Some collector in the Northwest --I forget whom-- has this neat idea, which he says always seems to work. If the item is rather low priced:
(1) he does not ask the seller anything about postage, etc.,
(2) he ignores what the seller says about shipping. handling, insurance, and
(3) he encloses a postpaid, addressed padded envelope with his payment and tells the seller to use it for the shipment of the item.

Thus, he forgoes the insurance, takes responsibility for delivery, and in the very rare cases that something is lost (remember: these are low cost stuff), he figures he is financially ahead in the long run.
Robert