Pete; Thanks for your informative post. It's always nice to read intelligent well-spoken responses to posts on this message board.

You posted "Insurance of course is the safe answer. I never disagreed with that."

However, there comes a time when one has to weigh if insurance is always worth the addtional expense... especially when dealing with folks one knows. Adding $1.30 to the mailing cost for up to $50 insurance coverage isn't cost effective for a single $5 chip or a common $10 strike... especially if one is mailing out a significant number of packages, as I do regularly. It's sometimes better to take the hit once in awhile and cross it off as a cost of doing business ... much like store owners accept shop lifting as a way of life (which I hate to say).

Very rarely do I personally insure a package with a value of less than $20, unless I have not done previous business with the intended recipient.