Total cost of ownership per kilogram
Veterans model the full cost, not the listing. Total = item + domestic + agent fee + freight (by weight/volume) + declared-value FX + duty. They optimise the whole equation.
Updated 2026-10-17
Item and domestic postage
The item price is what the store charges. Domestic postage is what gets it from the store to the warehouse — sometimes free, sometimes not. Veterans read both; a low item with high domestic isn't a deal.
Log the combined store cost. That's the baseline the rest of the equation stacks on.
Agent fee as a rate
The agent charges a percentage to buy, QC, and ship. Veterans know the exact rate and fold it into every comparison. Forgetting it is how people mis-rank agents.
Compare agents on all-in cost, not headline fee. A lower fee with worse freight loses.
Freight scales with weight and volume
Freight is what the line charges to fly your parcel. It scales with weight and volume; bulky items pay freight on air. Veterans pack tight and consolidate to shrink both.
A dense parcel beats a puffed one every time. Volume is the silent multiplier.
Declared value, duty, FX
You set a declared value for customs. Too high invites duty; too low invites a hold. Sane and consistent is the move. FX on the declared amount is small but log it for the real total.
Duty, where expected, is budgeted as a slice, not a surprise. Veterans model it before checkout.
Optimise the whole equation
Total = item + domestic + agent fee + freight + duty. Veterans tweak each lever: consolidate to cut freight, pick the line by latency-per-dollar, time hauls to events. Small wins compound.
Once the model is in a sheet, every haul gets cheaper without changing what you buy.
FAQ
What's the real cost of a Superbuy haul?
Item + domestic + agent fee + freight (weight/volume) + declared-value FX + duty if any. Veterans model all of it before checkout, not just the listing.
How do I compare agents fairly?
On all-in cost per kg, not headline fee. Fold in freight and the rate; a lower fee with worse freight loses.
How do I cut freight?
Consolidate multiple items into one dense parcel and pack tight. Freight scales with weight and volume, so less air = lower cost.