Shipping to some countries

[andybee]

Hi there!

I had some problems with shippings to russia and brasil.
The cheapest way (most customers want that) in germany is to
ship with DHL.
DHL ships to the border, then the local transport company assumes
the parcel, and goes to the customer.

BUT, the local transport services in some countries are not very good,
parcels get lost etc.

Is there maybe a solution ? I heard, for russia, TNT should be good?

Any input welcome

Thanks!

[montalbano]

Hi Andi!
When are you coming to visit me next time? I have two Augustiner here. One hell and one dunkel =)
OK
My hints - considering that you ship 7" so generally no heavyweights:
Russia: send by normal mail. I mean not with any shipping co. - even working for the local mailservice, but literally by regular mail. It is slow, but stil the cheapest way to send over there and they haven't lost anything insofar. Maybe if you ship to Moscow you can still use a shipping co. but if you are shipping to the far East, then some shipping co will accept only Express parcels.
As for Brasil, recently one customer came personally to pick up the records here! =) I want to think that it was because he had Italian relatives, but orders from Brazil come now and then - so it's not the first time, all for 7" - and it's a matter of fact that either with the Post and with ANY shipping co. I didn't find a way of having decent rates.
Please keep in mind that both of these countries have customs so a part of the cost will be for that fees.
Since one year we are working with UPS. We have a 70% discount off the standard rates (well, about 70%, it depends on the number of parcels we send out monthly, but the estimate is rather precise) and I have seen that in most cases their discounted price -on the UPS Standard service of course, not talking about Express or Saver - is really close to the price of the Post or of a cheap shipping co., but with a far better service. And even for Brazil, the discounted rate was still too expensive, but lower than the rate offered by the Post.
If you handle at least say 70-100 jobs going out by shipping co., that could be a solution for you.

[basquiattag]

I agree - the cheapest rates will be with USPS, or Canada Post in my case. But the trade-off is you have to be really easy going with the timeframe. Go with a freight carrier like CEVA if you have a time requirement, but be prepared to spend more money.

Also, if you're ever shipping record jackets, or records that contain jackets, always double box them. In fact, double boxing records even if they're raw is a good idea too, but doubly important for any print pieces. Otherwise, you'll be looking at bent corners or worse.

[petermontg]

what do people use to post their lacquers for pressing??

[basquiattag]

I agree - the cheapest rates will be with USPS, or Canada Post in my case. But the trade-off is you have to be really easy going with the timeframe. Go with a freight carrier like CEVA if you have a time requirement, but be prepared to spend more money.

Also, if you're ever shipping record jackets, or records that contain jackets, always double box them. In fact, double boxing records even if they're raw is a good idea too, but doubly important for any print pieces. Otherwise, you'll be looking at bent corners or worse.

[montalbano]

what do people use to post their lacquers for pressing??

The majors or anyway the "big" European labels which send lacquers coming from external cutting studios, 9 times out of 10 have ship them by UPS Express.

Usually UPS is preferred because - statistically speaking - they seem to handle everything with a little bit more care than other shipping companies do.

I remember to have received a phonecall from the boss of one of these "big" labels this summer, telling me that the day after, around 8 AM, some lacquers will have been delivered by UPS from Sterling Sound NYC and asking me if I could immediately make the negs and posis out of them, in order to immediately "freeze" the cutting on metal, since it was very hot. Then make the test pressings etc. It then turned out to be a loooong run compared to the avg runs we're used to nowadays, and luckily everything went OK.

And the day after, at 8 AM, effectively UPS came with the box.

This is why - I think - they choose UPS. Maybe expensive, but extremely reliable.

[petermontg]

Thanks montalbano. some great info there. I should have asked my question proper. What do you guys receive you masters for galvanic's in? what box do I put them in for postage?

I seen a post a few months back about a steel box from the '60/'70s (I think)
Do you receive them in something like that?

It's hardly just a cardboard mailer.

Regards
Peter

[montalbano]

Most people use the Apollo or Transco boxes and a pile of spacers stacked in the center spindle to avoid the lacquers to touch eachother.
A couple of times it happened that lacquers came packed into nice boxes, thin ones but very heavy, one box per lacquer, made of hard material coated with glossy paper, with a circular 14" shape inside where the lacquer could firmly sit, and some kind of foam in the back of the cover. At a first sight it looked like those boxes were manufactured around the 80's and had been reused many many times.
Another customer uses round PVC boxes originally used to pack the reeltapes for the cinemas ... of course with spacers etc. ... DIY ... but it happened a couple times that lacquers were marked somewhere.

[petermontg]

Thanks, Going to look into them movie reel cans. seems fairly priced(15E) and always a nice little story to tell the customers. am sure ill be sending some your way soon.

Regards
Peter

[Techie]

I used a movie reel can to carry fragile 78's in my luggage from California to Delaware. It works very well until you get to Airport Security. Turned out fine though.

[petermontg]

Something that looks like a WWII landmine concealed in your luggage

much grief??

[Techie]

Well, luckily there was no cavity search, but I was detained and searched, shoes checked etc. Could have been worse. At least they gave me my records back.