Holy Christ! Ask for some vaseline before you take that assraping. Retail down south of the border is like $**and street price is here where I live is around $***. Then again, I live about a 5 hr drive from Mexico, so I'm sure the price will get bumped up as it exchanges hands across state lines, moves Eastward, etc. If he's your only source and he's reliable and trustworthy maybe you should bite? Sometimes paying a bit extra to eliminate the bullshit involved acquiring gear is well worth it.