I'm sure you've all had times like this. My luck is improving on finding lamps and lanterns to my liking, but I have to be watchful for my wallet! One item that's annoying is that European lamps and lanterns apparently sell for significantly more over here than over there. Figures that Colemans have begun to bore me as I turn my gaze overseas. I'm sure you feel the same way about AGM, Colemans, and others. I read and look with envy at some of your thrift store discoveries. What wonderful thrift stores you must have!
The european market is mainly dominated by petromax type of lanterns. And like you, have you seen one you have seen them all. I mean the shape is the same. The petromax donut lamps come 99% all from india via ebay. French lamps are rare as "hens teeth". Tilley made a whole range of unusal shaped lamps. Besides this the use or better need to have pressure lanterns in the house is far more les then in rural USA, I guess. Ok, you have remote area everywhere but I think the most remote you get here is a mountain cabin in the french or swiss alps and even there they switch on the light with electricity. Then you have scandinavian countries who tend to have more spacious backyard and outdoor cabins that would be the last frontier. I have no idea what the status is in the east european countries. What I do know is that there where lorries waiting to cross the ex east german border to get piking the nicest stuff. Would be nice to know what the development in russia was or is.
All very well said! I would dearly love to find an undervalued French lamp at some estate sale here. Lanterns have pretty much become a novelty in this part of the country. The Amish around here only use wicks, although I hear that many Amish communities do use pressure lanterns. I sincerely doubt that you'd fine European lamps in their ranks. Regrettably, Canada is much the same, and shipping over the border is quite expensive. I'm going to plug along and enjoy the hunt. Summer is around the corner, so I'm afraid that the long days and heat are going to curtail my lamp lighting soon.
Hi Al. If you across the pond have shed loads of those lovely Coleman lamps and their spares, and we on this side of the pond have plenty of british and European lamps and spares then should'nt we be getting together on the CPL Trading Post and helping each other out. Then theres only the shipping cost to contend with. Just a thought Ozz
Well that seems fine in theory Ozz, but shipping cost across the pond is a killer - then there's duty to pay probably, the 2kg airmail weight limit, sending "pressure vessels" i.e. tanks that have had hydrocarbon fuels in them etc., etc. Otherwise, there's surface mail which is cheaper but almost literally, a slow boat to China. I'll take a rain-check...
It's not "cheap", but you can get A LOT of mantles into the small box for the money. Properly declared for their wholesale value would temper the VAT a tad I'd expect. http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10113
Maybe, but we're talking about exchanging lamps and lanterns here, and you wouldn't get one of those in even the largest USPS box and that's over $60 to send...
I just sent two big Coleman 500CP single lanterns to a friend in Sweden and it ended up costing me about $75US using USPS Priority International, so I guess that wasn't too bad. I also sent a couple Coleman 413's in one box several months back and it was almost $170US, so weight is always the killer. One thing I have also noticed is that the shipping from overseas into the USA seems to be more expensive than shipping from the USA to them . Strange I guess, but I sure wish shipping was cheaper for both sides . Dan
I noticed the lopsided shipping costs too. I was trying to buy a lamp from a seller in France this week, and he was very uncooperative with providing a shipping cost. He felt that my cost to ship to him would be the same as his to ship to me. Not likely. The silver lining is that shipping parts in the flat rate boxes could be very affordable if the box is fully packed. Generators and the like surrounded by mantles and the like. Question for our European friends: Would it be an effective strategy for CPS folks to do a group purchase, have the package sent to one person, and then distributed by your domestic mail? I'm thinking that the cost per item would be far more affordable than doing individual small orders. RSVP
What about a lantern, packed out with mantles instead of bubblewrap or whatever? - that might work...
Perhaps. That would be a LOT of mantles. Probably more value in mantles by the time it was packed. Can someone tell me how VAT works for gifts from overseas? I would honestly declare the value, but put it as a gift. RSVP
From what I remember 20% VAT is payable on gifts greater than £40 ($62) in value. For non-gifts the limit is £15 ($23). If the goods are above the threshold you are also charged VAT on the shipping costs. If you have to pay VAT the Post Office charges an £8 handing fee.
VAT replaced the old sales tax here many years ago and at a whopping 20% can make your eyes water when a nice expensive lamp arrives in the mail. Declaring a gift makes little difference really because of the low value allowed. Mail out is expensive and shipping a large parcel has no advantage either because the rate is fixed per 100g. One trick that can sometimes work out cheaper is to make up two or more small packets under 2kg. That way they go Royal Mail instead of Porcel Farce and a lamp shipped like that may just be cheaper because the rates are different. ::Neil::
Thank you for that information! I do want to send some things over, and knowing where the pitfalls are will keep it affordable for all.
