Walther’s is the same. I am fortunate in that I live about ten miles or so away.

That said, if I were running such a business, I would likely do the same. It takes time to prepare and mail each and every package. And it obviously takes materials.

In today’s extremely competitive market (Yes, even model trains are in competition with, well, everything as money spent here is from what little disposable cash remains after the bills are paid.) having several different size, type, materials does cost, to say nothing of the money being paid to the shipping clerk.

Oh, you say you (wife, son, daughter, useless brother-in-law) does it? Well, chances that is not the only thing he/she or it has to do. Ergo, his/her (your) time is taken away from his/her (your) other duties.

Maybe you could order form your LHS as part of their stock order. Or get some of your fellow modelers to combine orders. Maybe there are some other items you could order now instead of three months from now.

Or maybe, what with a Starbuck’s latte running $8.00 - $10.00, that shipping charge is not as big as we think.

I agree that $9.00 seems a lot to mail coupler. I often have to mail small objects in my decal and related items hobby/business. To send something small via USPS first class it’s gonna run $2.50 - $4.50 minimum.

I can send a set or three of decals in a flat envelope for that $2.50 (or so). But if that envelope has lump in it (like a pair of sideframes for instance) that prevents it from going through the USPS’s standard postal machinery, da cost goes up, and it goes up in dollars and cents, not just cents anymore.

I still have a package or two of small items laying around that were sent for 85 cents in the 60’s. And I worked for maybe $2.25/hour in the 60’s.

John Hagen