The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Good to know. Thank you!

Garret

I recently shipped a large Brunswick Cortez to Europe. I called FedEx and their first quote was about $2600. Then I said that's too much, and they transferred me to Great Rates. Then the quote was reduced to $1600 for airmail, and would arrive in one week, but does not include packing. Then I called Craters & Freighters in Orange County and they gave me a quote of $650 to crate and ship the Cortez to Antwerp Harbor. They could not offer ground transportation to the destination in Luxembourg. Shipping takes about two months this way and the good thing is C & F takes care of the paperwork. The buyer is responsible for getting it through customs in Europe. I got another quote from a C & F in San Diego, but their quote was sky high, even more than the FedEx airmail, and that was for ocean shipping, but included delivery to the buyer's door. That shows that C & F is a big company, but is independently owned through franchises, so quotes can vary widely.

Wow. That much variability is beyond ridiculous.