DoN. Nichols wrote:
....
EBay auctions offer small pieces of lots of interesting steels
and other metals, but the shipping can be a killer, as most metals and
alloys are quite heavy. ...

The new(?) USPS Flat Rate box would be a great opportunity for an eBay
seller. For $7.70 he could ship the 11" x 8.5" x 5.5" Flat Rate box
full of steel anywhere in the U.S. Theoretically, that could be 145
lbs of steel. The USPS says "no weight limit", but I wonder. Oh,
wait, there's also an 11-7/8 x 3-3/8 x 13-5/8 Flat Rate box that's
somewhat bigger. Same $7.70. Bob