All right…
I’m interested in hosting a fly swap, but I have one concern:
I live in Canada, and if most of the participants are from the United States, will we run into customs problems, return postage problems, or duty problems?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I really want to be involved in one of these, they sound like a blast!
But, I must admit, I’m almost afraid to host it, I have a feeling that I might get addicted to these fly swaps!!!
Andrew
Andrew,…
Swaps are really a blast. I did a few a while back off another board.
To get threw customs with a minimum of hassle, … I use Express Post … not too expensive and got the proper forms directly from the Post Office.
I also used the local post office which knows me, that way they rubber stamped the packages without too much hassle.
Go to the PO at a time of day when they aren’t too busy, that way the clerk has time to check EVERYTHING for you.
Have fun, … just remeber that they do require a small amount of time. Think about packaging, presentation and if you can, … photos.
I built shadow boxes for my swaps, … but then again, … I’m a bit over enthusiastic at times. Less time consuming swaps went out like this:
Have fun …
Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:1e408]Fishing the Ste-Marguerite[/url:1e408]
[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 04 December 2005).]
Hey Chris,
Great to hear from you…
Thanks for the advice. I live in a small town, so the Post Office shouldn’t present too many problems…
Do you mind if I email you directly with some other questions?
Thanks,
Andrew
Andrew;
Do you have a pattern or patterns selected?
Andrew ,…
No problem.
christopher.chin@videotron.ca
Also, … you can start at; [url=http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pdf/getpdf.asp?pdf=/rates/2004/ship_del_guide-e.pdf&lang=e:88ffd]http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pdf/getpdf.asp?pdf=/rates/2004/ship_del_guide-e.pdf&lang=e[/url:88ffd]
Goto section 5 (ABC’s of shipping) and read pover that.
From a small town, … the best way to get started is to see the PO clerk and say exactly what you will be sending, … mention that you don’t want to pay ANY duty or customs. They can usually find the right box to check on the forms to keep you out of trouble.
The only time I had a run in with the inspectors was when I brokered a swap of classic atlantic hair wings and the value of the flies broke the 2,000$ limit and I forgot to fill out the B13A form.
Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:88ffd]Fishing the Ste-Marguerite[/url:88ffd]
[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 04 December 2005).]
Hey Jack,
When I decide to go through with it, I think it will be weighted or bead-headed nymphs for trout.
What do ya think?
Andrew
Andrew;
I’d get in with something for sure. Probably a PT Beadhead.
I’m not done with the material package for your class yet. I picked up an assortment of embroidery floss yesterday. I had 2 of everything! I took 1 each of what I wanted and the rest is going in the box. I’ve also got a pattern for the AsUable that is tied with it that I’ll send along. It is close to a yellow bodied Adam’s.
You should treat the floss with head cement as it isn’t very tough.
In my experience (I used to be a clerk at a post office) packages from the US to Canada frequently take quite a while. Also, Canada is quite picky about how envelopes are addressed and having forms filled out EXACTLY.
Make sure that all of your swappers use Global Priority from the US and that they have the clerk at the PO look over their package to make sure it’s ok. Also, make sure that the due date of your swap is adequate to allow for delays in shipping due to customs.
You shouldn’t have any real problems, just some possible shipping delays. Host away and have fun!
JeremyH
Andrew… I say go for it. I would love it if you’d do a nymph swap. No reluctance from me to ship to/from Canada… I’ll take my chances with the time and the customs issues. Just don’t post that swap when I’m away from the keyboard!!
Diane
tyflier,
You just need to fill out a small customs form listing the contents and purpose of the package. Mark that it is a gift so that there will not be any duties assessed. Apart from that, there is not much to it. I would recommend that you ship it Glogal Priority. There is a small flat rate envelope for this service that I believe should cost $7 for the Netherlands.
JeremyH
How do you get over the return postage problems with International? You can’t include stamps, and the cost is high… I’d love to be involved more in these if there is a way around these probs. Sorry to butt in, just interested in what you raised here Andrew. Thanks.
Hey Gringo,
No problem…that’s part of the reason I avoided fly swaps as well. Then I had an idea…if I host one, I can learn from others how to solve the postage problem. I let you know what I find out.
Cheers
Thanks Andrew, keep me in the loop. I figured that if you had the same group of say 6-10 for the same number of swaps, then each person could (as swapmeister) take a turn at “wearing” the postage out costs, yet I had no faith that a group could stay together that long. I have posted before in a couple of places to get ideas but to no avail. Interested in what you come up with.
When I participated in swaps I always included return postage for the flys coming back to me. For international participants, they ought to be able to buy international reply coupons at the post office they mail from, which in turn the swapmiester can redeem at the post office for postage on the return package. In this, the information age, a person ought to be able to go to [url=http://www.usps.com:22fa5]www.usps.com[/url:22fa5] from say, the Netherlands and estimate how much in reply coupons they would have to send to cover approx the same weight coming back as they sent out. Sabe?
Cary Morlan
Living my dreams one day at a time