I have been looking at a couple of guns on the Holts Auction site. Besides the exchange rate of 1.38 US to British Pounds and the 25% juice. Does anybody know what shipping would cost or have experience shipping a gun from overseas. By the time you add all of the charges it seems to get pretty expensive. Any info would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

Steve

Holts can ship you an antique via Fedex, you may have to collect it at the nearest international airport and clear it through customs. They quote each shipment after purchase.

I import guns from the UK regularly, post 98 guns are 650$, 2% of purchase price for insurance, duty 4%, and shipping from me to your FFL. My shipments come in 2-3 times per year.

Good luck on your bidding.
Steve

Your best bet is to find someone on your side of the pond who buys regularly from Holts and ask him to bid for you and ship your guns with his when you have both been successful. That should produce some economy of scale even with whatever he would no doubt add for his services.

Even so with import and export licences, international shipping and other charges it is likely you will pay more to get a gun to you than it is worth unless it is of very good quality.

It is simpler to use an importer like SKB. Add the shipping cost given into your calculations. Also if you do a wire transfer from your bank figure another 50-75 depending on your bank. So cheap guns become fairly expensive. But you might find a gun you really want and figure total cost is not that important. I just brought in to 3” guns for duck hunting. Price was decent but not the steals they appeared from the auction winning bid. But I killed two geese and a teal with one of them last week so price does not bother me now. Another gun I bought was a left handed crossover double as a decoration oddity. Been looking for a left handed version for sometime.

Concur, use of an importer removes the risk of missing something from lack of experience.

I have used an importer several times now and always been happy with having done it.

I have imported twice with Steve. I feel like the auction prices have been creeping up and the wares have been declining in quality and condition. Seemed like there were better deals a few years ago.

Thanks everybody for your responses. SKB I will PM you with some additional questions.

Steve

I've used an importer twice on guns, one from Holt's and one from Gavin Gardiner. I use the estimate of double the GBP bid in dollars for getting it to me, a bit more on cheaper ones. It's slow, a pain, and neither auction house is very helpful. I still look, but factor all that in... I just came back from R.I.A. which was a totally better experience.

Like Steve I import as well. Best to have a pro do it, A lot more involved than you think. Especially when it comes to clearing customs.

Just wanted to thank all of you for your responses. It really is an expensive proposition especially when you add in the exchange rate and Holtz’s 25% “juice”.

The September Holt's sales include some outrageous guns. I wish I could be there. Does "being there" simplify the import of antique shotguns?

I have wondered the same. It comes down to the question if it is an antique could I bring it back with me? The shipping cost is not cheap anymore. There was a time I could get a true pre 1898 gun mailed directly to my door for $55.00 postage. Not any more. Why I didn’t buy more then I sometimes ask myself.

For a cartridge guns an export permit is required and Holt's will take care of that, not likely in time for you to bring back as baggage though unless you are taking an extended trip.

Wonder if the Queen would like a house guest for a month or two? I’d hunt for my keep. She could supply the guns, ammo and birds and I would do all the hard shooting.

I would like to do the preview before the auction. There seems to always be a few guns that I would just love to see in person. Perhaps if Covid ever ends I’ll take a timely trip there to do it.

Scotland for Stags and walked up Grouse sounds like a fine way to kill some time after the auction.

Steve, are you saying that the antique guns can be imported without all the ATF import hassle and without the additional cost?

Woodreaux, I can answer that. Holt's did ship a pre 1989 gun to my airport. I had asked them to use HGSS or who ever they normally use, thinking it wold get added to the next shipment for SKB. Getting it through customs ended up requiring me to use a customs broker. Technically I should have been able to do it without a broker I was told, but nobody seemed to know how. Also it was shipped Fedex and they require a broker if the value is over $750 Fedex said. In the end it cost about the same and I wasted an entire day getting more and more frustrated by bureaucratic paperwork and runaround. Perhaps you might have a different experience depending on local personal but I would rather use an importer and pay his well worth it fees. Now small cheap items like gun cases and the like are easily shipped directly to your home but again shipping cost have doubled with COVID.

Jon is correct, the exporter I use is HGSS.

I charge 450$ for an antique because I do not need to do all the paperwork required on modern guns, post 1898 guns are 650$ each.
Steve

Since you advertise that import service here, does Dave get the customary $12.00 fee when someone here employs your services?

I'm asking for mc, since he is concerned about people selling things here, and stiffing Dave.

Good morning Bill. I donate to Dave regularly, often when I am inspired by certain events such as when you complain about your muzzle. Heck my last donation was even made in your honor billie. The things I do for you.....

Happy two year anniversary to you and frAnk.

Steve

I really didn't expect a frank and honest reply from you Queen Stevie. But I thought I'd ask anyway, since mc is very concerned about whether Ed pays Dave his fee for every sale resulting from advertising on this forum. Yet he doesn't comment when you advertise guns here, and then claim that they were "Sold on another forum."

And he also does not ask if you pay Dave $12.00 for each and every time someone here has employed the gunsmithing and gun importation services that you advertise in every post. If you get 10 or more gunsmithing and gun import jobs from your advertising here, and only give Dave $25.00 a couple times, then you are not paying the FEE. And remember, a donation you say is in honor of me is for that purpose only, and not to help cover the $12.00 commission on other sales.

I won't make a donation in honor of you, because you have nothing to honor. And there are better ways for me to get a gun into this country than employing the services of someone who spent over 4 years denigrating Trump, and who actually said after the sham election that Biden might be better to lead this country.
.
I did not ask if you make regular donations, or any donations, for that matter. The question is whether you pay Dave the FEE for every sale you make as a result of your continual free advertising. I know you have trouble with comprehension and I also know how you like to twist the truth. So I am not impressed with your lame attempts to skirt the facts, nor am I surprised to see you once again attempting to impose your sexual preferences upon me and jOe. Time to cut the crap and act like a man. Oh, just scratch that last part. I shouldn't ask for the impossible.

Bill,
I think you may have far too much time on your hands, you seem to find a conspiracy under every bush.

Yes, I pay Dave 25$ each and every time I sell a gun here. If Dave feels I do not donate enough, he has yet to let me know. He knows how to contact me if those are his feelings.

The classifieds lay out rules for selling guns alone, nothing about services are mentioned. Dave has seen my tag line and the link to my site, if either bother him he has not said so.

Seems like it might be time for you to get those meds checked again bill.

You and frAnk have a lovely weekend, maybe get outside a bit and enjoy the fall weather there in the Keystone State.

Best,
Steve