UK Royal Mail Special Delivery includes tracking and insurance up to £2500 while 1st Class Signed For compensation is limited to £50.

International Royal Mail Signed and Tracked is the cheapest for small items and includes insurance up to £250 and of course tracking, though RM tracking is not as good as some couriers'.

Larger and heavier items are usually best going by courier, as well as any items with insured value >£250. I quote including insurance when I offer a courier, and if the actual cover turns out to be less I will refund the difference in insurance cost (if it turns out to be more I will eat the difference).

If buyer chooses not to have insurance to the full sale value then shipping is at buyer's risk from the minute it leaves my hands, and any uninsured shipping damage or loss WILL be the buyer's responsibility and not mine. I think this is fairly commonsense. I do my best to pack well, but you never know what might happen and in any case good packaging doesn't prevent loss. I strongly suggest full insurance. The courier prices I quote include insurance.