Hello all! I've recently sold a set of vintage chairs through eBay. I live in the U.S. and my buyer is in France. Are there any issues or problems with sending vintage American pieces to Europe?
The set I sold were some Herman Miller Eames shells with upholstery on it. Because of their age, there are none of the "Under Penalty of Law"/California Bulletin things on them or anything indicating contents (i.e. "all new material" or "100% Polyurethane foam).
I want to say that it's here on designaddict that I read certain countries in Europe prohibit vintage items entering the country. Is this true for France? Will these be trapped in Customs, and will they really open my box to inspect it's contents (I did a really good job packing the chairs)?
In terms of shipping, my buyer preferred I send USPS Airmail Insured. Is this the safest way? Also, why should I declare the item a "gift" instead of declaring it's value (i.e. the winning bid price)?
Any help is greatly appreciated. I searched all relevant websites and couldn't find anything specific to exporting/importing vintage furniture. Because I know DA has many readers from all over the world, I thought I would try here as a last resort. Thank you!
Hello Anon?...
I havent any experience of sending items from US but i have some close friends who buy and sell worldwide and they say they have never had any issues.I have in the past sent two items to Paris France and they arrived at their destination ok (these were two 18thc gilt bergeres),and as far as the "gifted" thing goes i think its something to do with the buyer getting out of paying import tax? but this doesnt always work im told!.The only problem i ever had was when a friend in France sent me a crate of Chamagne and a box of chocs, i got the crate but the chocs went missing en route,i wasnt that bothered!!.
I've never had any...
I've never had any problems...
I've bought several HM chairs from the US and had them shipped USPS to Sweden. The only trouble I've had was when the seller didn't pack the chairs well enough and they ended up arriving with some damages from transport. (It is always good to put some extra padding on the edges closest to the walls of the box...)
About the 'gift' thing, at least in Sweden you pay an additional 25% on top of the value + a handling fee when buying stuff from outside the EU. This can add up to quite a lot of extra $$$, so I am always very grateful when a seller agrees to state 'gift' on the customs form. Also, if the customs decide to be suspicious and not accept that it's a gift, the only one who gets in trouble is the buyer who then simply has to pay the customs charges.
The only risk you are taking is if the uninsured chairs arrives damaged and the buyer decides to give you bad feedback (if you sold them on ebay...). I always take full responsibility for my purchase if I ask to have something sent as a 'gift'. It is a risk I am prepared to take... I think it all comes down to communication. If you think the buyer is honest and you've had a good contact, you could do him this favour, but not if you don't feel comfortable with it...
I regularly
send vintage items within Europe and there are no restrictions that I am aware of.
A customs declaration is, however, a legal document, so it is in fact against the law to declare something a gift that is a commercial transaction.
(The only country I know of to have prosecuted though is the US)........
It is pot-luck whether your parcel will get picked on, possibly opened, and duty has to be paid. Any duty will have to paid by the recipient.
no problems here
I sell on ebay and have sent many vintage and antique items to lots of European countries and have never had a problem. The only furniture I sent was a pair of beat-up Cherner chairs to Belgium and that went smoothly, too.
I never falsify customs forms. I've been asked to and I just point to my terms of service, which covers this. If the buyer has a problem with the duty required by his government, he can take it up with them.
Some countries do not charge duty on items over a certain age but I think it's at least 75 years or maybe 100 years so Miller chairs wouldn't apply. I always state the age of the item if there's any chance it will make a difference.
I have shipped US Postal...
I have shipped US Postal Service worldwide many times. Its a pain in the butt because the post office is not as friendly as fedex. You have to stand in line and hand over the package at the post office. The true shipping is difficult to figure because every country has a different rule. Some countries don't accept a 108 inch girth package, which is the eames shell chair size. Its best to take the package to the post office, get a quote, then get the buyers payment then return to ship it. They offer really weird things, like they take packages as airmail letter post, when you would think that it should be airmail parcel post. I could go on for hours, but the post office makes me cringe each trip. Their online estimater isn't always correct, and will get you close.
I have a tip on the eames shell chair. They can be shipped with a box from office max, its a odd size and works great. However there is no room left to pad the armshell, or you will be over the 108 girth rule, and they won't take it. The legs need another box. Eames shell chairs are tough to protect in the mail, and you should remember its a risk to ship.
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