Buying in the States was Re: HP analyzer probes( Actually shipping overseas)

About 10 years ago I attempted to ship some donated medical equipment There were brand new but expired medical supplies, needles and catheters, no chemicals. I used a very sturdy computer monitor box and packed the entire box full. There was no extra packing just the packaging the supplies were enclosed in. Well taped and sent express mail. First attempt hit US customs in California and was returned because I shouldn't ship "medical waste" via mail. I made the mistake of declaring the stuff to be medical scrap, since we were going to trash it. I then declared the items to be sterile, stainless steel and plastic, unused and resent them. They returned in about a week because I hadn't declared an itemized list of all items enclosed. I then opened the box and counted every one of the sterile needles, syringes, catheters and made a total list which was attached to the paperwork. There were over 1,000 items in the box. I still left the value at $0. The box came back again from California since who would pay over $100 shipping on worthless items. I was mad then. I called up UPS and sent it airfreight express and it went through without a hitch. The doctor on the other end ended up paying over $200 in duty since there were so many items and they must each be worth a least $1. I think the transport brokers have a lock on the "inside track" which makes shipping easier. I was also going to send a complete set of medical journals but I was tired of the hassle. Mike