Shanghai Cover Goes For 47.78 !

A week or so ago I offered a cover from the 1930's from New York to Shanghai here for 6.99...there was no interest so I put it out on ebay ...i just received a winning bid from a Gentleman in Derbyshire, U.K. for $47.78...a month or so ago I had a sad experience with a buyer in India who said he never received his cover...i do not wish to repeat the experience..i realize that Great Britain is not India but I wish to protect myself...i wonder if it would offend the fellow if I offered to go 50/50 with him on the cost of registering the cover...if this sale is successful it would more than make up for my loss on the India deal !

Wouldn't hurt to ask nicely. He may be OK with regular airmail and may have bid on your auction to start with as you started it low and had reasonable shipping.

But ask anyway. Even if he says no you can always send it via registered anyway and absorb the cost just to protect yourself.

I did this once when a cover went for a lot more than I had expected. It made me a lot happier.

Not to long ago I listed a cover for 99c and it sold to someone in Italy for about $80. I gave him free tracking/registration!

Just goes to show how different the market for covers and stamps are. Perhaps there was some tie between the cover and the buyer ? I wouldn't expect any issues with an "Item not received" from the UK as I've sold at least 10 items there with no problems what so ever and all buyers left prompt feedback.

I totally agree, I have traded and bought and sold with folks from the U.K. and I NEVER had a problem..but until the India guy I never had a problem on ebay either!

I've never had any problem sending regular 1st class airmail to the UK and I do it practically every week with no problems. I did have a longer than average delay when I sent registered mail to the UK last year. It took about three longer than average and I had to call in to the USPS for an inquiry. I was able to track it to the point it left the U.S. and that was it. Nothing about it's where abouts in the UK. The buyer did receive the lot, but always let your buyer know that registered mail is not as quick as regular 1st class.