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Shippingcosts of a guitar from USA to Europe?


boosh

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Can any of you guys tell me what it would cost to ship a guitar from the U.S.A. to Amsterdam - Netherlands?


I have a little trouble finding that info.


Booshy

 

 

All the Troubadours on the scene here in Copenhagen just bring them back when they go to the US because the cost of shipping plus the customs VAT tax negates the $$ saved with buying across the pond...

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C'mon, Booshie.

 

Bring those big, fat Euros on across the pond. You know you want to prowl Guitar Gulch looking for that perfect axe. (And if you check the street view of that linked Google map, you'll see there's an Econo-Lodge right across the street. You always wanted to party with a bunch of Japanese office men on a guitar-buying binge, didn't you? :D )

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Man ,...If I really had them big fat Euros I would have fled this country a long time ago.

This is a lousy place for musicians....

 

I'm looking for a new guitar indeed. Something like an Epihone Joe Pass model,... If I buy it from the States it can save me 100% at least.

 

If I order one from a store I have to pay the taxes and stuff but if someone buys it for me and sends it to me I can avoid that. I just need to know the shipping costs.

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Man ,...If I really had them big fat Euros I would have fled this country a long time ago.

This is a lousy place for musicians....


I'm looking for a new guitar indeed. Something like an Epihone Joe Pass model,... If I buy it from the States it can save me 100% at least.


If I order one from a store I have to pay the taxes and stuff but if someone buys it for me and sends it to me I can avoid that. I just need to know the shipping costs.

 

 

Booshy,

 

Without the specifics in weight and overall dimensions, it's very hard to determine a shipping weight. Guess-timating doesn't cut it; I learned THAT the hard way just recently.

 

A package that weighed 19 lbs and measured 24 x 24 x 12 cost $39.00 to send from Kansas City to New York (USPS Parcel Post 2-9 day delivery) one of the least expensive services. That cost did not include the $27.00 extra that I spent to get the item securely packaged so to avoid any freight damage. I charged $27.00 overall on shipping and handling costs on an item I sold on eBay, and the actual cost ended up costing me $66.00. Combined with the eBay fees and the PayPal fees, I'm not really sure what to think about ever wanting to sell anything on eBay again; my own fault for guessing at the final size, but.... dayam... a rude awakening for someone that has been employed at the USPS for 23 years. It's been quite awhile since I've mailed a parcel.

 

Whenever I entered an estimated cost into the shipping calculator, I entered a weight of 22 lbs and dimensions of 22 x 22 x 6. The difference of 1" added to each side of the parcel and 6" added onto the depth of the package made a difference of $20.00. I figured I could wrap the item for about $6.00, but by the time I bought a box big enough to hold the item and bought the packing supplies; it racked up $27.00.

 

THAT'S Domestic rates on an average sized parcel. Internationally, for the same exact parcel that originally would have been 22 x 22 x 6 and 22 lbs; the rates were over $138.00. I can't imagine what they would have been with the added size that tacked on another $20.00 US postage.

 

Also keep in mind, a guitar will require special handling and irregular/oversized package surcharges in addition to regular postage. This holds true for all international couriers that will accept the parcel.

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It cost me about about (the equivalent of) US$80 shipping a guitar from London to Toronto. I got within a week. You can do cheaper, if you're willing to wait a bit. From the the US to Netherlands, I can't imagine the price would be much different.

 

Do ship it in a proper case, ideally an ATA case, but a standard (strong) case packaged within a large box (with packing peanuts) should be fine.

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Go to UPS, FedEx and the USPS web sites and plug in the numbers regarding size and weight, time frame & etc. It'll get you close. Then you'll have what ever duty fees there to add on as well.

If you can't access them from over there, flip me a PM with your particulars, address, shipping code & so on and I'll do a look up for you.

I've shipped several reasonably large items to Europe and as far as Australia with what I thought were decent prices, as did the buyer of the items. An intake manifold went to Australia and I believe it was over sized. I cannot remember the cost but it was not overly expensive.

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I shipped a guitar from Texas to Spain via USPS for $50, though had to remove the neck from the body to make a smaller package. Recently had a similiar shipment from China to Texas by TNT express for $80 (air freight and only took 3 days).

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