Declare the correct value on the Customs form?

@vinylfun 

Glad to hear your optimism....I get so frustrated how people always assume the worst and start crucifying someone.  Your post did not imply and wrong doing by the seller.  The condition of a $1200 album is going to be heavily scrutinized by any buyer so any inconsistency from the ad is valid and sounds like your seller is acknowledging that.  I would not worry about something being snapped in half.  Take some extra precautions on a sturdier support inside the box or put into another box.  FedEx International is surprisingly efficient.  I just bought a power supply upgrade for my streamer from Poland and standard FedEx International shipping for about $35 took one week and the box was in perfect shape.  

I recently started selling vinyl on Discogs to start thinning my collection.  I have bought a lot there over the years but am new as a seller.  I usually only buy NM and have been fine with small marks and imperfections....to me that is 'Near', but this does open up a door of subjectivity that is perceived much differently by people....especially on a highly valuable record.

I guess you don't want to share what album, but I am curious : )

I used to send my Koetsu cartridges to Van den Hul for retipping. We declared the value of the retipping work, not of the cartridge itself, and kept my fingers crossed that nothing would happen. I’d ship in a box that was 12 x 14 x 4, with lots of padding. 

I dunno if that helps. 

Hmmm, thin skinned audiophiles carping about the money a record collector spends.  Perfect

Puptent, folks are naturally curious about what LP could be valued at $1200. I don’t see where anyone was “carping” about anything. The OP doesn’t want to say, and that’s that. The mystery naturally stimulates some guesswork.

declare  exact  value , and  declare  exact price  you  paid, (called fraud  if  you dont  declare  exact  dollar  amounts)  Dont mess  with US  customs,  they  will  catch  you, if  you  have  any  doubts , just  call  nearest US  customs  office , they  will  walk  you  through  process of  declaring value  on item.  good  luck