US-Russian Currency values - is this a lot?

[tsolomon]

I sent your question to my daughter who has spent a lot of time in Russia, most recent was 2 months last summer in Tomsk. Here's what she said.

Yes, it is a lot! But shipping anything bigger or heavier than a standard letter to Russia is extremely expensive, because of all the duty and everything they impose. Anyone who lives there should know that, and probably won't be surprised to hear it. It also depends on where this guy is located and how much money he has. I would guess that if he's buying a turntable from overseas, it's quite possible he can afford it.

This is why most of the time, they will try to avoid shipping things overseas and pass things off to friends who are flying back and forth.