Replies

1. 
   sschefer | May 03, 2002 08:44pm | #1

   Do I have to make my own crates? In most cases, yes. However I have run across independent shippers that mandate that they do all of the packing.

   Can I use regular UPS? http://www.ups.com you can get that information there. They seem to change on a regular basis in order to remain competitive.

   Is there a speciality shipper I should look at? Specialty shippers are expensive and unless they have their own ship or airplane they often use the same shipping methods that you would. I got hoodwinked by that one time. I've also chartered planes to ship overnight and that really gets nuts. The only thing I can say about it is that your cargo's value is more recognized and therefore its supposed to be handled differently. 

   What about insurance? Definitly !

   Steve - in Northern California

2. 
   TyEUP | May 03, 2002 10:32pm | #2

   alison,

   From the start, I'm a little biased...I work for FedEx.  So take that into consideration.  The best person to create a shipping container is the customer (you).  You know what needs to be protected and how well, and what needs padding etc...etc...etc.  But if you need some ideas, on how to ship certain things, FedEx has a toll free number (1-800-go-fedex)you can call, and talk to an engineer, who's job it is to help you develop shipping containers for your work.   Also, they can arrange pickup and delivery to just about anywhere in the world, and they now have an inexpensive ground service available.

   About the question of insurance, most definately get insurance for the cost of the item, plus the shipping and insurance.  And of course figure that into your final price.

   Well hope I've helped out rather than confused you even more....good luck.

   -Ty-

   "A true test of a man's character is what he does..."

3. 
   forestgirl | May 04, 2002 07:11am | #3

   Alison, there are several shipping options available now that were not in the years before eBay.  The auction sales of large pieces of (usually antique) furniture is so high nowadays that it has created many more options for shipping such pieces.  (UPS and FedEx are generally not workable for large pieces of furniture, and personally I would never send a highly valued, carefully crafted piece via UPS.  The are perfectly capable of destroying it!)  The cedar chest might not be too hard to find shipping for, but the chest-of-drawers is going to take a special carrier.

   I no longer have my file on these shippers, because I'm out of the furniture business, but there are several ways you can check into the possibilities, and get information on others' experiences with various companies.

   • Call large (large!) antique stores in your area and find out from them who they use for shipping items out-of-state.  I don't know what area of the country you live in, but any large metro area that has high-end antique stores will have a population of antiques merchants who use a reliable shipper for such items.
   • Go to the antique furniture section of eBay, look for items similar to the ones you'll be shipping, and see what form of shipping people use.  If you're registered on eBay, you can send the seller an email and ask what their experience is with a particular shipper (maybe one that you've noticed is used by many people).
   • Go to auctionwatch.com, navigate to the discussion groups, and find threads there on shipping choices.  Or, if you're willing to register (I think they now require a credit card for ID, so you may decide not to), you could start a thread asking about shipping for furniture.

   Good luck!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   Indigo1557 | May 06, 2002 06:43pm | #4

   I'm living in the NW - Portland, OR and I am getting ready to move to Tampa Florida (who does wood work there I ask myself!!!????) so it's from one corner of the the country to the next.  I have a few pieces that I don't think I'm going to finish prior to my departure, so I'll have to take them semi constructed and send them back when they are done.

   I'm just trying to brace myself for sticker shock of having to ship.

   Alison

1. 
   RLMillard | May 07, 2002 02:12am | #5

   I have shipped dozens of pieces with Craters and Freighters. They have great service (a little slow sometimes) very good prices, and have never damaged a piece I sent. They pick it up at your door and take it back to their shop and build the crate. It costs about $200 to ship a card table, and about $450 for a secretary. You can go to their web site at http://www.cratersandfreighters.com and get an online quote.

2. 
   forestgirl | May 07, 2002 03:56am | #6

   Hi Alison, hope you got my email last week!  Well, shipping them "knocked-down" to FL won't be too bad.  When I posted my first reply to your new dicussion here, I didn't realize it was you.

   If you have to eat the shipping, that is going to hurt!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   Indigo1557 | May 10, 2002 12:20am | #7

   Forest Girl...yup..got your email and been too fried to respond, I'm sorry :(... it has been incredibly wild here.  Have several people tromping through the house every hour and I have lost DSL access...talk about slow, how did I ever get excited bout being online iwth a modem.

1. 
   Indigo1557 | May 10, 2002 12:22am | #8

   Rob...hey, thanks for the link..I'll check it out.  Sounds like what I need, stil have sticker shock, but hey, I think its going to be part of the deal for me over the next couple of years so I better get used to it.

2. 
   forestgirl | May 10, 2002 04:13am | #9

   Alison, I totally understand how hectic it must be for you (kinda figured that was what was happening).  Hope you make it through without too much wear and tear!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)