Yup, they are great.
Its too bad no european stockist has Brigade games. Postage and taxes are a killing.
Actually, North Star do carry a few select BG ranges but the War of 1812 is not one of them.
USPS have considerably raised their shipping rates over the past couple of years but they still remain cheaper than most courier services such as UPS - whose 'handling' charge borders on highway robbery. I order from BG on a regular basis, maybe three or four times a year, and have never been hit by customs. I'm in France though, and the situation may be different in other European countries. I also keep my orders below the 100 dollars mark, which helps maintain my packages below the customs' radar.