Even if the parts cost a dime, Marco has to order many thousands of them at a time. It costs money to have have capital tied up in a bin of small plastic parts that takes years to sell through.

The padded envelope costs 60 cents, the label a dime.

It costs money to inventory, heat, electricity, insure, let alone shrinkage, returns, picking errors, tracking "lost" packages......

Then the employees make $17 a hour to pick, count, package and label your order.

The employees have to have their unemployment taxes, health insurance, and SS taxes. Plus an accounting firm to handle payroll.

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It costs a fortune to keep a small business afloat. That is why 97% of them go under in the first 5 years.

We'd all like shipping to be free, but I understand how an envelope of a few plastic parts costs $7 to ship.

Lot's of countries are like that.

I've sent huge 16x12' Turkish wool rugs back home for free because the Turkish government subsidizes the cost of international shipping.

If I were in the States, shipping that rug would be $96 because it's oversized and heavy. Think what it would cost to ship it international from the USA!

Even the local McDonalds pays $11 a hour to start.

$15 pretty much IS the minimum wage (unless you are a newly imported Ukrainian working at the strip bar).

Exactly.

That is why some pinball companies charge $1,000 shipping on any order less than $25.

Keeps the nuisance orders to a minimum.

I want my rooftop drone delivery now!

http://www.swifty.com/lifestyle/4767/14-big-mac-prices-around-the-world/#page=1

Yeah, but how much to ship it ?

I remember being excited when the first Automat opened in our city.

18CITYROOM-automat-ss-slide-UUMT-jumbo_(resized).jpg

I love buying playfields from Marco with their $9.99 shipping.

Can't beat that anywhere.

As long as they can comfortably fit up my ass, I might be game.

I think what companies are saying is that domestic parcels are picked up daily right at your home or business.

International parcels have to be taken to the PO, customs papers have to be filled out, and no matter which customs form you fill out ahead of time, when you get to the PO, the woman will tell you it's the incorrect form (or you can't use clear packing tape for that country, or you need a "commercial goods code" or.........)