Shipping Shaving gear around the world

[GV27]

Shipping costs from the US are absurd in my experience, but shipping to the US is often not bad. I don't have much experience with shipping shaving gear, but I have a classic automobile (an Alfa Romeo) and I often get parts from England and The Netherlands for it. Shipping via Royal Mail from England is great - it's only a little more than getting parts shipped from the East coast (I'm in Colorado) and often faster. Like 3 days - it's amazing.

A few years ago I had a custom bicycle frame made in England. It cost I think $60 to ship it to me. The frame builder and I had a miscommunication and the first frame came to me wrong. It was definitely my fault at least as much as his but he agreed to build me a new frame but I had to send the first one back so he could sell it in his shop and recoup his costs. It was over $200 to ship it back to him! Ouch.

 

[Lefonque]

Shipping costs from the US are absurd in my experience, but shipping to the US is often not bad. I don't have much experience with shipping shaving gear, but I have a classic automobile (an Alfa Romeo) and I often get parts from England and The Netherlands for it. Shipping via Royal Mail from England is great - it's only a little more than getting parts shipped from the East coast (I'm in Colorado) and often faster. Like 3 days - it's amazing.

A few years ago I had a custom bicycle frame made in England. It cost I think $60 to ship it to me. The frame builder and I had a miscommunication and the first frame came to me wrong. It was definitely my fault at least as much as his but he agreed to build me a new frame but I had to send the first one back so he could sell it in his shop and recoup his costs. It was over $200 to ship it back to him! Ouch.

Side note love Alfa's alas my wife has a modern Giulietta and I have a Fiat 500. If I was still working I would get a classic Alfa. Did have a 1957 Porche A type 20 years ago. Retirement changes things. Happy Shaves and Happy motoring.

 

[Bosh Hog]

I live in Portugal. An island in the middle of the Atlantic. Shipping costs can get way out of hand. I ordered a brush from Ireland and it came in a snap at 5 euros. Great! On the other hand, tried to order one from Italy and they were charging 50 euros. And stuff from the states... some charge 20 euros and others 40 or fifty. Then there is customs. They haven’t done anything yet and are already charging 12. Then you got to pay tax with shipping included. Breaks my heart but life goes on.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

A month ago (August 2021) I did a PIF and sent an empty unusual glass 200ml Old Spice bottle from Wales in the UK to the US state of Georgia. The postage cost me £7.45 and the bottle arrived in perfect condition in eight days. Admittedly that is without tracking or insurance but I was impressed both with the cost and the delivery time.

 

[Ivo4u2]

For some of the shipping fees I would expect the postal office a looooot prettier!
But living in holland shipping soap from the USA is expensive. Sometimes it is better to use Canada if possible.
And when it arrives you can be hammered by the tax surcharge.

Small one items only work(Ed) at maggards. For other shops or artisans you will have to see what is the best package deal you can make.
Import taxes you should consider which amounts are partly free of import tax.
Just forget aftershave any alcohol money is better spend on a bottle of already imported and just as expensive

 

[ylekot]

I sent a package to from NY USA to Bulgaria a while ago. $27.xx US wasn't bad but no tracking or anything. Took like 8 weeks though

 

[sm29]

Living in Australia I have become aware of how expensive it is becoming to ship shaving gear from other countries. Recently I was going to purchase from a well known soap maker in the USA as I would normally. When it come to the shipping cost they now only offer priority air freight. This took it was above my limited budget. It is not the fault of the soap maker but the escalating cost of shipping around the world. This will put a crimp in my plans to save the world with my shaving hobby.
I have wondered how shipping costs may be affecting other members on the forum. I would be glad to hear your thoughts.

Let’s not kid ourselves, we are enablers here hence the suggestion. I don’t know what the shipping costs to Australia from France are but do know that shipping is a good part of the reason MdC is so expensive in the US.

My suggestion is to investigate the cost of MdC shipped to Australia and you may find that while it may be expensive it may not be “relatively expensive”. It will last a long time, as my 130 g size has 143 shaves so far and will easily exceed 180 shaves with heavy loading.

When I read about an ultra soft and popular soap base selling for around $20 and only lasting 20 to 25 shaves, it becomes apparent that the real measure of cost should be cost per shave and not cost per tin or puck.

On another note any kind of shipping today is crazy. A client of mine has found shipping a full container, half full is substantially cheaper than shipping a 1/2 size container regardless of how full. Supply and demand are trouncing reason today.

 

[Peterv1]

I've been eying ethos and murphy and mcneil soaps had to let it go because of the extra import fees to Europe just can't justify $80 for two soaps

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I just sold a Leresche razor on the BST and posted it from Wales, UK to South Australia for £16.95 including end to end tracking and insurance using Royal Mail. That seems reasonable and prices do not seem to have increased noticably over the last year or two.

 

[rbscebu]

Here is how the international postal system works in most countries (not the USA). The origin country's postal system covers only the cost of shipping to the destination country. Once the article is received in the destination country, that destination country is responsible for final delivery to the addressee at no further cost to the shipper or origin country's postal service.

Th is is an international agreement between postal services. My understanding is that the USA pulled out of this agreement 3 or 4 years ago.

China still have about the cheapest international shipping (postal) to most countries.

As for shipping by sea, the shipping charges per container have skyrocketed over the past year or so. Great for the struggling sea-freight industry.

 

[cleanshaved]

Great for the struggling sea-freight industry.

I don't think the sea-freight industry was struggling before the latest rounds of freight rate increases.

 

[rbscebu]

I don't think the sea-freight industry was struggling before the latest rounds of freight rate increases.

It's part of the industries I work in. With my professional fees they are always struggling .

 

[mattps1]

I usually overcome the shipping problem to Australia by making the orders large enough so shipping is just a small overhead and bulk buy advantages kick in. Otherwise if it's just a small once-off purchase for 1-2 cheaper items, I just find it locally, otherwise I pass, and consider adding it to a bigger bulk order in the future. I might check with some UK sellers, as UK post is often nearly free or cheap to Australia.

Personally don't mind spending the equivalent of $45AUD on shipping if it's going to be fast and the order is $400 or so. I started wet shaving to save money

 

[Lefonque]

It's part of the industries I work in. With my professional fees they are always struggling .

Now we know who is to blame

By the way what are the shipping costs on $100 billion worth of submarines?

 

[rbscebu]

Now we know who is to blame

By the way what are the shipping costs on $100 billion worth of submarines?

Being nuclear where fuel is "free", shipping on their own bottoms is the most economical. Other than that, the alternative is a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship - not cheap but generally safer.

Here is the USS Cole being shipped on a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship:

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The USS Cole only had a displacement of about 7,000 tonnes on that trip, so a fairly light heavy lift. The heavy-lift ship for that project was the MV "Blue Marlin" that can lift over 70,000 tonnes.

 

[Lefonque]

I usually overcome the shipping problem to Australia by making the orders large enough so shipping is just a small overhead and bulk buy advantages kick in. Otherwise if it's just a small once-off purchase for 1-2 cheaper items, I just find it locally, otherwise I pass, and consider adding it to a bigger bulk order in the future. I might check with some UK sellers, as UK post is often nearly free or cheap to Australia.

Personally don't mind spending the equivalent of $45AUD on shipping if it's going to be fast and the order is $400 or so. I started wet shaving to save money

What is this last sentence. I don’t understand. I don’t comprehend. What is this concept?

 

[Lefonque]

Being nuclear where fuel is "free", shipping on their own bottoms is the most economical. Other than that, the alternative is a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship - not cheap but generally safer.

Here is the USS Cole being shipped on a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship:

View attachment 1334417
​

The USS Cole only had a displacement of about 7,000 tonnes on that trip, so a fairly light heavy lift. The heavy-lift ship for that project was the MV "Blue Marlin" that can lift over 70,000 tonnes.

Yes, but what are the shipping costs…..
Seriously impressive.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

We have shipped for years to our friends in Australia. So long as it weighs two pounds or less it is $25.00 First Class International.

Recently and with no warning USPS simply declared that they would no longer allow First Class International to Australia. No explanation, just declared this is how it shall be. Also no explanation as to why First Class International is allowed to all other countries in the world. So now if it is going to Australia it must ship Priority which is something like $45.00.

 

[Lefonque]

We have shipped for years to our friends in Australia. So long as it weighs two pounds or less it is $25.00 First Class International.

Recently and with no warning USPS simply declared that they would no longer allow First Class International to Australia. No explanation, just declared this is how it shall be. Also no explanation as to why First Class International is allowed to all other countries in the world. So now if it is going to Australia it must ship Priority which is something like $45.00.

It is probably the 2000 COVID cases we have each day. I have to say USPS declaration is pretty bad for us. Perhaps that’s what comes when you have a “special” relationship that our Prime Minister tell us we have with the USA. It does raise my dander. Seems inexplicable!

 

[mattps1]

What is this last sentence. I don’t understand. I don’t comprehend. What is this concept?

This is just tounge in cheek of course!
Australia has a pretty small market place for a lot of goods, and when your seeking out niche items, it means you have disposable income to support that standard of living/lifestyle choice to begin with. The average punder can buy a razor and cream in the supermarket and call it a day.