Shipping Big Furnitures

[Mrs. Flintstone]

Hi guys. I am assisting my partner who will be relocating to the Philippines by this year. He wants to ship his bed, 2 antique cabinets and some other stuff. Please share with us who to contact in Ohio,U.S.A. What is the best and safest way to send heavy stuff. And if somebody can give us an idea of how much it's gonna cost..so much the better. Also he wants to send some of his clothes in advance, is there a  more practical way of sending big boxes of clothes and stuff toys aside from balikbayan box offices and USPS? We were talking to a balikbayan courier in Ohio, and they said it will cost around $700.00 and might still go up depending on the weight/volume.Whew!!! $700 for clothes only? Help!!!

Have a great day guys!!!

[Thomas]

Is it as much as a (half) container?

If it's much, then better send a whole container.

BUT it cost much. (One paid 14 000 USD for a move from door to door Sweden to Thailand including all. I GUESS only litle lower costs for your route. So I'm selling most of my things, specialy the big things, because it cost so much to transport...

[Mike J]

Most people who make the move, myself included, do not bring furniture.  It is just cheaper/easier to buy furniture here.  Also many rentals here include furniture, kitchen ware, linens, etc.  He should carefully consider shipping the antiques.  There is the possibility of damage during shipping, and he needs to consider what effect, if any, the excess heat and humidity may have on antique furniture.  The rate for BB box should only be around a $100 per box, is there a reason he does not want to use BB boxes?  Best of luck.

[jpbago]

It will be less expensive to bring you to the bed than it will be to bring the bed to you.

[SNAFU]

Good for you finding this forum before you ship out, sure wish I had!  About the cabinets and antiques - to ship them properly and ensure final delivery undamaged will likely require extensive packing & crating, and that can really get expensive, you can DIY, which will still cost you materials and time, but most shippers will assume no risk for items you pack/crate yourself.  For instance, if your cabinets have glass shelves or glass panels in the doors, delicate legs, etc., it will all have to be removed and carefully packed and crated separately, and the reverse upon delivery and assembly.  That said, though, there is no reason you should not be able to enjoy your valued antique and sentimental pieces here, what good are they doing you left in storage or with friends/family?  Just make sure your budget allows for their safe transport.  Ditto the previous comments about the environmental conditions over here, and...the dreaded termites! 

Now, for your average run-of-the-mill and everyday use furnishings, and hindsight being 20/20, you might want to sell it or donate to charity, you can find much nicer and better quality furniture over here, or even have it made to your specs, much of it is beautiful and cheap.  For your "advance" clothes, I'd also recommend BB box, we used Forex over the years, anywhere from $110-$125 (they run holiday specials sometimes) per box here to the Visayas, and you can stuff as many items in them as possible, no matter the weight, just no prohibited items.  Our Forex agent is Fil-Am, picks up our boxes on a days' notice, and leaves free boxes 1-for-1 upon pick-up.  Never lost a box and only had 1 opened for inspection over the last 15-20 years.  Good luck!

[i am bob]

If you are willing to pay to have your things moved, well, I see nothing wrong with that! I myself don't have a lot that is sentimental other than a couple boxes worth so I am fine with buying new for myself. And, yes, if your antiques have sentimental value, definitely bring them!

Now for my word of warning... The woods chosen for your antique dressers/ armoires / desks etc were done so in regards to looks and weathering - in other words, how much the wood will shrink or expand due to the relative humidity of where you lived. So, what will the big move to the Philippines do to this furniture? Be ready to repair every single joint and/or ornate overlay... As the wood swells with the humidity and then shrinks again, every single glue joint is going to let go! For the unknowledgable, that is a lot of work to first find a proper adhesive, thin to a proper consistency, load into a hypodermic and then inject a proper amount into each glue joint. I myself look at moving to the Philippines as the start of a new life and thus a start for new memories... I'll leave the glue sniffing to the... Ah... Ok, no more glue sniffing for anybody! :)

Sent by using a very long piece of string, a couple tin cans, 2 gaseous monkeys, Tapatalk and my Nexus 4

Edited February 27, 2014 by I am bob

[Mrs. Flintstone]

We found this company Forex Cargo based in Cleveland,Ohio. First my partner had a hard time talking to the guy who claims he is the manager. He can't speak good conversational english. So I decided to talk to the guy myself. Grrr He is cold, not professional he doesnt sound like he is the manager. Is that the customer serviice they give after claiming they been in business for a long time?

Something weird about this guy. Nope we're not transacting with him and we dont want to entrust our things to him.

 

Forex Cargo, 5432 States, Cleveland , Ohio Tel. No. 216 398 8703

 

So please guys I hope you would refer some proven cargo companies you have used...that is near Canton, Ohio.

 

Thanks guys. Have a great day.

[MikeB]

If you are willing to pay to have your things moved, well, I see nothing wrong with that! I myself don't have a lot that is sentimental other than a couple boxes worth so I am fine with buying new for myself. And, yes, if your antiques have sentimental value, definitely bring them!

On the other hand,no matter how sure you are that you're not returning, no matter how much you think you know a lot of people don't make it to the 5 year mark. A LOT. Many don't make the first anniversary so you'll be shipping expensive antiques over and back. The return is a lot more expensive I have heard.

[Miguk]

We found this company Forex Cargo based in Cleveland,Ohio. First my partner had a hard time talking to the guy who claims he is the manager. He can't speak good conversational english. So I decided to talk to the guy myself. Grrr He is cold, not professional he doesnt sound like he is the manager. Is that the customer serviice they give after claiming they been in business for a long time?

Something weird about this guy. Nope we're not transacting with him and we dont want to entrust our things to him.

 

Forex Cargo, 5432 States, Cleveland , Ohio Tel. No. 216 398 8703

 

So please guys I hope you would refer some proven cargo companies you have used...that is near Canton, Ohio.

 

Thanks guys. Have a great day.

 

I moved to Manila and back to the U.S. using Allied ---- had zero problems (and I had a lot of fragile/breakable stuff....huge china cabinet, Llardo figurines, etc.)

[scott h]

Mrs. F. When we made the move, we used an half container (20 footer) with Allied. After customs etc etc etc cost about 10K USD. No breakage, no loses and on time. You get what you pay for i'm afraid. Remember TANSTAAFL,,,(there aint no such thing as a free lunch)