I just want to document that I am traveling tomorrow from Charlotte, North Carolina to Geneva, Switzerland with 5 Eames H-bases in a box which I am going to attempt to check as baggage. The rest of you are probably the only people on the planet who will think this is funny.
I wanted 4 Eames side shells for this table that I have in Switzerland, so I started hunting in Europe for them. I wanted the fiberglass ones, not the plastic yukky Vitra ones. I quickly learned that original HM chairs are a hot ticket item in Europe and they go for quite a pretty penny. Plus, all of the ones that I have found in CH, DE, FR and IT have all had the original bases replaced with the dowel bases, which wouldn't work around my table.
Believe it or not, it is actually cheaper for me to buy the chairs on ebay, ship them to my house in South Carolina and then repack and ship them to Switzerland. BUT, the bases are too big to ship via the US Postal Service. The shells are OK. The bases, no. Just for the record, the box can only be 108 inches total when you add the height of the box and it's girth.
So, I can't wait to see the customs guy tomorrow when I arrive in Geneva with a giant box of metal chair legs. I will update Monday. Wish me luck.
As
someone that checked 2 Jacobsen stools in as checked baggage, and even went round the shops to find a holdall large enough to take them.
That was last year, this year I managed to get a wrapped up disassembled PH5 into the cabin before I realised there was NO way it was going to fit in any of the lockers...
A few grovelling words to an obliging looking member of cabin crew and my light ended up in the crew area, only downside was we had to be the last to disembark to collect it.
Where there's a will, there's a way; I don't think you're in the slighest bit mad Riki 😉
Have reached
Frankfurt so far without being pulled aside for questioning. One more leg to go. LuciferSum, that story is crazy! I have a George Mulhauser Mister Chair that I have been trying to figure out how to get over here. I might just disassemble and follow your friend's lead.
Arrived safe
and not questioned by customs. So, shipping the bases ended up being free. Just for future reference for other people who might read this, shipping international via US Postal Service was as follows:
2 side shells in one box: 79 USD incl. 200 USD insurance
2 side shells plus one upholstered arm shell in one box: 144 USD incl. 400 USD insurance.
Also, UPS wanted over 1000 USD to ship the two boxes above and the box of bases. Now, that's truly ridiculous.
Will post a pic when they are all shined up and reassembled around the table. Fun stuff!
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com