Hi Walker,
No, I don't rip off the packaging and pretend I already had the camera. Years back I might have done that, but with the post 911 searches , the fact that most of my family is in the US, and the fact I really enjoy travelling to the US, I try to stay 100% within the confines of the law. Besides I hate to admit it, but I'm not a very good liar, just too durn honest for my own good. I pay my $2 per item to have a border store accept my mail, then take my Ebay receipts to the border and pay my taxes on the items. Yes there is still tax on anything over $20 unless you've been gone more than 48 (I believe) hours. Free trade may have exempted us from paying duty, but taxes are there till we're dead.
Hi Terence,
Believe me, I've bought my share to the point that I always have at least 4-6 items waiting for me at any one time. Since I started Ebaying approx. 3 years ago, I've racked up feedback of 424+, with at least 475 transactions. I was buying 2 cameras, 2-3 lenses and maybe an adapter or two per week till I slammed on the brakes a few weeks back. Now I'm down to 1 adapter and 2 lenses at the store, 5 fixer upper cameras and three lenses coming in the next wee bit and the Fujica ST 605 N and Exakta mount 135mm that came in the mail today. From a torrent to a trickle. Hope my finger doesn't slip out from the hole in the dam.