i have had some problems with orchids rotting in the mail. i always ask the vendor to send them dry, and by priority mail. one thing i like is when sellers send them in the pot filled with bark, and they use painter's tape to hold the bark into the pot, so it does not spill all over the place and harm the roots. if you can hold the media in place with tape, there will be less damage to the sensitive roots during shipping. then wrap it up in paper and follow the instructions above. i have gotten most of my collection online. even had a tolumnia mailed to me from france, all the way to california.