# help needed with shipping parcel to USA



## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

Ive finally found a buyer for a rather beautiful vintage 1950s fountain pen i was left by a dear old german friend. The Buyer is in the USA. Has anyone had any experience with sending small packages to the usa?


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## katie (Dec 14, 2009)

If you take it to the post office and give them the address they should sort out the postage for you


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## aymes (Dec 14, 2009)

You'll need to fill out a customs form to detail what is in it, you can do that at the counter at the post office.


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## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

katie said:


> If you take it to the post office and give them the address they should sort out the postage for you



ummm i wondered what post offices do these days...i have a horrible feeling howver that it cant be tracked or insured once it leaves uk...the pen is worth > ?500 but i'll check the web...thanks Katie
! have a paypal account but have never used it...has anyone had money transfered into Paypal account that can advise me as to the proceedure?
sorry to be a dafty over this but i have never sold anything like this before!

I was very lucky my old friend left me her bureau and after 2 years in our garage, we decided that we wouldnt keep it it wasnt a particulary good peice of furnture, just made if chipboard. I looked in all the little draws to check there were no old documents and found 3 fountain pens...all mont blancs from the 1950's ...my friend knew i'd find them eventually!! she was great! and rumoured to have been a spy working for the british in WW2..she spoke something like 16 lanuages!!


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## Steff (Dec 14, 2009)

hi am ill ask the o/h wen he gets in if u dnt find out beforehand okies x x u know his profession so he will know the score


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## aymes (Dec 14, 2009)

If you want to track it maybe look at ups, I think they courier internationally and as they're a US company if they do they must cover the states. Or fedex maybe?


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## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

steff09 said:


> hi am ill ask the o/h wen he gets in if u dnt find out beforehand okies x x u know his profession so he will know the score



Of course!!!! Brilliant


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## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

aymes said:


> If you want to track it maybe look at ups, I think they courier internationally and as they're a US company if they do they must cover the states. Or fedex maybe?



ummm thats what i wondered about ....will reseach more Cheers!

OMG the drilling has started in my kitchen oh my head i think I d better have another Brandy XX


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## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

am64 said:


> ummm thats what i wondered about ....will reseach more Cheers!
> 
> OMG the drilling has started in my kitchen oh my head i think I d better have another Brandy XX



haha thought i was in the pub then!!
checked PO rates yes can do it global express or golbal priorty and it will be tracked and insured...pricey tho but the buyer has to pay shipping!


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## Einstein (Dec 14, 2009)

Using the post office to ship international, means there will be multiple companies handling your shipment and tracing it could be hard work.

I'd suggest someone like Fedex they will collect it, so long as it is very well packed (with a fountain pen putting a piece of wood along the length of the package won't go amiss to prevent it snapping!) and then in their document wallet- as long as it fits in one of their larger plastic envelopes anything can be shipped. The weight restriction isn't really applicable.

When asking them for a quote tell them it will fit in a document wallet - it the cheapest way to ship to the US.

They will require five copies of the invoice - mark the value of '?1 for customs purposes only' and have them ready for when the man comes to collect. You pay in advance by card, so there is nothing more to worry about.

When you have the AWB (Airway Bill Number) you email this to the buyer, they can then see where the item is at any time.

Typically takes 2 working days door to door.


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## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

Einstein said:


> Using the post office to ship international, means there will be multiple companies handling your shipment and tracing it could be hard work.
> 
> I'd suggest someone like Fedex they will collect it, so long as it is very well packed (with a fountain pen putting a piece of wood along the length of the package won't go amiss to prevent it snapping!) and then in their document wallet- as long as it fits in one of their larger plastic envelopes anything can be shipped. The weight restriction isn't really applicable.
> 
> ...



Fantasic David .... what do you mean by 5 copies of the invoice??


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## Caroline (Dec 14, 2009)

For anything of any value gor for a company like fedex or UPS as they have good reputations or google International Couriers. I think DHL have quite a good reputation too. Then it will be easier to track. If you use the post office, it will be handled by lots of different companies once it gets state side.


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## am64 (Dec 14, 2009)

Einstein said:


> They will require five copies of the invoice - mark the value of '?1 for customs purposes only' and have them ready for when the man comes to collect. You pay in advance by card, so there is nothing more to worry about.
> 
> When you have the AWB (Airway Bill Number) you email this to the buyer, they can then see where the item is at any time.
> 
> Typically takes 2 working days door to door.



Do you mean in customs bit only put ?1 or do you mean put in it the actual value? soz im being a bit thick with this!


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## Einstein (Dec 14, 2009)

am64 said:


> Do you mean in customs bit only put ?1 or do you mean put in it the actual value? soz im being a bit thick with this!


 
An invoice is simply the sales receipt from you to the buyer - Fedex usually need five copies (don't worry they can loose all of them ) these are for their records and cutoms both in the UK and the US.

I'd pressume the buyer paid more than ?1 for the pen, but then you want to minimise the customs, although that is their problem to be honest and not yours. It's something they need to pay one receipt and should have taken into account when buying the item from overseas.

When you put on the invoice customs value ?1 that isn't the insured value which might be ?1000... so it's your call how much you put down on the invoice as the value. If all goes well and customs just see it as a gift of little value then it goes through, if they question why you've paid so much then the buyer will need to pay full customs, if the pen gets lost you need to make sure the invoice is for customs purposes only and not the bill of sale which might be considerably more!

I don't know the US single gift value before they pay import duties. If in doubt invoice it as the sale price.

Hope that makes sense, two ways of looking at it!


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

turns out buyer is in Purto Rico and it will cost ?70 fedex to post to him!!


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## Einstein (Dec 15, 2009)

am64 said:


> turns out buyer is in Purto Rico and it will cost ?70 fedex to post to him!!


 
Just PM'd you am64...


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

cheers D. have replied


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

haha when i told buyer fedex rates he pulled out of sale!!! nevermind i think he was a dealer anyway!!


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## Minster (Dec 15, 2009)

am64 said:


> ummm i wondered what post offices do these days...i have a horrible feeling howver that it cant be tracked or insured once it leaves uk...the pen is worth > ?500 but i'll check the web...thanks Katie
> ! have a paypal account but have never used it...has anyone had money transfered into Paypal account that can advise me as to the proceedure?
> sorry to be a dafty over this but i have never sold anything like this before!
> 
> I was very lucky my old friend left me her bureau and after 2 years in our garage, we decided that we wouldnt keep it it wasnt a particulary good peice of furnture, just made if chipboard. I looked in all the little draws to check there were no old documents and found 3 fountain pens...all mont blancs from the 1950's ...my friend knew i'd find them eventually!! she was great! and rumoured to have been a spy working for the british in WW2..she spoke something like 16 lanuages!!



if the pens are real mont blancs then they are worth considerably more than ?500. the basic mont blanc pen (depends where you buy from) retails at about ?235 for a foutain pen. what sort are they? fountain or ballpoint? i would certainly take them to a specialist shop to get them look at first as i know from my grandads mont blanc which i got left it is worth over ?4000. it is a 1940's mont blanc foutain pen in gold with a small diamond in the toop of the lid.

as i say get them looked at before you sell them as they should be worth a lot more than ?500.


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

hey mister...you must be well busy this time of year...diffulty i have re pens is that there isnt really a market in uk for mont blanc...its better to sell in europe...and I was meant to find them and so the next owner will be the right one at the right price...not a rip off dealer...my friend who left them me was a very fair person..however she was reputedly a spy for the british in WW2 so very rarely told the truth...


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## Minster (Dec 15, 2009)

am64 said:


> hey mister...you must be well busy this time of year...diffulty i have re pens is that there isnt really a market in uk for mont blanc...its better to sell in europe...and I was meant to find them and so the next owner will be the right one at the right price...not a rip off dealer...my friend who left them me was a very fair person..however she was reputedly a spy for the british in WW2 so very rarely told the truth...



hi,

yeah it is a very busy time of year for me, but at the minute i am under doctors orders to rest due to the hypo's and angina.

in regards to the pens, i would say there is quite a good market for them in the uk, you just need to know where to look. best place to start is the official mont blanc website as they might be able to give you a guide on the price of them. also i found that my grandads pen is a little bit of a rare one due to the in laid stone on the lid, however that only adds something like ?1000 to the price. if they are fountain pens they are more collectable and would easily fetch over ?500 each if they are in working order (you need to order the ink from mont blanc) and could be worth a lot more depending on what model pens they are. i would love to be able to tell you more about the mont blanc pens, but i only know about my grandads pen really however when i was getting it valued i spoke to a guy who is a bit of an expert and he told me that the older they are the more desirable they become. if they are in working order then the sky is the limit if you auction it off in a specialist auction house (i think the nearest pen one is in germany). i have mine insured for over ?11000 due to the fact it is going to increase in value every year.

wish i could help you more, but i would certainly go on to the website to look at the value of it and see if they can give you an estimate. if it is rare they may even buy it for the museum if they dont have one.


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

ohhh thanks for the advice mister id better check the insurance policy!! its unbeleivable what these pens go for..one like mine went for $1100 on e bay recently...but as i saud i beleive in impecability and the truth so will wait till the right buyer comes along
am


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## Minster (Dec 15, 2009)

am64 said:


> ohhh thanks for the advice mister id better check the insurance policy!! its unbeleivable what these pens go for..one like mine went for $1100 on e bay recently...but as i saud i beleive in impecability and the truth so will wait till the right buyer comes along
> am



hi am,

no need to thank me. i just wouldnt like to see someone get ripped off over something i know can be very very expensive. i have seen 2 like the one i have and they have fetched well above the price they were expected to go for. i would certainly look into a valuation to make sure you get the right policy on them. i would also make sure you dont add them to your household policy as they will not cover them as they are items of extreme value so should be protected individualy.

if you need any more help with them then please do ask


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

Minster said:


> hi am,
> 
> no need to thank me. i just wouldnt like to see someone get ripped off over something i know can be very very expensive. i have seen 2 like the one i have and they have fetched well above the price they were expected to go for. i would certainly look into a valuation to make sure you get the right policy on them. i would also make sure you dont add them to your household policy as they will not cover them as they are items of extreme value so should be protected individualy.
> 
> if you need any more help with them then please do ask



ohh noo mister i can't lie..if i dont notify the insurers the policy will be invalid! and cant afford special insurance...but i do beleive in fate if they are nicked they will get nicked


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## Minster (Dec 15, 2009)

am64 said:


> ohh noo mister i can't lie..if i dont notify the insurers the policy will be invalid! and cant afford special insurance...but i do beleive in fate if they are nicked they will get nicked



lol i would be mortified if my pen got nicked and not just because of its sentimentl value either. i would check your household policy to see if they cover them for a nominal fee or if they need a valuation first (?500 is far to low for them so get it done before you notify the insurance company). it may also be worth looking into insurance from a different company if your not happy when quoted, but as i said main thing is to get a valuation of the pens.

and on that note folks i best be off to bed (the future wife is telling me it is bed time as i havent been well lol)

night night all


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## am64 (Dec 15, 2009)

Minster said:


> lol i would be mortified if my pen got nicked and not just because of its sentimentl value either. i would check your household policy to see if they cover them for a nominal fee or if they need a valuation first (?500 is far to low for them so get it done before you notify the insurance company). it may also be worth looking into insurance from a different company if your not happy when quoted, but as i said main thing is to get a valuation of the pens.
> 
> and on that note folks i best be off to bed (the future wife is telling me it is bed time as i havent been well lol)
> 
> night night all



night mister..soz just replied to your music thread!!!  re pen and insurance i believe it will be too much hassle!


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## rossi_mac (Dec 16, 2009)

If it's right special what about that pen museum? Would they give you a good price, sorry fair price?

If you get stuck I'll have it for a fiver

Or send me to the States and I'll sell it down town


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