best shipping prices for coffee

I just paid 9.73 shipping for two lbs of coffee from a mail order site, included was a 2.00 handling fee. What the heck is a handling fee? Is this the norm nowadays? Any good coffee sites that have cheaper shipping costs?

I've been pleased with using Sweet Maria's for all of my green and occasional roasted beans.

I'm a big fan of coffee bean direct

When I ordered coffee from Sweet Maria's, I felt that their prices for the coffee were very reasonable. However, I did not feel the same about the shipping cost. I did an internet search and found out that there is a green coffee bean supplier (Coffee Bean Corral) about 60 miles from me. So, I have made two trips there to pick up beans instead of having them shipped. Both times, I was traveling that way anyway so it wasn't far out of my way, and I avoided paying shipping.

Mike

Wouldn't just be easier to grow your own beans?

Erik said:

Wouldn't just be easier to grow your own beans?

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Sure, if you live in the tropics. Har Har.

Many places these days have turned their shipping operations into money making enterprises for themselves.

I use Sweet Maria's and haven't found their shipping to be unreasonable of course I usually buy 20lbs of beans at a time which is way more economical to ship than a lb or 2.

Thebigspendur said:

SNIP<<< buy 20lbs of beans at a time which is way more economical to ship than a lb or 2.

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That was my first thought. I use Sweet Maria's to ship to Canada and it's cheaper (and quicker) than shipping the same quantity from within Canada.