Shipping shock!

[Hornisse]

There really isn't any excuse not to ship overseas, especially since there are companies like http://www.myus.com/ that will forward guitars overseas for you.  I shipped a bass to their address in Florida and they then shipped it to Oz with no issues.  They have competitive rates and I was able to package the bass in the original case which I assume they forwarded to the buyer.  The buyer makes arrangements through the company before you ship to them. 

[Freuds_Cat]

For stuff  from the States I have just been paying by Visa and getting the stuff shipped to a mate inside the US who forwards it to me. Usually via USPS. Its cheaper for me mainly because the retail companies seem to not have much of an idea about international shipping costs and want to ship things via couriers that charge 2 or 3 times as much as they should cost.

[Basvarken]

For shipping the BaCHbirds (and other basses) I checked several companies. Fedex, UPS, TNTPost and DPD.
DPD was by far the best option for me. Insured up to 500 euro. And very resonable shipping rates.
They take care of all customs paperwork etc.
They pick the item up at my office.
They're fast (three days from my door to any address in USA!)

The only thing I learned from shipping instruments is that it costs me quite a bit of time to get everything in order. Checking the right address with the right instrument, filling in the forms, printing the labels, packing the instrument, etc.