Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
Forum rules
This section is for posts that are directly related to performance, performers, or equipment. Social issues are allowed, as long as they are directly related to those categories. If you see a post that you cannot respond to with respect and courtesy, we ask that you do not respond at all.
Post Reply
User avatar
bort2.0
Posts: 5239
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
Location: Minneapolis
Has thanked: 336 times
Been thanked: 994 times

Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bort2.0 »

I was just looking for a price quote to ship about 5 pounds of books to a country in Europe -- the absolute cheapest price quote that I found was about $85 via USPS.

That CAN'T be right, can it? It's not a huge box, and it's not heavy, and the US and this country are good friends on good terms. :teeth:

I've GOT to be missing something... help?


BramJ
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:32 am
Has thanked: 45 times
Been thanked: 48 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by BramJ »

I hope there is a cheaper option, 85 is insane
User avatar
kingrob76
Posts: 622
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:24 am
Location: Reston, VA
Has thanked: 48 times
Been thanked: 180 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by kingrob76 »

Shipping moderate sized items has gotten very expensive - I’ll bet that same box is $40 to ship to Florida, for example.
Rob. Just Rob.
User avatar
bort2.0
Posts: 5239
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
Location: Minneapolis
Has thanked: 336 times
Been thanked: 994 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bort2.0 »

kingrob76 wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2024 12:47 pm Shipping moderate sized items has gotten very expensive - I’ll bet that same box is $40 to ship to Florida, for example.
Priority, maybe.

Media mail -- about $7.
These users thanked the author bort2.0 for the post:
Mary Ann (Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:41 am)
User avatar
Three Valves
Posts: 4553
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:07 pm
Location: The Land of Pleasant Living
Has thanked: 796 times
Been thanked: 490 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by Three Valves »

Burn the books here and buy them again in Europe?

Make sure you burn them conspicuously in front of a library just to piss them off! :smilie2:
Thought Criminal
Mack Brass Artiste
TU422L with TU25
1964 Conn 36k with CB Arnold Jacobs
Accent (By B&S) 952R with Bach12
The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column
WC8KCY
Posts: 494
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:07 am
Has thanked: 250 times
Been thanked: 43 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by WC8KCY »

I did some poking around on my shipping apps, and $85 is indeed the best rate.

Using Germany as a sample destination, Canada Post would only charge CAD$80, which works out to about USD$60.

Something ain't right here...
User avatar
bort2.0
Posts: 5239
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
Location: Minneapolis
Has thanked: 336 times
Been thanked: 994 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bort2.0 »

The weight seems to be the biggest factor

Roughly speaking, for this size of box:
If it's 2 pounds or under, it's $33 or so.
Between 2 and 5 pounds, it's $50-something
Between 5 and __?__ pounds it's $85

This reminds me of international flights from JFK in New York. People flying back to their home countries with enormous suitcases, heavy as lead and filled beyond capacity. Which of course fail the x-ray scan, and then they had to be opened and checked... :facepalm2:
bone-a-phone
Posts: 343
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 7:03 am
Has thanked: 116 times
Been thanked: 93 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bone-a-phone »

I shipped a box of books to Canada (from Virginia) a couple of years ago, and it was $80. It's cheaper to buy them through Amazon and have Amazon deliver. Media Mail should give you the best rate if you're not using that yet.
Tubeast
Posts: 175
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2022 3:05 pm
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by Tubeast »

At that rate, it may be more beneficial to travel there yourself and transport the books in your luggage...
User avatar
davidgilbreath
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:25 am
Location: My Old Kentucky Home in Marietta, GA (or little England way beyond Wales)
Has thanked: 69 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by davidgilbreath »

USPS only offers Media Mail for domestic shipments.
These users thanked the author davidgilbreath for the post:
WC8KCY (Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:45 pm)
". . . and loudly he played . . . "
David Gilbreath
1925 Conn New Wonder Monster Front Action BBb
c. 1938 York 716 5/4 BBb 4v

Image
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 18627
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3662 times
Been thanked: 3936 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bloke »

ok...enough INFORMATIONAL replies above to start cracking jokes...

===========================

I'd wager that shipping books to Europe is a whole lot cheaper than booking ships to Europe.
User avatar
bort2.0
Posts: 5239
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
Location: Minneapolis
Has thanked: 336 times
Been thanked: 994 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bort2.0 »

In the end... They got sent to Wisconsin :tuba:
peterbas
Posts: 485
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2020 12:42 pm
Has thanked: 67 times
Been thanked: 99 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by peterbas »

.
Last edited by peterbas on Fri Jun 07, 2024 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
These users thanked the author peterbas for the post:
bloke (Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:55 am)
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 18627
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3662 times
Been thanked: 3936 times

Re: Cheapest way to ship books to Europe?

Post by bloke »

I can't figure out a way to fit "to" into "On Wisconsin"...(??)
Post Reply