Draco Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Can anyone tell me what's the cheapest way to ship a guitar? The last time I sold one and shipped, it cost me $75+ (IIRC) through UPS. Is there a cheaper way....maybe through USPS or Fed Ex? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I just shipped a guitar from Nashville to Liverpool England for $70 with the USPS. The guy it was shipped too got to pay another $140 in VAT and additional charges but that's not my problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Can anyone tell me what's the cheapest way to ship a guitar? The last time I sold one and shipped, it cost me $75+ (IIRC) through UPS. Is there a cheaper way....maybe through USPS or Fed Ex? I'm no shipping expert, but I've shipped maybe a dozen or so guitars over the years. You have to watch the total dimensions of the box, (H X L X D), if you go over UPS's limit, you start getting hit with more charges. If you have the original box, even an acoustic with a case, I suspect the charges will be within reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Guitar Center is a good place to get guitar boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 That sounds very reasonable. Was it an electric or acoustic that you shipped for that price? The last one I shipped for $75 through UPS was an electric with a HSC. It was a bit heavy but, I never expected to pay that much to ship here in the lower 48. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 The one I shipped was a strat type thing in a gig bag. Bought some strings at GC and asked them to give me a Squire Strat box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I really wanted to reply broken up in little pieces to save the UPS man the work, but I have never had a broken guitar delivered so it would not be nice. I am sure it would be cheaper in a smaller box though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The last time I shipped a guitar it was around $100 for a cased Ovation inside a box and with light "stuff" holding the case in the box. It wasn't light, and that was a half dozen years ago. When I got it back, somebody at UPS had managed to jam a about a 3/4 inch "something" through the box and packing and a good quarter inch into the case. The guitar was okay, there was just a slight breakage of the outer plastic on the case along with the dent - although you could see the hole in the box - but I didn't holler to UPS. Like, what were they going to do, give me a case that fit less well 'cuz I doubt there's even a current case available for a mid 1970s Country Artist? OTOH, I ordered a little Epi AE from MF largely to do a kids' concert with it and it came through like a champ. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Usually I pay somewhere between 50 and 75 dollars I always kind of look at guitar shipping the same way I do tattoo's especially if it's an expensive guitar cheaper isn't necessarily better. Ive had UPS trash two over the years both with very clear footprints with big work boots from where there people have clearly stood on the packages. One was so bad I used it as a screensaver for a while it was a size 12 work boot print somebody had stepped in oil or something black and then clearly stood on the box with both feet the footprint went directly across a bright orange sticker that said Fragile - Musical instrument, I guess he couldn't read or something and he must have thought it said stomp here. The only thing good about it was that when I sent UPS a digital copy of the box they didn't even argue they just said will send you a check for the full amount of the declared value. they even let me keep the guitar which was nice since it was a Strat and all that was damaged was the neck where it was broken into three pieces and the HSC case which was crushed he must have been a big boy on top of those size 12's. Although UPS can trashes almost anything - they just ruined a shipment of silver wire I had ordered I don't know how you can mangle a package so badly that you can destroy wire but the box is crushed and bent so badly that the wire was tangled and bent up so badly it can't be used as wire, it wont be good for anything but melting down or really short pieces like jump rings. Again no argument from them though they told me I'll have a check in a week or so and they are deciding what they want to do with the package and if there going to send someone to pick it up or not, will see it's been a week so far and no word yet. The weird thing about this was that the supplier had put the shipment and insurance in my name so I had to deal with everything usually it's the shipper that has to deal with collecting the insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Retro... Sheesh... I guess I have no complaints! m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Fragile is the shipping term for Please Destroy Me. I wonder if you put a broken guitar in a box, labeled it with big stickers that Say "Please be as careless as possible" and "I don't give a crap about this package" if the guitar would end up being delivered in mint condition????? :blink: Like some kind of parallel shipping world.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 MIlod feel free to complain remember I have lots of guitars and buy, sell and trade quite a few each year, and with my art stuff I have several thing going and coming every day so I guess my odds of severe damage go up. The funniest part of getting a lot of deliveries is my mailman actions I get so much stuff on a regular basis if they get anything without a name they usually give it to me figuring odds are it's mine. I even got a package in the mail the other day with just my name and the city name on it, and it still got delivered I thought that only worked for Santa Clause. Don't know if thats good or bad though since I don't live in a small town there's at least 300k people here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 MIlod feel free to complain remember I have lots of guitars and buy, sell and trade quite a few each year, and with my art stuff I have several thing going and coming every day so I guess my odds of severe damage go up. The funniest part of getting a lot of deliveries is my mailman actions I get so much stuff on a regular basis if they get anything without a name they usually give it to me figuring odds are it's mine. I even got a package in the mail the other day with just my name and the city name on it, and it still got delivered I thought that only worked for Santa Clause. Don't know if thats good or bad though since I don't live in a small town there's at least 300k people here. You mean you're not Santa Clause? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 REtro... Yeah... a lot depends on the delivery folks. I think sometimes there are a lotta broken links in the chain that makes things rough on the rest of the the chain - and us. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Put a stamp on it and send it parcel post. You said, "Cheap", right? You may get it cheaper than $75.00, but not by much. No claims of merchantability or suitability for use is made for the delivered item. Mail at your own risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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