Shipping a mandolin to Australia

[Sid Simpson]

I could use some of the collective wisdom of the Cafe on this one.

I have a mandolin for sale in the US and a potential buyer in Australia. What is the most economical way to ship it? I checked with FedEx, and got a price somewhere north of $400. Not going to work for a mid-level mandolin.

Can you suggest any more cost-effective carriers or ways of shipping?

Thanks. I appreciate any suggestions.

[Capt. E]

US Post Office is best way. I've done it to Europe several times and works well. Ask buyer how badly he wants it. Prices have been going up but Priority Mail International will be significantly less than FedEx.

[Folkmusician.com]

Agreed, US Postal is absolutely the best option.

[9lbShellhamer]

A few months ago I sold my Breedlove to a guy in Perth, Australia through the MandolinCafe classifieds.

I went through the United States Postal Service as mentioned above.

It was $100.00 total for shipping. (From Louisville KY to Perth Australia)

I went to the PO and picked up some customs forms and filled them out at home. Apparently if you do this they don't have to pay taxes or something. It was simple enough.

I accepted payment via paypal.

I was apprehensive at first but in the end everything was really just as easy as a sale occurring in the states.

Good Luck.

[Sid Simpson]

Thank to all! What a wonderful resource this site is. I appreciate the help and shared experience.

[mrmando]

Yep. There are size limits on boxes sent to Australia, so pay careful attention to those. I believe the length plus the girth has to be no more than 79 inches.