Guys (and Gals),

Some advice please.

I got back from Namibia last month and Trophaendienste says that they will be shipping my dipped and packed trophies along with my Zebra rug in February and I just have to send them my custom's brokers information and they will arrange the shipping.

I'm not sure when I'm going to have my Gemsbok and Springbok mounted but the box will also have a Euro mount of my Kudu and my zebra rug in it.

Do I just contact one of the custom's clearers like Coppersmith and have it shipped to my house in Bakersfield?

Would it be better to have a them clear it at LAX and pick it up myself?

I can pick this up myself in LAX or SFO, what would be cheaper and quicker?

Thanks,

I always recommend that you use a brokerage to receive and clear your trophies. Talk to them regarding your options. They may not release them to you. You may need to have the crate shipped to a USDA Approved facility (could be your taxidermist or tannery). You can then pick up the crate or have some or all of the contents forwarded to you.

Frank,

Contact Maria at Hunter International and she should be able to head you in the right direction. Not to mention, she is in the San Fran area. She took care of the importation for a shipment I had in 2005 while I was in South FL. Absolutely nothing but the best service.

Her email address is: meuropa@sbcglobal.net
And their website is: http://www.hunter-international.net/

Cheers,

+1 on Maria at HI! She's a sharp lady and will take care of it all for you at a reasonable price. Although she's in San Francisco, she has an agent in LA. -TONY

Hunter Int does an excellent job of clearing customs but be damn careful if they are allowed to have the shipment forward shipped direct to you( in other word, if legally, it doesn't have to be forward shipped to a tannery or taxidermist). they were going to charge me $600 to ship a crate of finished trophies from SFO to Fresno. i contacted a local trucking company who sent a small truck to SFO , picked up the crate and delivered it to me for $180. Customs brokers can really screw you on intra-state shipping- price shop before you agree to their charges for in state shipping.

Thanks guys.

My brother lives in the Bay area so I could give him authorization to pick it up or I can go to LA.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Hunter Int does an excellent job of clearing customs but be damn careful if they are allowed to have the shipment forward shipped direct to you( in other word, if legally, it doesn't have to be forward shipped to a tannery or taxidermist). they were going to charge me $600 to ship a crate of finished trophies from SFO to Fresno. i contacted a local trucking company who sent a small truck to SFO , picked up the crate and delivered it to me for $180. Customs brokers can really screw you on intra-state shipping- price shop before you agree to their charges for in state shipping.

That sounds a bit weird.

Maria shipped a crate to me in Phoenix from SF after it arrived from NZ. The wooden crate was about 5'x3'x3' and weighed about 140 lbs. It contained the skulls and hides of two red stags, two tahr, a chamois, an Arapawa sheep, a wallaby hide and a couple turkey and goose skins.

If I recall, the cost was just about $100, and the trucking company dropped it off in my driveway.

Obviously everyone's mileage may vary, depending on the size/weight of the crate. -TONY

part of the discrepancy here is that interstate rates are to some degree regulated by the government while intrastate rates are up for grabs- charge what the traffic will bear. the crate was 7x3x4 and weighed about 250 lbs.

Aha. I didn't realize that they charge differently between the two. Always thought it was simply size X distance. Thanks. -TONY

Here is another recommendation for Maria. She is easy to work with, efficient and communicates well. I've used her for three safaris and have not been disapointed.