Dear friends,

Today I have to share another difficult update. With every passing year, international shipping becomes more complicated, more expensive, and more burdensome for small independent creators. First came higher postal costs. Then stricter customs requirements. And now another major obstacle has appeared for shipments to the United States. Under the new system, before I can even send your package, I am required to complete U.S. customs procedures online and pay the required U.S. import charges in advance. Only after payment is accepted and a declaration ID is issued is the parcel allowed to be shipped.

Think about that for a moment.

I am not a U.S. resident. I do not operate my business in the United States. Yet I am now expected to pay U.S. import charges before a parcel has even entered the country. This completely changes the way small international businesses are forced to operate. For large corporations with logistics departments and warehouses around the world, this is just another automated process. For independent artists and small family workshops, it is yet another financial and administrative burden. The most frustrating part is that these measures are often presented as a way to stop massive low-cost imports from huge international marketplaces.

But the reality is very different.

Large corporations have the resources to adapt. Small creators do not. Every new regulation pushes another independent maker closer to giving up international sales. Every new barrier makes it harder for collectors to support the artists they love. Because of these mandatory U.S. import charges, shipping to the United States will unfortunately become more expensive. I have absorbed rising costs for as long as I possibly could, but I simply cannot continue paying foreign import charges out of my own pocket. Even more worrying is the new automated customs system itself. If it proves to be unreliable, inconsistent, or unfair, I may have no choice but to temporarily suspend shipments to the United States until a more reasonable solution becomes available.

I sincerely hope it never comes to that.

To everyone who has supported Anna Fortune over the years…

Thank you.

Every order helps a small independent creator continue doing what she loves. I truly hope these new barriers won’t separate handmade art from the wonderful community that has supported it for so many years.

With gratitude,

Anna

Many customers have recently asked why they can no longer use the permanent discount coupons that were issued several years ago.

We would like to clarify this once again.

As we mentioned in several posts last year, all old discount coupons are no longer valid. This decision was made over a year ago during a very difficult period for our business, when we were struggling to stay open.

Today, we are no longer a traditional online store. We have transformed into a small artisan workshop that operates on a made-to-order basis. Every Countryball is created only after an order has been placed and payment has been received.

We no longer purchase fabrics and materials in large quantities, and we no longer manufacture Countryballs for stock. Instead, we buy only the materials needed for current orders and create each item individually.

Because of this business model, the old coupon system is no longer compatible with the way we operate and will not be returning in the future.

However, this does not mean discounts are impossible. If there is a specific item you would like to purchase, feel free to contact us directly. We are always happy to discuss your order and, whenever possible, offer a small personal discount.

Thank you for your understanding and for continuing to support our small handmade workshop.

Friends, today I visited my local post office, and unfortunately, I’m bringing you some bad news.

Starting January 1, 2026 — and this change is now in effect worldwide — the option to send goods using International Registered Mail has been completely discontinued. I previously used this service to ship parcels up to 1 kilogram. It was flexible, reasonably priced, and allowed me to adjust shipping costs based on the size and weight of each package.

That option is now gone.

From now on, I can only use International Priority Parcel, where the price is fixed for any shipment up to one kilogram — whether you purchase one small countryball or two large ones. Other services exist, such as EMS, but they are even more expensive.

The biggest price increase affects shipments sent outside of Europe, where postal costs have jumped significantly.

What makes this even more painful is that today I already shipped orders that were placed before January 1, but had to send them under the new rates — absorbing substantial losses due to the sudden change in conditions.

Because of this, I have no choice but to completely revise my shipping price policy and synchronize it with the new global postal rules. I fully understand that this may discourage some buyers, and I genuinely hate that. Unfortunately, this situation is entirely out of my control.

Friends, unfortunately, the New Year brings not only joy, but also news that will probably make you angry and frustrated — and it’s not just us, it’s happening all over the world. Starting January 1, 2026, postal operators everywhere have decided to kill the option to send packages abroad via International Registered Mail with direct-to-hand delivery. Now, the only thing left for cheap shipments is Ordinary Mail — $1–3 cheaper, without any tracking, basically a useless service from a useless system.

So here we all are, facing the same brilliant choice: stick with low-quality Ordinary Mail, which costs almost the same as the old Registered Mail, or pay 100–150% more for International Priority Parcel — only to get the same level of service, but with a fancier price tag.

In short, if your business took losses last year because of customs wars, now the global postal machine delivers another blow — everywhere, not just here — from operators that care a lot about taking money and absolutely zero about responsibility.

Kazakhstan Brick proudly declares: Visit Kazakhstan. Drink kumys. Experience true Steppe hospitality.😊😊

n.

We are currently experiencing short periods of slow performance caused by disk stalls on our hosting provider’s side.
This issue is not related to our website or infrastructure — it is a problem with the VPS node managed by the provider.
We are working with them to have it resolved as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Updating for 2025

As in previous years, the shipping conditions and speed haven’t changed. The earlier you order your Christmas gifts, the higher the chance they will be delivered on time.

Dear friends, the pre-Christmas shopping season is approaching. In the upcoming months, from mid-October to early December, there is always an avalanche of parcels being sent around the world. Therefore, I would like to advise you that if you wish to receive your countryballs before Christmas, it’s best to make your purchases as early as possible, preferably by mid-October. For purchases made after mid-October and destined for locations outside the European Union, it’s highly unlikely that they will be delivered before Christmas, based on my past experiences.

Before making a purchase, please consider the time required for processing and manufacturing your order. Due to the large number of orders in the queue, the current processing time is approximately 4 weeks.

If you would like to calculate the estimated delivery time before making a purchase, please don’t hesitate to contact me

This information concerns parcel shipping to the United States of America.
Due to the recent cancellation of the duty-free de minimis policy for goods coming from Europe, my country’s postal operator has introduced strict limits on both the size and declared customs value of packages.

Because of that, I’ve had to temporarily limit the maximum number of toys per order — up to two large countryballs or three small ones per shipment.

This restriction will be lifted as soon as the postal operator clarifies the situation and resumes normal parcel acceptance for the U.S.

Thank you for your understanding and patience — I really appreciate your support! ❤️

Hey everyone,

And that’s a wrap! Our big August relaunch experiment has officially come to a close, and first things first: thank you, truly, to everyone who jumped in, shared the project, and sent good vibes.

So, let’s talk numbers. Our collective goal was to hit 35 orders to give the workshop a full-scale relaunch. We didn’t quite get there, landing at a final count of 24 orders.

And while we fell short of that 35-order goal, I want to be crystal clear about something. That number was a target, but your support is what truly matters. That’s why, even though we didn’t hit the goal, I am 100% committed to making every single one of those 24 orders for you. No matter what. Your trust is the only “green light” I need.

As promised, I’ll be crafting them with love through September, and they will all be shipped out during October.

So, What’s Next? A New, More Personal Workshop.

Starting September 1st, the shop is shifting gears into a “hibernation mode.” All toys will be listed as “Out of Stock.”

This doesn’t mean it’s over! It just means we’re moving to a one-on-one model. From now on, if you want to order a toy, you’ll just need to contact me directly first. We’ll chat about the timeline and details, and once we’re on the same page, I’ll make the item available for you to purchase.

To the 24 of you who placed an order: thank you. You didn’t just buy a toy; you kickstarted this new chapter. I can’t wait to get these into your hands.

With huge thanks,

Your friend,
Anna

People sometimes ask me, “How do you manage everything? Making orders, shipping packages… and who takes care of your website and all the tech stuff?”

Well, with a smile I always say: my husband does.

He’s been there since the very beginning of ANNA FORTUNE, back when we were sewing our first countryballs by hand. While I was sketching designs, he was building the infrastructure behind the scenes — writing code for custom patterns, creating and maintaining the website, solving tech issues… and yes, even dealing with a few cyberattacks. (It got wild sometimes.)

Since then, we’ve been working side by side — each of us in our own zone, doing what we do best.

Our website has been up and running for many years now — and honestly, it’s ready for a serious upgrade. Right now, my husband is working on a completely new version. It might be built on Shopify, or maybe he’ll go full custom with a fresh WordPress from scratch. He hasn’t decided yet — because he’s not just about “making a website.” He’s about creating an experience.

But beyond helping me, he’s also been building his own project — Vibe Coding Flow

Check out his blog — it’s a space where he shares coding insights, talks tech, and… unexpectedly writes philosophical reflections.
Yep — he’s not just a coder, he’s someone who stops to ask why it all matters — in the bigger picture of life, time, and everything in between.

So if you’re curious how someone who quietly supports my creative journey ended up writing software and existential essays — take a look at his site.

There’s a real vibe there. 😊