Midge Russcol does not travel light.
In her three decades as a marketing executive with Swiss International Air Lines and for the past five as owner of Chicago-based East West Designs, she is always on a shopping safari.
Back in the 1970s, it was blue-and-white china. “Every year, [my husband and I] would fly to some destination in the Far East, and we always stopped in Hong Kong [to look for china]. Then we’d see all these fabulous things, like a Chinese armoire. And we’d have to have it. So we’d buy it,” says Russcol.
On other trips to China, she has snapped up porcelain and silver that she scouted at the dirt market in Beijing and a 19th Century lacquer screen that she found.
Russcol’s philosophy? “Get the stuff first. Then figure out how to get it home,” she says.
Easier said than done, especially in this era of hyper-alert airport security and skittish passengers. But you don’t have to confine yourself to jewelry and postcards to clear customs. With enough planning, there are ways to haul home the armoire you spotted at an antiques shop on London’s King’s Road or the hand-painted Turkish tiles you fell in love with in Istanbul and have to have for your remodel.
In fact, the more you’ve thought in advance about how you’ll get your big find home, the less likely you will have to resort to the tactic adopted by one New York professional shopper. During a last sweep of a Moroccan market, she saw a lamp she had to have. Yet without enough time to ship it or room to pack it, she had to resort to disassembling the lamp on an airport gangway. She wrapped the base in her coat and stowed it in the overhead bin and wore the shade on her head, like a hat, all the way home across the Atlantic, At least it shielded her from the killer glare of the flight attendants, who were not amused.
It’s also smart to know what is allowed, and not, by U.S. custom officials and to cruise the aisles of some local import shops before you take off for exotic lands. You’ll feel pretty silly if you argue a $15 bamboo footstool onto a plane only to discover a week later that World Market has dozens of them in stock, only $20 each.
Be sure that you completely understand the fine print of your credit-card insurance and stop-payment clauses. Also, take the time to find the offices nearest to where you’ll be of worldwide shipping companies, and make sure you understand those companies’ shipping and insurance policies.
San Francisco native Jennifer Giambroni went to Venice last fall with her husband, Jeff. They fell in love with a “fantastic print of the regatta,” all framed and ready to hang. It was about 3 feet high and a foot wide–too big and fragile to haul along on the train for the rest of their vacation. So the Giambronis paid 90 euros for the print and 60 euros more to have it packed and shipped.
It got home, but not in one piece. Jennifer Giambroni was dismayed to learn that the insurance she’d paid for covered the shop owner who arranged the shipping–not her, the owner of the print.
She faxed the paperwork documenting the $90 replacement glass to the shop, which promptly claimed its refund, from UPS. Now she has to hassle with the shop to get that $90 credited to her credit card. “It hasn’t happened yet,” she said. “It’s a more expensive print than I had intended.”
Also, keep in mind that a purchase may not be returnable. In some countries, no exchanges or refunds are given unless the merchant promised them in advance. If the merchant agrees to a return or exchange, get it in writing.
On her travels, Russcol takes a hard-sided aluminum suitcase that she packs with bubble wrap and tape. She fills it up with purchases as she goes along. When she lands in a happy hunting ground, her first stop is to the concierge desk of her hotel. She has yet to encounter a concierge who couldn’t help her arrange container shipping for furniture, she says. When she does find a trunk, dresser or chest that she must have, she loads up its drawers with individually wrapped little things, such as china accessories.
Russcol also takes pictures of each of the purchases she’s about to send home to document its pre-ship shape. And she never leaves home without a tape measure, she says. In fact, she measures the dimensions of the overhead bins on the way to her destination so she can have a good idea of what she can cram into it on her way back.
Of course, if you can carry your purchases onto the plane with you, you’ll be better able to protect it and claim it as duty-free when you re-enter the United States. Generally, airlines take a dim view of overeager shoppers and limit luggage on international flights to two pieces, with a maximum weight of 70 pounds per bag. If you have to buy a third suitcase (make it a cheap one) just for your purchases, be prepared to pay upward of $100 in excess baggage fees to get it on your overseas flight home.
“I just can’t bear the thought of leaving something wonderful behind,” said Russcol, who often buys gifts on her travels. “Of course, most of the stuff I like so much, it’s hard to give away.”
– – –
Know rules before you shop and ship
Figuring out how you’ll get your shopping finds home from your international vacation is right up there with making sure that your passport is current.
You’ll need to understand two key things: what customs regulations your purchases fall under and what are the most logical routes for getting them back to your house.
It helps a lot if you have a general idea of what you are keeping an eye out for. Right, right–you’ll know it when you see it. But if you can narrow down what your “it” is likely to be, even just a smidge, you’ll be able to shop and ship smart. If your “it” is more than likely to be new table linens, you may have more of a customs minefield to navigate than if “it” is something like vintage books.
Why’s that? New stuff is generally more likely to be hit with duties than old stuff. Antiques that are at least 100 year old, and fine art, are duty-free. But new folk art and handicrafts are subject to duties.
However, check the laws of the country you are visiting before buying anything that is old or used by indigenous groups for ceremonial purposes. Cultural property may not be allowed out of the country.
First stop on the research train is the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Web site, www.cbp.gov/. On the home page toolbar, click on “travel,” then click on “Know Before You Go.” It covers what you can and can’t bring back and what duties you’ll pay.
For most vacation-length trips, you can bring back up to $800 worth of stuff. The good news is that families can pool their $800 allotments. Three people–even two adults and a baby–get a $2,400 allowance for duty-free. If your 5-year-old buys $50 worth of souvenirs, that frees up $750 for you.
This is especially important when you are buying clothes, textiles and other items that are typically covered by ever-shifting trade agreements. The political gets personal when you have to ship home three pairs of embroidered silk curtains because you couldn’t cram them into your suitcase. The curtains may have cost you $100 per pair, but the duties can run as much.
And make no mistake–shippers such as UPS and FedEx absolutely will do their duty–or, rather, make you do yours. You can’t fudge what you’re sending. You’ll pay–probably on the receiving end–when your box clears customs. So tell the truth when filling out the forms.
To find these shippers, try these Web sites:
– United Parcel Service (www.ups.com) bought Mail Boxes Etc. (www.mbe.com). In the U.S. and some countries, the former MBE stores are relabeled UPS Stores. In many countries, MBE’s are still MBE’s. Try both sites to find out what kind of shipping stores operate in the countries you intend to visit.
– FedEx bought Kinko’s, which operates in the U.S., Canada and seven Asian and European countries. To locate Kinko’s, go to www.kinkos.com. It’s more complicated to find a FedEx office overseas: Go to the FedEx global home Web site, www.fedex.com/ ocation=home, and choose a country from the pull-down menu.
— Joanne Cleaver
