Defraying Container Shipment Costs
Feb 17th 2009, 3:26 pm
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Oakland
Posts: 664
Defraying Container Shipment Costs
I had an interesting conversation with an old family friend this weekend when I was visiting my parents that I though I should pass on here.
He used to live in North Carolina and was in the antiques shipping business. What he did was buy up 'antique' furniture from auction rooms in the UK, mostly early 20th century stuff like sideboards, dinner tables, dressers, mirrors and so on. All solid wood. The cheapest prices and best furniture to be found is in auction rooms in the North of England and all over Scotland. The stuff he bought generally ranged from £20 to £200. There is apparently very little market for this kind of thing in the UK.
Then he would pack a shipping container and send it over to North Carolina. He was able to sell almost everything for 3 - 5 times the price he'd paid in the UK, mostly to antiques dealers. The rest he'd sell at antique shows up and down the east coast. He also told me that the same furniture would sell for twice as much again in California.
I thought this was an interesting tidbit for anyone considering shipping their belongings from the UK to the US. If you have room left in the container then this might be a way to defray some of the cost of the shipment. You might have to use the furniture for a couple of years before selling it on to avoid paying import duties, but since most rentals in the US are unfurnished that might not be a bad thing.
He used to live in North Carolina and was in the antiques shipping business. What he did was buy up 'antique' furniture from auction rooms in the UK, mostly early 20th century stuff like sideboards, dinner tables, dressers, mirrors and so on. All solid wood. The cheapest prices and best furniture to be found is in auction rooms in the North of England and all over Scotland. The stuff he bought generally ranged from £20 to £200. There is apparently very little market for this kind of thing in the UK.
Then he would pack a shipping container and send it over to North Carolina. He was able to sell almost everything for 3 - 5 times the price he'd paid in the UK, mostly to antiques dealers. The rest he'd sell at antique shows up and down the east coast. He also told me that the same furniture would sell for twice as much again in California.
I thought this was an interesting tidbit for anyone considering shipping their belongings from the UK to the US. If you have room left in the container then this might be a way to defray some of the cost of the shipment. You might have to use the furniture for a couple of years before selling it on to avoid paying import duties, but since most rentals in the US are unfurnished that might not be a bad thing.
Feb 17th 2009, 8:27 pm
#2
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: Defraying Container Shipment Costs
Will you bring me a Welsh dresser when you come? 
There is a business for sale near us; they've been doing this for years. If I ever wanted to own a soul-sucking 24/7 retail business again, I'd give it a look.
But I never thought about as a bring along thing.. that seriously IS a good idea!
There is a business for sale near us; they've been doing this for years. If I ever wanted to own a soul-sucking 24/7 retail business again, I'd give it a look.
But I never thought about as a bring along thing.. that seriously IS a good idea!
