US only sales WHY???

I'm not aware of any import duties, value added taxes, customs papers that have to be filled out or customs inspections on items coming in to the U.S. from elsewhere. I've puchased vacuum tubes, and other small items, from W. Germany, Australia, Canada and Argentina without any problems, for me or the shipper. On the other hand; shipping to other countries can be a nightmare for both parties. Recently, I carefully packaged a Dahlquist DQLP-1 and a number of spare caps, resistors, etc for shipment to Canada(a small box). When the buyer received the package(after paying an exorbitant import duty), it had been opened and the contents strewn about within by customs. Personally, I have no general rule as to where I will ship. BUT- UPS(tracked and insured) to the contiguous 48 is no doubt the most painless route to take, for anything of any size.

As a Canadian, this is something I deal with regularly and not just for audio. There are places/services at the border, like a large PO box, that allows sending to a US address but I never think I would use it much more, so I've never signed up. Besides, driving across the border to pick it up has become a pain.

What does bother me is when I search for the best deal, go through the ordering process only to be blocked by a form that doesn't accept a Canadian address. Last week, it happened three times for a single item and had to pay 33% more on the fourth and only remaining site. It was for a new but fairly unique automotive part. Ridiculous.

Both retailers and individuals would be arrogant to not accept the international market from the web.

>>Both retailers and individuals would be arrogant to not accept the international market<<

Let's not confuse arrogance with minimizing hassles.

I can understand sellers not wanting to sell outside of the United States. I have sold overseas and have had a few problems with the countries of Italy, Argentina, and even Canada. It takes forever to get the shipment through customs. I sent a power cable to Argentina and the person did not receive the package for 6 weeks. In the meantime, I had to deal with the suspicions that I never sent the package and the numerous emails asking for assistance. The U.S. Postal Service doesn't have a global tracking system so that is part of the problem. It is just so much easier to sell within the U.S. Despite the hassles, I still sell to an overseas buyer, but I have my fingers crossed everytime I ship the item

All my Gon purchases have been from the US, I am in the UK. Most stated US buyers only. I contacted them and asked courteously if they would consider a sale to the UK and I have not been turned down. I usually only buy US gear, where the price advantage is very real. For me, also, there are opportunities I could'nt get, except in the US, Conrad Johnson for example. You almost never find for sale in the UK, but many tempting adds on audiogon.
I would never criticise a seller for limiting to local buyers only, but I have found they can be persuaded if approached reasonably. Oh yes, I am VERY AWARE of shipping and customs problems, they are my problem, not the sellers.