Shipping Woes

[SteveL]

Originally Posted by corrado26

The main problem is that DHL, Fedex, HERMES etc. do not transport any kind of arms, so shipping guns, pistols, swords, knives etc. are impossible to ship at reasonable costs. Therefore you are forced to use the help of special transporters, which have very high prizes to send items to other countries. These from supplier to supplier very different fees didn't match with the ideas of Catawiki, so they stopped the auctions.

I've purchased two different times from Hermann Historical in the last 6 months.....and both times shipping charge for 2 35-42 cm daggers was 65 euros. No problems with customs at all.

I purchase 1 dagger from Czernys 30 cm....and they want to charge 230 euros....and it takes 2plus months to receive it.

Something is not right. Not only is one auction house trying to charge 25 percent buyers premium -- but they are also trying to heavily profit off the shipping.

Anyways....Ive found that if the item is really nice....it's best to just go over to Italy, Spain, or France and pick it up personally.
In the last 12 months I've been Spain & Italy twice....and France once on three separate trips. If I have to pay 230 euro for one little box....I might as well just fly over there.