The 2026 census: 96 entries, six cost segments, one method

One pass, one date, 96 entries across 8 categories. Nothing was replaced afterwards and nothing was backfilled: if a figure was unavailable we recorded it as not measured, which is why some cells below are narrower than you might expect and one or two are deliberately empty of advice.

See the live entries · How the labels work · Agent terms

The six segments

Cost segments with ranges and sample sizes
SegmentRangeSampleCollected
Item value$21.30–$76.22n=962026-10-05
Domestic delivery$0.40–$3.10n=962026-10-05
Agent service fee$1.20–$9.80n=962026-10-05
International freight$5.90–$41.50n=962026-10-05
Duty and import charges$0.00–$17.40n=962026-10-05
Parcel insurance$0.00–$2.60n=962026-10-05

Only the item-value row is a published figure. The other five are modelled ranges and are labelled as modelled on every page that shows them.

Budget rungs

The same six segments, rearranged into three budget bands. Rows marked with a punch are the compressible ones — the segments where a decision before payment still changes the outcome.

$150

lands 3–5 items

Cost breakdown for the $150 budget rung
Item value$7.99–$28.58
Domestic delivery$0.15–$1.16
Service fee (compressible)$0.45–$3.68
International freight (compressible)$2.21–$15.56
Duty$0.00–$6.53
Insurance$0.00–$0.98

Midpoint total about $33.65 before item value is chosen. Punched rows are the compressible segments.

Most likely to overrun: Freight is the segment that breaks this band. One heavy jacket turns a $150 haul into a $190 one, because the volumetric weight moves the parcel into the next tariff step.

$400

lands 6–10 items

Cost breakdown for the $400 budget rung
Item value$21.30–$76.22
Domestic delivery$0.40–$3.10
Service fee$1.20–$9.80
International freight (compressible)$5.90–$41.50
Duty (compressible)$0.00–$17.40
Insurance$0.00–$2.60

Midpoint total about $89.71 before item value is chosen. Punched rows are the compressible segments.

Most likely to overrun: Duty is the segment to watch here. Declared value is high enough that a single mis-stated figure can add more than the entire service fee.

$900

lands 12–20 items

Cost breakdown for the $900 budget rung
Item value$47.93–$171.50
Domestic delivery$0.90–$6.98
Service fee$2.70–$22.05
International freight$13.28–$93.38
Duty (compressible)$0.00–$39.15
Insurance (compressible)$0.00–$5.85

Midpoint total about $201.86 before item value is chosen. Punched rows are the compressible segments.

Most likely to overrun: Consolidation stops helping at this size: the parcel crosses into a higher handling tier and the saving per item flattens out.

Method behind each segment

Item value
Read directly from the price shown on each of the 96 source listings on the collection date. This is the only segment in the census that is a published figure rather than a derived range; the p10–p90 span reflects the catalogue mix, not price movement.
Domestic delivery
Derived from the weight band of each entry against the published domestic tariff bands of the sellers in the sample. Light entries cluster at the bottom of the range; heavy entries at the top. A single-seller order pays this once.
Agent service fee
Computed from each agent’s published fee model (percentage, flat, or tiered) applied to the item values in the census. The span is wide because a flat per-order fee dominates on cheap entries and a percentage dominates on expensive ones.
International freight
Derived from billed weight (the greater of scale weight and volumetric weight at the 5000 divisor) against the four published lane tariffs. The 41.5 upper bound comes from heavy jackets on the express lane. See /lanes/ for the weight-band matrix.
Duty and import charges
Modelled from the declared value and each destination’s published threshold behaviour. Entries below the threshold show zero; the upper bound is the highest modelled charge in the sample. This is not tax advice — verify the current rules for your destination before relying on it.
Parcel insurance
Premium range published by the carriers in the sample, applied to declared values. Zero appears at the bottom because insurance is optional and, below the break-even value in /measure/insurance/, we do not recommend it.

The sample, in outline

Sample composition
DimensionBreakdown
Entries96
CategoriesT-Shirts 19 · Hoodies/Sweaters 19 · Shoes 19 · Pants/Shorts 13 · Jackets 10 · Accessories 8 · Headwear 4 · Other-stuff 4
Weight bandslight 38 · mid 44 · heavy 14
CollectionSingle pass on 2026-10-05

Counts here are what this site holds, not what the catalogue contains. The catalogue holds several thousand entries.

Known bias and sample gaps

What we know is wrong or missing
LimitationEffect
Weight bands are assigned, not weighedThe largest known error source. It is systematic rather than random, and it is stated wherever the bands appear.
Prices were read onceThe catalogue changes daily; the item-value column is a snapshot, not a live figure.
Duty is modelled, not assessedThe duty range describes what the rules imply, not what any particular parcel was charged.
No parcels above 12 kgThe tariff step above 12 kg is steeper than a linear continuation suggests, and we do not model it.
Storage extensions excludedValue-added services fall outside the six segments and are not modelled anywhere on this site.

Each limitation has a collection date attached on the page where it matters. We would rather publish a narrow range with a stated bias than a wide one without.

Open the current entry list

All 96 entries · The lane matrix · Estimate your own total