Declare the correct value on the Customs form?

Thank you for your helpful replies.  By choice, the Seller is reputable and we’ve done deals before so this will be happily resolved.  Worst case scenario, just in case, the full refund is assured via PayPal and my VISA (based on prior experience alas).  Thanks again! 😊

My only question is:

What album did you pay $1,200 for?  I'm not judging, I'm just very curious what the "Holy Grail" album was.  A Beatles "Butcher Cover" variation?

@riie I used to. Still traveling there once or twice a year

$50 is what it's actually worth. You just paid $1200 for it. If it were me, my conscience could stand it. Anyway, if it's not what you thought you were buying then obviously it would be worth less than what you paid, wouldn't it?

During my career with the USPS, I worked a short stint as a window clerk. We made it a practice to inform shippers sending valuable items to certain foreign countries NOT to purchase insurance or send their item Registered. Both services required labels that thieves looked for. You need to remember that once it leaves the US, you are no longer dealing with supposedly honest American government employees, you're dealing with other country's officials, for however many countries it travels through. This may be why the seller made the request, as the Customs label has to be affixed to the outside of the package with the declared value clearly printed on it. Foreign customs officials don't tend to suspect contraband being shipped from the US, so they would not likely be interested enough in a low balled value to actually open the package for inspection. Likewise, a thief wouldn't be interested either.