Yeah the golden rule is to always use USPS, and for some reason I only seem to get charged tax at the border about half the time...

The only downside is if something disappears at the border, USPS says "We got it to the border that's the end of our responsibility" Canada post says "We never got it from the border" and the wonderful CBSA says "What $400 clutch?"

And then my friends you are out $400.

I'm only an hour from the border anyway so I could always drive down to pick up a huge item, but I hate being treated like a criminal to go across so I tend to avoid it.