The ancient coin hobby has just become one giant aggravation, insofar as acquiring coins. The tariffs, the insidious MOU's, etc. It's just too much. Like Popeye said, "I've had all I can stands, and I cant stands no more." I'm semi-retiring from active acquisition, and will only purchase for special occasions/the odd buy here and there, but only from a small cadre of trusted dealers. Basically the U.S. dealers who use U.S. mail First Class/Ground advantage, which ACTUALLY WORKS. The horrible tariffs (for those not familiar with the ancient coin situation, FedEx generally just ignores any legit tariff exemption code and just slaps on a tariff) had caused me to order far fewer coins, but another FedEx disaster (useless signature, even though I begged not to have one), and I have to drive 25 miles (and not a nice drive, either) to FedEx HQ, to supply the useless signature (on a relatively inexpensive coin). The irony, an order made from one of my favorite dealers arrived without fuss, via first class. I had insisted on Fedex to avoid Priority Mail, as I didn't want my coins (one is for Dad's Christmas, and one's for my own birthday) to be damaged/destroyed. It's the cardboard mailer. I just have horrible problems, with either it getting mauled by the post office, or the postman folding and stuffing Priority stuff (or worse, tossing it on the doorstep). So as annoying as it is to make the ridiculous drive, I'll have to take my lumps. I suppose in the long term, a horrible inconvenience is better than a destroyed coin. The P.O. had done a real number on my previous order from that dealer; the package was totally mauled, and the coin came within 3mm. of being damaged, only escaping damage by being very small and sinking to the bottom of the mailer. When I posted my frustration to NumisForums, I was surprised how many 'me too' responses there were, people who were fed up with all the hassle there is in the hobby now. I suspect most or all, started collecting when I did, in the 1990's or before, when none of this crap existed. We had no idea there would be any ridiculous import restrictions on any ancient coins. By the way, I figured out how to choose a designated dropoff for FedEx, but too late to help the first package. I chose the HQ as the dropoff for the second, so hopefully that will stop the merry-go-round of missed deliveries. If it were a sub-$100 package I'd try Walgreens, as a trial balloon. A NumisForums member also suggested a UPS Store box, which is a good idea but with me no longer ordering much, that wouldn't make much sense for me. I'm also sure those boxes aren't cheap. Anyway, 1993-now has been a good run. It's time to retire. I'm still interested in reading and learning about coins, the acquisitions will just become far more infrequent. One more annoyance to go (the 25 mile drive) and I can enter a well-deserved retirement. This particular aggravation wasn't really the dealer's fault (although Fedex packages from a European dealer sail right through, w/o a signature), but I have long been teetering on the edge of quitting. All it took was the addition of a little feather, for the pile to collapse. Let's celebrate retirement status!
I only buy from U.S. dealers and it's few and fat between. Before, I would buy 6-10 coins a month, now I barely get 10 for the entire year. I too have been having headaches with USPS, Fed Ex and UPS and it's usually for packages that aren't coins, since I have many other hobbies. It's been problem after problem.
The like was more of a show of solidarity, not that I like all the problems you're also facing. I'm sorry to hear that. We're all pretty much in that boat. My first mail-order 1993 coin order came from Allen Berman; a decrepit Carausius and I think a Parthian drachm. Many of my favorite Byzantine coins came from him.
