Replies

1. 
   Michmesquite | Jan 22, 2005 05:28am | #1

   Call freight forwarders and packing and shipping firms for prices. You'll pay a premium because you are a one-off customer.

   _________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

2. 
   RMillard | Jan 22, 2005 03:02pm | #2

   I ship all my furniture with Craters and Freighters. http://www.cratersandfreighters.com. They have shipped dozens of pieces for me with no problems. They roll up on time, blanket wrap the piece, and I never have to see it again. They take it back to their facility, crate it carefully, and then consign it to an expediter. As for the cost, it is not exactly inexpensive, especially for smaller pieces. For an example they are picking up a very large sideboard from me on Tuesday in southern Ohio, and taking it to the Boston area, for $623.00. I think this is very reasonable, but with items like the card tables I make a lot of, they want around $250.00, and I've found that some customers balk at that. I've heard that the UPS stores have a service for medium size piece such as the card tables. I got a quote from them on shipping a small side table for just under $90.00, which included packaging. My experience with UPS has been less than stellar, but with them doing the boxing, maybe thing will work out.
   Rob Millard

3. 
   douglas2cats | Jan 22, 2005 04:53pm | #3

   Mailboxes Inc. (think that's the right name) might be worth looking at. After calling quite a few places, my sister ended up using them to ship a couple pieces of small furniture back to AZ when she came back here to MI for a visit and found some things at a garage sale that she liked. She dropped them at their outlet and they crated them up and shipped. Don't remember what the cost was, but I remember thinking it was very reasonable.

   I love the smell of sawdust in the morning.

4. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jan 22, 2005 08:05pm | #4

   As a very low-volume shipper I've found that common carrier is very expensive, and inconvenient for the recipient.  Instead, when I know I'm going to need to ship a piece, I look for ways to change the design to allow shipping by a package-delivery company like UPS or Fed-Ex Ground.    Package-delivery companies give fair prices to low-volume shippers, and are happy to deliver to residential addresses.   UPS says each package must weigh less than 150 lbs, have less than 165" girth, and be less than 108" long.   Ship the furniture in several pieces, and get the recipient to do a little assembly.   For instance, if the recipient will assemble legs to a top, you can ship a big table with this method.

   
   

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   Edited 1/22/2005 12:06 pm ET by JAMIE_BUXTON