moving overseas, transporting vinyl as checked luggage...

[cloutier]

so, in my upcoming move to berlin, i've been researching the best way to get my records across the pond for a rate that isn't unreal and a timeframe that isn't absurd. so far my options have mainly been to spend a lot of money and have it take three months via boat or spend triple that and have it come fast. so i decided to just explore how much extra luggage would be on my flight, and it turns out that its only 51$ for 50lbs, and i can do up to ten extra pieces of luggage. sweet deal, right? the problem being is that i only have so many flight cases, and i want to transport these things safely.

would anyone think it would be completely insane to use extremely thick, double walled cardboard boxes, taped up exceptionally well, and labeled very noticeably with "fragile - handle with care" to transport wax via the luggage hold of my flight?

i think i'm going to do it - bring about 500 records with me on my flight, but probably shitting myself the entire way wondering if they'll survive. suicide mission, or probably totally safe? i've read online and the airlines are fine with such packaging, i just have to assume that they'll make my connection at heathrow and not be thrown around like a rag by the handlers.

[oblioblioblio]

fragile doesn't mean jack sh!t to someone on low wages getting shouted at by their boss and rushing to meet targets that are probably unrealistic, so in terms of damage plan for worst case scenario. The boxes will probably get stacked onto as well.

If you send via mail watch out for customs clearance. Any goods coming into the EU are subject to 25% ish VAT, so you might need to fill in some forms to make sure that they know you are the owner and are shipping to yourself.

[Field]

wow , cardboard, really? Are you serious? You own all the driftwood on vinyl for fxcks sake
The weight of the vinyl itself will mess the cardboard up and after that you have the conveyers and the transport crew throwing your box around in the cargo.
i have a full hardcover samsonite suitcase and after flight you can clearly see all the marks left behind, and the exterior is some kind of super solid extra terrestrial nasa polypropylene.

Imagine what will happen with an overweight cardboard box

If you love your vinyl collection you should definitely get some kind of secondhand military case

like this or this or these

you live in the states right? shouldn't be so hard to come by

[brooklyn1]

fragile doesn't mean jack sh!t to someone on low wages getting shouted at by their boss and rushing to meet targets that are probably unrealistic, so in terms of damage plan for worst case scenario. The boxes will probably get stacked onto as well.

I used to work in the bag check rooms in JFK and the people that got paid less then me to handle the over size bags weren't to kind to the luggage.

I've seen all kinds of mangled bags and sh!t, I wouldn't trust cardboard man.

[cloutier]

i'm actually somewhat confident that it might be ok, but yeah...its not the smartest. most of the extremely valuable stuff is coming with me as my carry on on the flight, so that's not a worry. the driftwood's are safe. hahaha.

i, too, have flight cases that have seen some action, but i'm sure there's some way to mark it as a special handling, somewhat similar to sports equipment or something. i have to do some more research, but yeah...it's putting a LOT of faith in baggage handlers.


the main reason is that i can't really be without my vinyl for that long. the reason i'm moving is for business, obviously, and removing my ability to play properly for three or more months is just retarded. plus...seriously...1700$ to get my sh!t there in three months, via boat?

[brooklyn1]

It may be different depending on the terminal you take, I worked at Delta in Terminal 3.

The way we got over sized and over weigh bags down to the bag room was via a special conveyor belt in another room.
This is the section I would worry about most. Everything piles up at the bottom waiting to be picked up then driven to the correct pier or plane.

So while your vinyl is sitting there waiting you got 100lbs worth of car parts in cheap bags going to Jamaica coming down behind it.

Not to mention TSA isn't the nicest when it comes to re-wrapping stuff after they opened it.(if it needed to be checked)

The baggage handlers usually keep fragile sh!t safe, the worse they could do is have it fall off the truck as they speed to the plane.

Best bet would be putting some of that flat packing foam in between the cardboard.

[deccard]

wow , cardboard, really? Are you serious? You own all the driftwood on vinyl for fxcks sake

cardboard why not?
what do you think does the distros use when shipping hundreds of vinyls all around the world???
normally its 4x25 vinyl cardboard in a big cardboard box. that´s sturdy enough.
also i think you need to let the boxes be accessable as they cant scan through vinyl and they might want to check for bombs etc...
luggage has to be unlocked for international flights anyway. they checked my luggage once on an international flight leaving an official note (a usb cable must have fallen out while the process and didnt find its way back in )

[-ix]

You can't find any plastic crates or something like that?

I used for stocking records crates in which vegetables were handled
at the auctions, you put one crate on top and they probably survive
a crash.