Published on May 28th, 2017 | by Guest

Sending a large parcel to New York? No problem.

The great news is that you’ve sold your Grandmother’s huge oriental vase. The bad news is that the new owner wants you to send it to New York. What to do? Luckily, in this world of global communications, sending a parcel to New York is pretty straightforward, even if it is fragile, large and weighs a ton.

Packaging

Tip number one is that packaging is king. It’s not enough to box up your vase with a hopeful ‘Handle With Care’ label. Anything large and heavy needs a heavy duty box, preferably made from corrugated cardboard. For fragile items try ‘double boxing’ and add padding between the inner and outer boxes. Here’s a short video of how to pack and move fragile items properly.
Wrapping: Try to ensure any delicate items cannot move around inside the box, by wrapping them in bubble wrap or layers of tissue paper. For extra protection, a strip of cardboard taped around the widest part of the item will help.
Padding: Place the wrapped item on a base layer of padding in the centre of the box, ensuring it does not touch any of the sides. Then pad the sides of the box and the top of the item with any of the following:

Polystyrene foam blocks
Poly chips
Foam sponge
Airbags
Scrunched up newspaper

Do not use paper ‘chads’ which are small pieces of paper produced by shredding machines. These compact in transit and will leave your item without sufficient padding.

Sealing: Use high quality large size parcel tape to secure the parcel. Ensure there are no sticky ends left unstuck. Once the parcel is sealed, make sure there are no movement, or shifting noises when you shake it.

How much will it cost?

There are a number of factors which will affect the cost of sending a parcel to the United States. These include

Whether the parcel is collected from your home
Whether the parcel can be dropped off at a collection point
The level of insurance required to cover the cost of an item being sent
The weight of your parcel
How quickly you need it to arrive

How do I work out the weight of my parcel?

If your parcel is too heavy for your kitchen scales, use the bathroom scales. Weigh yourself with and without the parcel and that should give you the figure you need. It’s important to know the weight and measurements of your parcel as accurately as possible to avoid surcharges and delays.

How do I find a courier?

There are many reputable delivery companies that can deliver your parcel of a heavy vase to New York. The best way to compare all the major players is to use an online parcel broker. Most will have a Quick Quote facility. Simply enter the dimensions of your parcel, along with its weight and destination address. The broker will show you a list of options from a range of couriers.

Whether you choose collection from your home or drop off, along with the speed of delivery, will be the main influence on the cost.

What items cannot be sent?

Certain items are not allowed to be shipped to the USA. These include:

Aerosols
Animals
Fresh food and dairy goods
All tobacco goods
Furs
Ivory
Plants and seeds

If you are in any doubt, do check with your parcel broker or courier company. Or for a full list of items which are not allowed to be imported to the USA, check with US Customs and Border Protection.

What about dealing with customs?

There are a number of documents that need to be completed for customs clearance into the USA. Your parcel broker or courier company will send you any forms you need to complete to ensure that dealing with customs it quick and easy.