Global rates are through the roof. I use to sell loads of stuff every week overseas prior to 2006. Slowly that stopped for me everywhere. Even my regular direct buyers really cut back. They can't afford the constant price increases for shipping, and all the other jacked up fees. They know that all the fees that sellers are faced with have to get passed onto them for the most part.
All these ramped up fees from USPS and everyone else has been killing the online pleasure buying market over the past decade. People tend to buy only what they need, and tend to skip the "I want that" purchase. I think that, that is one of the reasons that my B&M's do so well. It's so much cheaper to buy direct.
It costs me a few bucks in gas, an less time than messing with stupid search engines, and it's more fun being outside. I get it right then an there, and get to handle it. Instant gratification. My itch gets scratched and I go home with a bunch of stuff that would have cost me an arm an a leg in shipping and other fees that would get passed on to me.
