There is a bit more to this story. The hub was actually originally part of a complete wheel, which included a termite infested wood rim. The seller was not willing to ship outside of Italy, nor was he willing to accept Paypal (In Italy it is still possible to sell on Ebay without be obliged to accept Paypal).

After first coming up with a way to pay the seller, it was then necessary to work out the shipping logistics. Had the seller been willing to ship that whole wheel, the already expensive cost would have been prohibitive. The removal of the freewheel that had been fitted for over 70 years without damage was also not a simple matter and required somebody with the proper tools and the proper experience.

I'm glad that the whole thing worked out well.

BTW, should anybody be planning a visit to Italy, I would highly recommend the following hotel as a place to stay: Hotel Virgilio in Riva del Garda

It belongs to the family of the friend who arranged the trans-shipment of IAB's hub. He has a very nice little bike museum in the hotel and can also arrange for bikes to be used while staying there.