Rodney Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 As part of my stash reduction sale, I've opened up to selling to fellow modelers in Canada under the false impression that shipping would be reasonable. To my shock, USPS website is quoting in the $40 range for medium to large kits (ex. Hasegawa 1/48 F/A-18 or HB 1/48 A-6E). If I'm reading the USPS website correctly, they do not have ground/boat international shipping and first class international package has to be less than 36in in total dimensions. This leaves the only option as Priority International. Am I missing a shipping option? These prices seem very high to me, especially just to cross our northern border. UPS quotes were slightly more expensive. Bottom line, has anybody found a reasonable cost effective method to ship from US to Canada? Thank you for the help. Rodney Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Linden Hill Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 All USPS international shipping rates increased dramatically in January. A small package weighing as little as 2 oz. now costs $13.75 to send to Europe, almost double the rate it was 5 years ago. Regarding Canada, in addition to the rates increasing, there is now no single unitary international price from the US. If you click on the 'calculate rate' tab on the USPS Website and select Canada, you'll note that you're required to enter both the sender's zip code and the recipient's post code, thus distance is now also factored in. International ground shipping was abandoned many years ago. Having said that, in many instances USPS international rates to Canada still appear to be cheaper than Canada Post's own domestic rates. I found them to be astronomical. Caveat vendor! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Shipping in general has gone up again but international is insane. I don't ever trust online and always go into my local post office to get an exact price. 40$ still seems pretty high for that kit though but they go by the box size. So if the dimensions are weird you'll get screwed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
B-ONE27 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Great, just as I was about to mail a medium box to Canada myself, guess I better be prepared for sticker shock too when I go to the post office...already had a joke of a experience there whereby the clerk would not allow me to use 'their' scotch tape for a mailing label but rather she states BUY a USPS label instead, and then she blatantly lies when I ask if I can use some of theirs I see on the counter behind her saying "we don't keep scotch tap in the office." No wonder the usps is going to the toilet, crap floats! And now they want to charge astronomical fees to mail to the north...what, are they that strapped for cash to purchase scotch tape. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 All USPS international shipping rates increased dramatically in January. A small package weighing as little as 2 oz. now costs $13.75 to send to Europe, almost double the rate it was 5 years ago. Oh, yes, I just found that out firsthand two weeks ago when I went to ship a small package to Finland. Within the US it would have met the requirements for the minimum cost of $2.54, but it was an astonishing $13.75!!!! :o As my ex used to say, "For that price I expect it to be dancing naked on the table!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SonyKen Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Bottom line, has anybody found a reasonable cost effective method to ship from US to Canada? Rodney, The only cost effective way that I have found to deal with my friends and customers across the border is to find someone that is somewhere near the Can/Am border who either has a post office box on the US side or has an address of a friend that they can just come across the border and pick up their goods. But if you are selling something to some one in lets say in the North West Territories then they or you will have to pay the cost to ship especially if they don't have some other method in place. HTH! Best Regards, Ken Bailey (SonyKen) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bikerider Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 As a Canadian on this side of the equation all I can say is wow. Between the shipping charges and our low dollar there will be little purchasing by me from the US. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 As a Canadian on this side of the equation all I can say is wow. Between the shipping charges and our low dollar there will be little purchasing by me from the US. And as an American on the other side of the equation I can say I don't blame you one bit! It's like you're being forced into isolation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Model-Junkie Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I refuse to go to the post office for anything other than to drop off packages. I print all of my shipping labels online but I get access to eBay shipping labels so I use that to my advantage. One up side to the USPS price increase is that you can now ship a 2 lb package internationally for $22.50 or to Canada for $15.50. Despite USPS asking for Canadian zipcodes, I have not witnessed different pricing for the areas I shipped to, unless they all happened to fall in the same zone. I only buy and sell 1/72 or smaller scale kits so I have not come across any sizing issues. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk174 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 (edited) I live in Canada and experiencing the postage shock for my hobby first hand. I used to buy from Sprue Brothers, Squadron as well as a few other US online stores but no more not when the postage in most cases is more expensive than what the item costs. Even with ebay I am careful as most times the shipping is stated quite plainly with the auction. I have seen auctions from US sellers for decals with a $25 shipping. Hmmm, strange. Now most of my purchases are from Europe or Asia. I just got a box of books from Poland about 4 lb weight and shipping was $17.00 to my door. A recent Hannants order was 9 pounds. I have a brother in Texas and sometimes I get stuff sent to him but he always tells me it is not cheap to reship to me. I live in the province north of Montana but it would cost me more in gas and time to set something up in the town closest to the border and I have no idea what it is called or where it is. And don't get me started on getting paints. Edited March 3, 2016 by skyhawk174 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Well I'll still do trades....but it's definitely cheaper to get kits from Asia. Usually my goto is Lucky Model. I save about 25% in the kit prices and about 50% in shipping. Which adds up when USD are converted to CAD. Just sent a kit to Texas for $26 CAD shipped expedited with tracking. About $18 USD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kenlilly106 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 As part of my stash reduction sale, I've opened up to selling to fellow modelers in Canada under the false impression that shipping would be reasonable. To my shock, USPS website is quoting in the $40 range for medium to large kits (ex. Hasegawa 1/48 F/A-18 or HB 1/48 A-6E). If I'm reading the USPS website correctly, they do not have ground/boat international shipping and first class international package has to be less than 36in in total dimensions. This leaves the only option as Priority International. Am I missing a shipping option? These prices seem very high to me, especially just to cross our northern border. UPS quotes were slightly more expensive. Bottom line, has anybody found a reasonable cost effective method to ship from US to Canada? Thank you for the help. Rodney The 1st Class International package is your most cost effective assuming you can make it fit. A 1/48 Hasegawa F-18 in a sleeve box will just get under that limit (I did it once), you're also limited to 4lbs max I think. When the USPS got rid of the intentional surface shipping option they didn't realize that a package to Canada did not need to go via ship. Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RiderFan Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Try running a business that relies on supplies being shipped up from the states. My shipping fees have almost doubled in the past 2 years, and that's before the echange rate differences. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rodney Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Wow, I was hoping I missed a cheaper option but sounds like the postal rate hike is really hurting all of us. Thanks for the inputs and sorry to hear how this is affecting everybody, especially those with businesses. Rodney Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 As a Canadian on this side of the equation all I can say is wow. Between the shipping charges and our low dollar there will be little purchasing by me from the US. Find a mule to bring it across the border in rural Saskatchewan... :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Before Trump builds a wall. Then you have expensive postage and the need for a catapult, to get the package to the Canada post dead bears who will then eat or loose the package. With the postage as it is, and our dollar stupidly low, I can no longer afford trades out of country. It is rather sad really. I hope the Hamilton hobby show later this month will allow me to get my stock of stash back up to specks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Phantom, I feel for you especially since you actually BUILD your stash, and quickly and with high standards may I add! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DONG Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Shawn has no worries I'll be adding to his stash at Hamilton whether he likes it or not Now for the shipping part I just sent a 1/32 Trumpeter A-7E to Dave Roof last week cost me $36 Can. but what I got in trade would have cost me 2 and a half times as much to buy here if you could find one. Now for me that makes economical sense but I don't buy anymore from the US because of the money difference not the shipping cost. Even if our money was at par we would still be paying a stupid amount for shipping, I even stopped buying decals and P/E from Sprue Bros. just because of the shipping cost, I can get it from Hannants cheaper and pay with Canadian pesos. I'm like Phantom I stock up at the few show's I go to. Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Good thing I am bringing money, I like handing some of my money to Don G and going home with his plastic. Well, after car repairs I shall see how much I have left. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 The funny thing is it is cheaper for us to ship to the US from Canada! At the moment the US is the most expensive place on the planet to get shipments from. I no longer buy anything from the US. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thegoodsgt Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Write your Congressman. It's a shame that two countries as close as the US and Canada have shipping costs so high. Steven Brown Scale Model Soup Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gambler Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 At the moment the US is the most expensive place on the planet to get shipments from. I no longer buy anything from the US. Same here!... It has to be the only game in town, or I absolutetly have to have it, but that is rare these days.......shipping is just too expensive. Cheer's, Jeff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thommo Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I used to buy Matchbox kits from the US on Ebay, but the prices people are quoting on there are ridiculous ($30+Aus for a pissy little kit that weighs nothing to post to Oz). I emailed one Ebay shop seller directly, and he could send me 6 kits (1kg) for about $34Aus - sounds reasonable. Seems to me many individual US sellers on Ebay are just taking the piss (I've even seen some quote post to Oz over $100Aus - get forked!) Had a bloke in California send me some quite heavy exercise bands (nothing to do with Ebay) last week - $33US = $45Aus priority post and it would have weighed about 1kg (far more than a Matchbox kit). Postal costs from UK are far more sensible (though they too have doubled at least since I started my Matchbox buying spree 8 yrs ago). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk174 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 .... I can get it from Hannants cheaper and pay with Canadian pesos. Don Ok how do you do that? I get my bill in British Pounds and then the CC company does the exchange to CDN. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DONG Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Chris I use PayPal and they do the conversion when I send the money so the same as your CC does. Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.