boxes, my "postal helper" told me to use as a rule of thumb, add $3.00 per box (this is for the aquatic equipment in the big boxes), and the smaller jewelry items were now considered packages if they are not completely flat. So each one for those little bubble mailers that you get your chains in are shipped as a parcel, which blows my mind. This is where the money goes:

• shipping labels • ink for my printer(s) to print the shipping labels and the 2 packing slips I print, one for you and one for me. • Boxes, which cost about .75-1.00 each to buy, but cost an additional .75 or more to ship to me (each) • I buy small amounts of bubble wrap and occasionally those puffed air bags (when on sale at my wholesaler's shipping supply company). Those save everyone money, it costs less to ship "air". • Those beautiful white bubble mailers you get vary in price, I buy 4 different sizes. Larger bubble mailers for books. Reams and reams of card to stableize chains and to protect their links. • Packing tape, packing tape and more packing tape.

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The cost of the Delivery Confirmation which provides us both with a tracking number. In the event that your order is lost, we can find it with your tracking number.

• Gas, time to the post office, wear and tear on my car, I don't charge for, I consider this an obvious cost of doing business. Some Sellers measure the miles to their shipping outlet and charge you the gas they average on a weekly basis.

Every listing has a shipping time built into it, and I use the same “pasted words” with every one.

"Buyer pays for all shipping costs. Domestic 48 is usually through USPS. Please contact me for other destinations. Express delivery will be accommodated. I will combine items to reduce total shipping costs. All Items are unconditionally guaranteed, returns accepted within 7-14 days in like condition. I also accept personal checks, money orders or cashiers checks. Insurance cost optional. You will receive order 7-14 business days from the time that I receive payment. "

I usually ship a day or two, after payment. Often, I ship the day of payment, or the next day. It really depends on the Season and my sales. If I've had a huge sales weekend, orders probably won't go out until Tuesday as I sort through everything on Monday. But, I do say between 7-14 business days. If you want it tomorrow, please email me first to see that if I can do that. but when you buy from me, the contract is, 7-14 business days from the date of payment. I am not automated nor do I have employees. It's just me, and I do everything hands on, the old fashioned way.

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In every listing it states that I have 2-3 business days from the date of payment to ship your item(s). I put that in for worst case scenarios, like illness, hurricanes, periods of very high sales (Summer, Christmas, unpredicted weekends), this gives me time to sort through the sales and pack everything as it should be packed. I am a perfectionist, I have a couple of hundred items up for sale most of the time, and I am nothing but thorough and that takes time.

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I am not Fed Ex. If you are selling what you get from me, please plan accordingly. I do everything to save you money unless you tell me otherwise, and will ship parcel post unless it looks like Priority Mail would cost as much, or as little. I ask at the post office what every box would cost both ways, and make the final decistion while standing in line working with the postal worker.

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I appreciate your business. I will work so hard to please you. When I worked in the corprorate world I had a supervisor who used to say, "your stress is not my problem" and "feeling stressed? Pass it on!" Plan accordingly and within the time constraints clearly listed in every listing, and you will have no problems.