Opinions/thoughts/insights on international shipping, please

[oliver]

Where in France are you moving to? I love France and have a French born cousin who lives in Alsace north of Strasbourg... I have often thought of living there.

Le Mans

[Curt A]

Sounds interesting... lots of stuff to see around there, including Mont St Michel and the Normandy beaches. For a hobby, you might take up racing... There's a good phonograph show in Rüdesheim am Rhein at Siegfried's, along the Rhine river in Germany. https://www.smmk.de/pages/en/welcome.php Also, the Phonogalerie in Paris is definitely worthwhile (if you haven't already been). http://www.phonogalerie.com/lang-english/

When in Paris, eat at my favorite restaurant (it really is worthwhile - make reservations) - Chez Janou. http://www.chezjanou.com
CHEZ JANOU • 2, rue Roger Verlomme • 75003 Paris • Tél. : 01 42 72 28 41 (in the Bastille near Place des Vosges) - Well known for their wonderful chocolate mousse...

[oliver]

One other point to consider is that both the machines you mentioned are not exceptionally rare and by the time you tack on the shipping charges to Europe, you are going to be upside down with them... unless that doesn't matter. If you are moving permanently, it might be time to take an interest in European machines... If not, leave them with friends or family until you return... or sell them and re-purchase similar machines.

"I realize they would need to be separately and extremely well crated, with at least the turntables and tone arms removed."
AND the motors to make them less top-heavy...

Good point...one of the phonographs I've always wanted is a coin operated Concert Automatique

[Curt A]

One other point to consider is that both the machines you mentioned are not exceptionally rare and by the time you tack on the shipping charges to Europe, you are going to be upside down with them... unless that doesn't matter. If you are moving permanently, it might be time to take an interest in European machines... If not, leave them with friends or family until you return... or sell them and re-purchase similar machines.

"I realize they would need to be separately and extremely well crated, with at least the turntables and tone arms removed."
AND the motors to make them less top-heavy...

Good point...one of the phonographs I've always wanted is a coin operated Concert Automatique

One of my absolute favorites... hope you get one.

[AZ*]

I've done a number of transatlantic shipments over the years including 1000+ pounds of household goods both times I was transferred to England and back to the US (two assignments, 4 transatlantic shipments total), but never by sea. I have also had 4 large gramophones shipped from Europe to the US. It was very expensive. Whenever I investigated shipping by sea freight, the cost vs air freight was either a wash due to the added cost of trucking the shipment inland, or such a minor difference in overall cost that it wasn't worth the risk. People claim that shipping by sea freight is much cheaper. That may be true on extremely large shipments, but it never worked out that way for me, possibly due to location and size/weight of shipment.