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Tom Boblittwhat do you mean a price on it? UPS doesn't put a 'register' tape on the price anymore when you drop off a package, so no value for the shipping cost should show on the outside of the package. How do you mean a price?
As for shipping, everyone knows I'm not impartial but......
Both FedEx and UPS offer free insurance up to $100 and UPS is 35 cents per hundred above the first $100. In most cases, for short distances that require $100 insurance, both UPS and FedEx are cheaper than priority mail and include REAL intermediate point scanning/detailed information on package location on the web. Both FedEx and UPS track the package at every stop along the way and you can actually see where your package is unlike anything the post office offers. Registered mail is VERY secure as it is under lock and key at each step of the way but you really don't know WHERE it is until it's delivered.
Insuring unreplaceable items is difficult with anyone for the most part. If you have things that can be easily replaced, insurance isn't a risk. Otherwise, you can also seek insurance from a third party insurer for your packages--especially if you ship a lot. I think the larger auction houses have insurance policies from another insurer rather than the transportation companies.
Someone talked about shipping to Canada.......if you ship to Canada through UPS or FedEx, you will always have to worry about duties and taxes on the Canadian side. If you ship through the USPS, since they have no real regulation, you may or may not have to worry about duties and taxes. I've experienced about 2 out of 3 going TO Canada that don't get duties and taxes assessed. Guess it's value based. DO NOT falsify documents for shipments going to Canada. Quick way to get the goods seized by Canadian Customs. We have shippers at UPS that do that and the goods are routinely seized. Nothing fishier than a 50 pound box of modems valued at $25.00.