Recommendations for shipping small, valuable items from the UK?

[egamar]

Are there any recommendations for shipping small, valuable items from the UK to the EU (or different EU countries if practices vary) for hassle-free transit?

Should I just pop it in cardboard CD-mailer (remember those?) and send it as a letter on a priority service with adequate insurance?  Is it sophistry to argue that the value of a Carcassonne tile is £1 (as that is what they can be bought for from Cundco) not the price someone paid because the really wanted that particular tile?

What do folks do?

"Asking for a friend".

Thanks

Lewis

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=6029.0

[OneEyedOwl]

It all boils down to what you write down. I remember buying a twisty puzzle for something like 400 Pounds, and the seller wrote the production cost of the puzzle as the value. Issue can sometimes be that the Customs want to see a bill (double PayPal transaction solves that), and if the parcel is insured and gets lost, the reimbursment will be only for the insured amount. But in principle that works, yes.

[Decar]

If you sold the item for £100 then the item has that worth, and you can insure it for as much.  If the item is lost you have to show evidence of it's worth, at least you do when something gets trashed in the UK.

If it's any help, some of us are travelling to Germany later this year.  I'd be happy to post things from Germany if that saves a few pounds.

I've not checked since Brexit, but My Hermes has been reliable and cheaper than Royal Mail in the past.

It may also be cheaper to bundle everything together and trust someone to pass the items on.  This often works well on our forum at least..

[egamar]

Thanks for that.  It's not the postage and insurance per se that's the issue (it's quite reasonable by RM for the odd tile or five), it's the unwelcome attention of Customs and the imposition of local VAT and perhaps (but I doubt it since these items are of EU origin) duty.  Adding 19% - 23% to already high prices for certain rarities would certainly add insult to considerable injury.  Doubly-so since VAT had already been paid, probably to Cundco in Germany! 

I'll wait and see who wants what and if they would be prepared to wait then I imagine they'd be grateful, I certainly would be

Cheerio, thanks again

Lewis

[Willem]

I believe the EU currently adds VAT for everything that comes from outside the EU, so also these kind of parcels.
You could send it as a gift, but that does impact the insurance and stuff, so would be an additional risk.
Otherwise, getting it into EU by car and then posting can be a clever solution

[egamar]

You are right, Willem.

In any event, I will give buyers/prospective buyers the choice.  It's a decision only they can make - I will just present the options

Cheerio