Learned most of what I know here on this forum.

I sterilize my hand with hand sanitizer then I collect pollen using cotton swabs (q tips). To remove moisture, I allow the pollen dry for a 1 or 2 days on a paper towel. Here in Sothern California, never used drying agents like silica gel but I suppose dry rice could be an alternative. Oxygen is what makes food go bad so what I've incorporated is use of a vacuum sealer. To avoid crushing, I cup the cotton swabs between 2 plastic spoons, or even an empty Tic Tac container... whatever works. Put in the fridge if you're going to use within weeks, or in the freezer if it's being stored for next season. I've never sent via mail so unable to comment on shipping.