<p>A young conductor we know needs to ship his scores to Berlin. Yes …they are for the most part published in Germany. BUT…these are his personal annotated scores and have cost him $400-$700 each. He needs at least five of them. The dimensions are large : 14"X 11" and each weighs around 9 lbs. Any advice? Any book people out there who are experienced in shipments to Europe?
I know that shipping full conductor’s scores to Berlin is akin to shipping coal to Newcastle! HELP!</p>
<p>BTW–when I checked with UPS, it ran about $ 490 for all five scores, YIKES!!</p>
<p>Try priority mail. I just looked into shipping books to another country in Europe.</p>
<p>I have not found any cheap way, any slow boat, book rate, etc to ship to Europe. The best option is usually those flat rate USPS boxes.</p>
<p>The medium flat rate USPS boxes will accommodate the scores. The medium is 13 and 5/8 (just not quite big enough) and the next largest (24 ") would still cost around $70 each. $450 total. I am beginning to think that it just may be cheaper to pay Lufthansa for the extra 50 lb bag @ $200-$350. I thought that rather than schlepping all that music in one trip, it would be easier and cheaper for me to send it off as he needed it. Oh well.</p>
<p>Couldnt he possibly scan them?</p>
<p>He actually needs the large format scores----it’s a conductor thing. Ipads and computers not allowed on the podium . ;)</p>
<p>Too bad.
When they release a bigger screen it sounds like it could be pretty cool though.
[Review:</a> forScore, an iPad sheet music app for Musicians | Klaviersonic](<a href=“http://www.klaviersonic.com/2012/06/23/review-forscore/]Review:”>http://www.klaviersonic.com/2012/06/23/review-forscore/)</p>
<p>Yah…my D uses her IPAD for rehearsal and practice all of the time. She is able to turn the page by just moving her head. She is even able to change the key —those long days of transposing are over! IPADs are wonderful things for musicians. She is also moving to Europe, but taking her scores scanned into her IPAD and computer.</p>
<p>Freight Forwarders would be cheaper on larger shipment, but in your case, USPS probably will be the lowest cost. For FF, other than the actual freight charge, there is a custom clearance fixed charge. However, you should compare prices with local freight forwarders, you should make sure to get a quote include the custom charges. If you can deliver and pickup the books from both ends yourself that will cut down the cost. For example, lets say you lives in Manhattan, that means you have to deliver the items to the forwarder’s warehouse in Queens near JFK and in Berlin, you may have to drive to airport to pickup the books. Its not the post office around the corner.</p>
<p>Freight Forwarders normally don’t do small shipments like that, but some time they may. I have to twist their arms for an air freight shipment of 500lbs few years ago, the cost, door to door was cheap, $1000 or so.</p>
<p>Years ago I shipped books to Germany using an “M Bag” from USPS, and it looks like they still offer the option:
<a href=“https://www.usps.com/ship/airmail-mbags.htm[/url]”>https://www.usps.com/ship/airmail-mbags.htm</a></p>
<p>It’s literally a large canvass bag, so anything fragile (i.e. unbound pages) would need to be well packed before putting it in the bag.</p>
<p>fly there yourself with the books?</p>
<p>momsquad—that M bag looks like an option, but I don’t see the price list attached. It’s off to the post office!</p>