Thanks. I'm still gonna feel like shit regardless, but this certainly isn't about my feelings.
When I was at UPS they asked for its value and I said $150 because it needed to at least cover your purchase price, so that might already be a non-negotiable because it's gotta be in the shipping manifest somewhere.
I think I read that up to $200 (USD) worth of insurance is already included automatically. But as for eBay or any other CL purchase, I think all any carrier (or insurance provider) would do is reimburse purchase cost, not someone's appraisal. So I wouldn't spend a lot of time speculating on its value, if for no other reason there wouldn't be enough of a supply to make one?
Very strange about the lid handle. I inverted the lid into the kettle, so did they deform the lid and cause the handle to reach the kettle interior bottom???
Did any wood handles survive? I know I removed one of them, probably that side handle for fear of physical exposure on that side. I probably should have left it on if it could have been sacrificed instead of the metal. Fuck, I don't know.
Overall is sounds as if the box got supremely squished since there's both top and bottom damage. If they'd shipped it on its side, perhaps the kettle bowl would have instead been squashed into an oval.