You can parcel post in thousands of tips, with no import fees. It happens all the time. And even if you paid the imports, it would not increase the price of the tip from $14 to $19, if you think that, then you know very little about imports. My company in Houston imports things in from all over the world, daily. I see these costs, as I am the manager.
I tried the black, I fouind it much too hard, I played the brown a while, yes, its a damn fine tip, played very good and it grabbed the ball better. The real question is not if its good, it is, the question is any tip worth $20 when there is a slew of stuff out there from $5 to $12. It just seems like they keep raising these prices higher and higher, because we keep putting up with it and buying.
Now we have the Onyx black tiger at $22, where does this end, $30 a tip next year?
I was paying 25 cents for a cube of blue masters, now they are telling me I have to fork over $3.50 for a cube of blue diamond. Bend over america. It just feels like, we are getting ripped off by hype here.
You said you tried the black and it was too hard.... There are 4 grades of hardness for both the brown and the black tips. I personally play with a black super soft and no one would ever say this tip is too hard. (it doesn't mushroom either :grin-square

Dud