I think the USPS gets a bum rap.
I also collect fountain pens. I've done probably 150 pen deals that went mostly USPS. I'd say for me anyway, they run about 99% getting there just fine, even if late. Yes, I have seen some bizarre gyrations in tracking before, but the item almost always arrives.
I have worked at the call center for one of the largest gift citrus fulfillment centers in Florida. I have seen instances where the PO went far beyond the call of duty attempting to make deliveries they weren't even "required" to make (outside of their delivery area). It was common for PO's around the country to call us when they absolutely could not resolve address issues. We would resolve them and call the PO back with a mobetta address. They could have just as easily not called and it would have just been assumed the item was just missing...
I have also had stuff massively delayed, I called the main PO number on-line, initiated a trace on it and mysteriously the item resumes it's travels to me.
We American's have it good. Ours is one of The Cheapest, Most Dependable Postal Systems in the world. Fountain Pen Network has members from all over the world. The U.S. postal issues Pale to those in other parts of the world. For example, Italy, one of The Most corrupt PO's on the planet, good luck getting Anything Postal Italia touches. Ever notice on Fleabay when sellers list to where they Won't ship to? They aren't just being hard asses, those are areas with horrendously undependable postal systems. (Often past Eastern Block countries there.)
If I have one gripe about the PO it was a couple years ago when they more than Doubled the cheapest Overseas small package postage. At the time we had a fountain pen Loaner Program where we would send a vintage fountain pen to FPN members to test write with for just the postage. The overnight doubling + meant that we had to stop overseas loan outs. (Though we still had loaner pens in country in a few other countries than the U.S. for loan outs Within those countries.)
A good bit of the USPS funding issues has ZERO to do with how it is run, it has to do with how they are required to fund their pensions up front that no other federal agency has to do. I'm not saying None of the problem is USPS, it's just not nearly as hosed at the $ end that is often reported.
Even countries close by like Canada get raped with VAT and other added duties to overseas shipments that we in the U.S. don't. Recently, I noticed A LOT of Casio G-Shock watches that were Nearly New going for More on Fleabay than the same watch could be had for new from Amazon. WTH? I thought. They only thing I could figure was there were people overseas buying them to save the VAT taxes from buying one new. (Easily 20% of the new retail price.)
Bruce in Ocala, Fl