Sorry, in this day and age you have to accept a long delay if paying by check. The S&H fees and delays are listed on their website. You also have to realize that they are a small shop, not a bullion warehouse like some of their online competitors, so their shipping and handling is going to be slower and more expensive. I've had some really awful experiences with some shops and dealers, so I absolutely appreciate how great GEC is.
An honest precious metals dealer is worth their weight in gold.