charges for clones?

[ALSOBROOK at yalemed.bitnet]

I would like the network participants' opinion of a recent experience we
had in requesting an aliquot of a DNA clone; the sequence was published
several years ago in Nature. We wrote the authors requesting an aliquot,
and described the experiments we intended to do.  One month later we
received via US mail (50 cents postage
on the envelope) an eppendorf with 4 or 5 ul, and a letter which stated
"Incidentally, there is a charge of $50.00 to cover the cost of
handling. Please make your check payable to ...".  I've only been in
molecular biology for 8 or 9 years, but I've NEVER seen ANYONE ask this
sort of fee for one (count them, 1) clone.  Does this sound ridiculous
to anyone else? How could handling cost anywhere near that much? I would
really appreciate hearing from anyone with an opinion or similar
experience.
                John Alsobrook
                Yale University School of Medicine
                Child Study Center
                bitnet     : alsobrook at yalemed
                internet   : alsobrook at biomed.med.yale.edu