Steve, everything you say is reasonable. Lots of sellers on eBay make insurance optional. I used to do it. I always thought it was nice to let the buyer save money on the purchase by letting him take the small chance of "lost in the mail." ..... ..... ....A lot of people (including the eBay and PayPal people) think it serves everyone best if the site is "buyer friendly." -- that is, it is best for getting a high volume of sales if buyers can bid in confidence knowing they will always receive the goods or be reimbursed for loses. .... ..... As to why the auction-write-up-form allows the seller to make insurance optional, I am not sure. Many transactions are not eligible for the PayPal buyer protection plan/insurance -- for example if the item is paid for with a check. Many buyers feel comfortable with insurance (to avoid embarrassing situations in case of lost parcels), and may sellers want to reduce the shipping charge in order to encourage bidding. ... ... .. On the other hand, some sellers throw in the "insurance is optional" thing as a money-raiser -- if the buyer pays for the unneeded optional insurance, it is so much more money for the seller.

Incidentally, I made my remarks with the best of motives. I used your post (1) as an opportunity to warn sellers that making insurance optional will not insure them against a claim if the item is lost in the mail, and (2) as an opportunity to advise buyers that ,in PayPal situations especially, they should buy with a credit card and opt not to pay extra for insurance. All these posts draw more people to look at your comic book auction by the way, another good by-product.

Robert