This is entirely up to you as a trader, and something that you need to discuss with the other party during trades. However, most traders prefer to have artwork with their shows if possible, so it is good practice to always include artwork, if only by email, if possible.
There are many programs that can be used for making artwork, from MS Word to specialist labelling programs.
One of the most popular is Neato's MediaFace II, which can be downloaded for free from http://www.neato.com/. This has ready-made templates for Casettes, CDs, DVDs, Videos and much more. Of course, any decent graphics package can be used.
What you put on the artwork is entirely up to you ? some people simply put a tracklist on the back cover, some prefer making full colour photo-quality artwork for the front and back.
A good starting point is Jamaka's artwork page, that has literally hundreds of links to various artwork pages, sorted by artist. http://home-1.tiscali.nl/~jamaka/artwork.html
If that fails you then ask on the newsgroup or search on Google.
This depends on what resolution you want to use. 150 pixels per inch is a fairly common resolution. The front cover should be 12cm by 12cm (12cm is 4.75 inches) which works out to be a 712 pixel square. If you would prefer a booklet style front cover, then double the width. The back cover should be 15cm (5.92 inches) wide and 11.85cm (4.67 inches) high, which is 886 by 700 pixels. This includes the left and right "lips" which are 6mm/0.25 inches/36 pixels.
I recommend using PNG format. This format gives you great compression (better strength than GIF) and is supported by all major browsers.
JPEG is also often used, although it should be noted that JPEG pictures are lower quality than their PNG equivalents because the JPEG compression scheme is lossy.
Postage rates vary from country to country, state to state, and are dependant on the destination combined with the package's weight. The best way to find the postage rate for an item is to visit your local post office, or the post office's website, which should be able to give you an indication of prices.
The best way to ensure that cds arrive at their destination in the same condition as they left you is to use bubble-wrapped padded bags (usually known as jifffy bags). These protect the cd on all sides and are much better than the fibre-filled bags ? those tend to make a mess if they get torn.
In addition to this, pieces of cardboard can help to ensure that a package is not bent. It is especially important to ensure that a package is not bend if you are sending without the cds in a jewel case.
If you use staples to seal a package, please cover the staples with plastic tape, because metal staples can be sharp and the post office may refuse to deliver your package if it feels that it could endanger their staff. (Stabs with pieces of metal can cause tetanus amongst other infections)
Not only are fibre mailers harder to reuse, but if they are not opened carefully they can shower you and your room with dust. Some traders are also afraid that the fibres will get into their system and cause havoc with the workings, and while we haven't ever heard of this happening, it is certainly a possibility.
This is up to you as a trader to discuss with the other party. Priority costs more, but ensures that the package is delivered much faster. With inland mailing, you can usually also pay for recorded and next-day delivery. It is usually good practice to send by first class mail, and avoid second class, though this is another thing for you to discuss with the other party.
International shipping takes much longer than inland posting, and can take over 4 weeks when sheeping to certain parts of the world.
There are usually two options when sending packages internationally ? air mail and surface mail. Air Mail is by far the quickest method, and is preferred by almost all traders. Surface mail is marginally cheaper, but usually takes 5 to 6 weeks, and so should be avoided at all costs.
When shipping abroad you will sometimes also need to fill out a customs form. These are usually small green stickers that are attached to the front of your packages with the weight, description of the contents and a signature. When filling out a customs slip, it is usually best to mark the item as a 'gift' rather than 'merchandise', and make the description 'used cds', with a low monetary value. This will help to ensure that the recipient does not have to pay tax upon receiving the item.
When sending a package to someone, if you want a reply, you'll often enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope for them to use. However, if you are sending a package internationally, your stamps are unlikely to be worth anything. This is where International Reply Coupons (IRCs) come in.
An IRC can usually be bought from your local post office. Prices vary from country to country ? for example, at the time of writing an IRC cost $1.75 in the USA, but $3.50 in Canada. Part of this price difference is due to the lower value of the Canadian dollar, but that only accounts for a small difference in price ? the simple fact is that IRCs cost different amounts in different countries.
Then you can send the IRCs off. The recipient can exchange the IRCs for a local stamp. This is usually a stamp of the values of the cheapest airmail to the country the IRC came from. Because you are probably sending a heavier package (containing CDs or whatever) you may need more than one IRC to cover the postage ? typically one IRC for each CD you send and then one more.
The IRC system is run by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) which was formed in 1874 and is the oldest International Organisation in existance. However, the UPU does not cover the entire world, so some countries may not accept IRCs.
Firstly, e-mail them and tell them to wait a little while longer. Some packages take longer to arrive than others.
If after a month or so has gone by then you can safely assume that they've got lost in the mail. It happens. It is now your responsibility to replace them.
Make new copies of the discs. Double check his address ? maybe you had it wrong and that's why they disappeared. Take them to your post office and send them. Obtain proof of postage ? this is usually free.
If he still doesn't get your package, then you can assume that he's probably lying and just trying to get lots of spare copies from you. You have proof that you've sent it and it is unlikely that the post office would lose both packages.