Several comments:

1. (Bayer) Aspirin is indeed quite expensive here in Germany. However, there are many generic preparations available under the name "...", which is the abbreviation for Acetylsalicylsäure, the German name for acetylsalicylic acid - which is the generic name for Aspirin. These are much cheaper than (Bayer) Aspirin. On the other hand...it is still *much* cheaper in the US. I recently bought a bottle of generic aspirin in the US: $1.30 for 200 tablets.

2. Most vitamins are *much* cheaper in the US. I often bring back Vitamin C tablets: I usually can find 500 500mg tablets in the US for approx. $10. If i go to a German pharmacy, I may pay $5 for 20 100mg tablets. You do the math...

3. I have always carried the vitamins in my checked baggage and never been stopped. However, I now know that I might have a problem when I bring in 1000 or 1500 tablets. Thanks very much to oliver2002 for finding the URL that documents this. The policy seems pretty clear.

4. I agree with several other posters: never try to mail the stuff!