International Shipping Costs?

[Chops]

Is it my imagination or has there been roughly a doubling in International Rates from the UK to the USA? It was never economical, but recently spot checking shipping costs out of Britain seem to have gone up radically in the last month or two, or maybe I'm just imagining it? I'd have to go ferret out some old invoices, I guess. Has Brexit increased export duties?

[Steve M]

Chops, certainly postage prices between the UK and the EU have increased massively as a result of that particular vanity project. But USA/U.K. Rates have gone up as well - no idea why.
I was quoted $90+ to ship a $40 part from Pennsylvania earlier this year! No sale.

[glencairn]

Shipping costs from and to UK/USA have risen sharply. I do not know the reason why.

Glencairn

[Chops]

OK, then, not my imagination. This is definitely going to crimp my style, and quite rarely do things turn up for sale within the US. Well, at least it will encourage me to finish projects rather than taking on more.

I did a quick eBay search using "Ships from USA" filter and found a scant offering of mostly Thomas rubbish and a bit of Harry Potter fluff. Well, eventually I intend to get out to the UK, perhaps next year, if things have settled down a bit, and will bring an empty suitcase for the return trip.

I was "into" British model rail before the internet was a "thing." It required a certain amount of intrepid modification of Germanic Faller stuff and muddling about with the remainders of mail order stockists who had the stuff buried in the rear of the store. As far as stockists in the US go, there really aren't any. A number are listed as stockists of UK range, but it is much the same as the mail order enterprises back in the early '90's.

Failing that, there are one or two in Canada, and the postal and duty costs are alarming, but perhaps less stunning than UK costs. Australia is looking better and better.

[glencairn]

will bring an empty suitcase for the return trip.

That's my daughter's trick when she goes to New York and shopping for clothes.

Glencairn

[Chops]

My largest concern is throwing away my return ticket and making a life in the UK. I grew to love that verdant land when we lived
there '66 to '67- like a song I can't get out of my head. A peculiar longing that somehow I belong "there" more than "here." I long to
feel British soil under my feet and breath British air. Have I lost my marbles, entirely??

Anyways, I got lucky and found two Jouef MK 2 coaches in maroon livery for 17 BPS for both and 10 BPS for shipping. I am hoping the seller
doesn't realize he is about half on the postage. A bit rugged looking, which is fine by me, as I hope to run them with vintage Triang and the
like, so perfect detail is less of a need. I looked around on Google, and there is no mention of Joeuf in the three rail market, as Hornby
once was, so I should be halfway there.

[Stese]

lots of retailers and wholesalers are abusing brexit to inflate prices due to 'admin' costs...

[Tricky Dicky]

My largest concern is throwing away my return ticket and making a life in the UK. I grew to love that verdant land when we lived
there '66 to '67- like a song I can't get out of my head. A peculiar longing that somehow I belong "there" more than "here." I long to
feel British soil under my feet and breath British air. Have I lost my marbles, entirely??

A touch of the rose tinted glasses there Chops much of that “verdant land” has been concreted and tarmaced over since the mid sixties with what were villages on the outskirts of towns morphing into suburbia and losing much of their character. Not that you are not welcome to come back and stay but I would be inclined to hang on to that return ticket until you verify that it is not just a case of “the other mans grass is greener.”

To be honest there are still many areas of beautiful countryside but in some places it is disappearing fast as green belt is increasingly swallowed up for housing.

Richard

[Walkingthedog]

It’s not really that bad. We are surrounded by the Chilterns and Thames Valley, beautiful.

Had a nice walk with the dog this morning round the corner from us.

[IanS]

I think it does depend very much on where in the UK you live. The NE of England has a lot of beautiful countryside. Then there's the Lake District, Peak District, Highlands of Scotland, Borders of Scotland all with large green areas inhabited mainly be sheep and retired folks!