Importing a Sword from US to UK

[max_levy]

I'm in the process of trying to import a sword from the US to the UK, and decided what route to take and wanted advice from anyone that's done it.

 

Firstly, the option of Fedex, fully insured, or EMS insured to $650 which is 1/4 of the cost of the sword?

 

Also, what and how to include with it when it comes, it's NBTHK papered, Im not sure how would i get the vendor to attach photocopies etc?

 

any advice would be great, from anyone that'd done it on who to use and what to put!

Many thanks

Max

[sanjuro]

Max.

 

I think you may need to talk to Stephen on this board. He has helped me out with exporting from the US. Sword and papers arrived in perfect order and very quickly. :D

[pcfarrar]

Use Fedex and you will have the sword in 2-3 days with a minimum amount of customs hassle.

 

If you use EMS you will likely have a 1 month+ wait and will have to go through the hassle of contacting customs and proving its real etc. The NBTHK papers make no real difference to the process in my experience.

[max_levy]

its kinda what im beginning to think, im thinking just pay the extra £100 odd to post it declare the full value so if everything does go pear shaped they haven't got a leg to stand on. In theory it should be fine, its a 48cm nagasa, and the UK 2008 legislation is only relevant to 50cm + blades, so even if they want me to prove its antique, if it was a brand new piece of junk they shouldn't stop it!

[pcfarrar]

  max_levy said:

its kinda what im beginning to think, im thinking just pay the extra £100 odd to post it declare the full value so if everything does go pear shaped they haven't got a leg to stand on.

 

It's well worth paying the £100 extra for Fedex. When using EMS UK customs sometimes open the package and mess around with the swords. A friend had a gunto that customs took apart and lost the fuchi/seppa, they then threw the parts back into the box without reassembling the sword. Luckily the blade didn't get damaged.

[Brian]

Yeah..but as far as I know, with a sword Fedex doesn't insure anyways..so once you claim and they find out what it was, they aren't going to pay a cent. Is that incorrect? I use EMS with great success, but your laws complicate things.

Basically I insure for a nominal amount..purely for the reason that they take extra care with it. Then again, I am not in the UK and haven't had a problem with a sword yet. Read this thread: viewtopic.php?t=7903 then check out the other threads by Kevin, then contact him. I think he has extensive knowledge of importing swords into UK and will steer you right.

 

Brian

[pcfarrar]

It's a no brainer in the UK.

 

Fedex - Sword in 3 days max , little or no customs hassle, customs fees are sent via invoice after the sword has been delivered.

 

EMS - Sword in 30+ days, several telephone calls (on a number that is almost impossible to speak to someone), then a follow up involving a letter or emails. After you have got your sword through customs you then have to wait for a letter to arrive so you can pay the customs charge. Finally after paying the charge (which is almost always charged at an incorrect rate) you can arrange delivery.

[max_levy]

Thanks Peter do you recommend declaring it as a sword? Apparently uk couriers won't handle swords?

Thanks

Max

[pcfarrar]

"Antique sword over 100 years old" has always been ok for me. Fedex, UPS, DHL etc. won't accept swords to send internationally in the UK but will quite happily deliver them to you.

[Stephen]

FedX wont let me ship swords, so id have to call it something else, someday if not now all items will go thru xray..so there wont be any fudging on whats in the box.

[Lindus]

Have today had a conversation with the owner of an Auction house. With Guns,eg Match locks, he sends in two parcels, one declared as "Metal, Tube,Engineering ." while the stock goes as "Ornate wooden artifact".....Japanese swords he tells me that with Royal mail Global, they accept and insure "Collectable item, decorative".

Another Auction house which I am trying out with a few items as they are only chargeing 8% total, will not post themselves but use a company based in Plymouth,UK, called "Post Box's" who collect and will insure for full amount but will pack and photograph for insured purpose.

 

Transit of goods is becoming a real nightmare,recently a fellow collector found a way around this by takeing a long weekend holiday by coach to Germany, the daisho, cost £8000, was cheaper for him to take with him and arrange a meeting to exchange than to post!!! £250 as opposed to the holiday trip of £235 plus he had full board in a Holiday inn and several excursions to places of interest...........................PLEASE NOTE ANY EUROPEAN BUYERS FROM MY SWORD COLLECTION.

 

Please check as I have the exclusions that carriers include, this can be quite sobering and you end up wondering what they actually do insure.

Roy

[max_levy]

Thanks for all the help guys, after arranging shipping via nightflight, apparently the owner of the consignment piece didn't want it sent to the uk. Absolutely gutted!!!! but at least I know what to

Do next time! So a big thanks to you all!

[pcfarrar]

You might be better off just heading into London and going to Don Bayneys shop. One of my friends went recently and I was told he had some interesting reasonably priced swords.