Santa's Arrival

When you ship a container of antiques as I do several times a year from Europe, you have to be prepared or at least resolved to the fact that other than the buying (which is really the only reason to be in the business) almost everything else will be out of your control.  You deliver all your precious finds to the packer who then orders a container to be delivered to the warehouse and then, well, packs.  A broker then reserves your containers space with the shipping line where it will then spend 14 to 16 days on the water before arriving at port.  The container must then go through customs and finally is trucked or sent by rail to you.  All total, it takes about 4 weeks......PROVIDING EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN!!

Sounds simple, huh?  Yeah, right!  The last container went perfect.  That is until I received a call from the trucking company that there would be a delay in the delivery. One of those "Houston, we have a problem" calls. The container had been damaged in the off loading.  Meaning?????? Was it dropped, was it crushed ... what?  Visions of crushed marble and broken mirrors were just a few of the scenarios dancing in my head.

This time the ship had barely sailed from Antwerp before having to put into port in Rotterdam for repairs.  What?  Did the propeller fall off?? What now?  Delayed again...... to Christmas week.  Will it make it here and clear customs just before Christmas or will it arrive just after when I am on a cruise with my family???  I have 2 grown sons and we're all spread out.  South Carolina, DC and Vegas.  Getting all together at the same time is rare and to spend it together for a week cruising around the Caribbean - priceless.

I had to leave on the 23rd.  Ship docked Savannah on the 19th, a Saturday, so the port was closed for the weekend.  Cleared on Monday, picked up and trucked to Atlanta for delivery on Wednesday.  Cruise left Friday.  YES!!!  Thank you Santa!  And I was off with 2 sons, a fiancee, a girlfriend, the Cowboy and a partridge in a pear tree!

And a glimpse of what Santa brought........

Wishing all a peaceful and joyous New Year!

Salut!

Lynn

Excess Baggage

So, you want to buy antiques, perhaps more than a few and not just any antiques - you want the good stuff.  French, Belgium, Italian, Swedish ... you're there and these irresistible morsels are calling your name.  Too big to tuck into that extra suitcase.  You're in France and you're in love.  In love with your treasures, the ones you've discovered at the brocantes, the faires, the antique shops, the vide-greniers.  And they desperately need to go home with you. How do you get them there? Just ship them, of course. I really hope you are truly, desperately in love with, can't live with out them - because when it comes to shipping, you are in for a major sticker shock.

An antique dealer buys in many ways much the same as you would.  We buy what we love.  We buy what we long to keep.  We are passionate about what we do. We hunt.  It sounds romantic and  I guess it is.  Provence in the Spring is wonderful and the brocantes beckon.  Strolling through aisles with anticipation that makes your heart race is intoxicating and addictive. The cost analysis,  ummm...... not so much.  

Do you know how large a 40' container is?  I'm sure you've seen them on the highways.  Instead of a normal semi truck, they are the ones pulling a huge metal container usually marked with a name that conjures up flash backs of Indiana Jones.  A 40' container is 66.8 cubic meters.  It is the size of a large moving van, one that can move the entire household of a family of 5 cross country including everything Grandmama ever accumulated and could never throw out.

So, we shop.  A lot.  Here is your homework.  What does it cost to ship a 26" x 48" Louis Phillipe Mirror from Avignon to your home?

Salut!
Lynn

Container Arrival

I am constantly asked about my shopping forays in France and Belgium.  One of the questions always asked is "How do get your things back?". Do I send them via a shipping service like UPS or FedEx?  How does it work?  Well, I send them back via a container.  A 40 foot container.  It requires hiring packers, brokers, shipping agents, shipping company, trucking company, crews to unload and more.  Cheap, it is not. Easy, it is not.  But, when it arrives ...... like Christmas morning!

Coming 'round the bend!

I live in the South Carolina Low Country right in the center of the "Old Town".  Delivery day requires a fevrent prayer for good weather as there is no warehouse loading dock.  Nope, just a beautiful, sandy dirt street that runs along past my house where the low branches of massive oaks dripping with spanish moss challenge the best.  You try backing a 40 foot container into my "loading dock" area!

It's here, finally!

Bolt cutters are the preferred way to clip the special lock, however I can almost never find mine (who misplaces bolt cutters!!), so its almost always a hack saw to the rescue.

A peek inside and notice the lack of any kind of ramp.  Everything must be unloaded straight from the container down to the ground.  No easy feat when you have awkward pieces weighing hundreds of pounds!

And the doors open!! Let the fun begin!

With a holding area like this, you keep fingers and toes crossed that the weather will be one of those glorious Lowcountry days!

Its all hands on deck, including a little help from my friends!

So, how do you "ship"?

Salut!
Lynn