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Originally Posted by Puddingman
Ah interesting, so it seems like a safe investment. Does anyone have an idea about how the customs procedure works?
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As was said, it depends a little bit on your country, but in general terms the shipper will indicate the type and value of the goods in the package, and upon entry in the country Customs Agents will inspect your package (usually just the description on the outside, but sometimes the contents) to determine if it is subject to duty and taxation. If so, they will generally prepare an invoice, and when they arrive at your door to deliver the package, they will ask you to pay the taxes due (plus any applicable processing fees). Some countries have minimum thresholds that allow people to import up to a certain value of merchandise before being subject to taxation. Other countries have no such minimum. The amount of taxation also, obviously, varies according to the country according to something known as the "Customs Tariff" (which determines the rate of taxation for each type of merchandise imported).
I don't normally do this, but I
wrote a Guide to this issue that might be helpful to you, as it explains a lot of the details about how this works. I hope it will be helpful!
(Incidentally, the "horror stories" you've heard about merchandise being defaced by Customs only happen rarely in certain countries in central-Asia where there are strict regulations about content and art. But most countries do have some content regulations that you need to be aware of, particularly regarding adult/pornographic content. Importing forbidden merchandise is a crime, so if you are thinking of importing adult goods, you might want to spend a few minutes doing a bit of research about what is permitted in your country. (In most countries, even a lot of "adult" goods are okay too... but you need to know where they draw the line.) All-ages products of all kinds should be permissible without much restriction in most countries.)