LOL! I used to buy 100 crickets at a time and there was one girl that would recount my bag and put back the extras!
I was afraid of ordering online too but it so worth it. If you order from a good place they will put food/water in the box and maybe even a heat pack. Usually they send over the amount that you order, to provide for deaths in travel. Shipping seems pricey but figure it this way...I was buying 100 small crickets a week at Petco for $14 so $28 every two weeks. Online with shipping for 1000 1/2 inch crickets that last me 2 weeks, I pay the same price!
Look for a company that ships FedEx or UPS long distance. The first time I ordered online I ordered from someone off Amazon and didn't realize they were in California and they shipped USPS. Boy were my mail carriers MAD! The crickets had eaten through the box and they had to wrap the box in plastic to stop the rest from escaping!