B&S Overseas Shipping

[gbenaim]

Hi all,

Well, having decided to try platinum printing I was about to order a kit and paper from B&S when they quoted me over $90 for overseas shipping. I sent them an email and haven't heard back, but was curious if others have had similar experience or if it's just a mistake. Those of you who live outside the States, have you used them for platinum, and if not, whom do you use? Thanks,

GB

 

[Monophoto]

I just received an order from B&S on Friday that, weight-wise, was roughly the same as a Pt/Pd kit. The shipping cost across from New Mexico to New York via UPS-surface was US$13.50. I received the shipment 9 days after placing the order.

My recollection is that when I placed the order, there were a number of shipping options, and I chose the least expensive. I don't have the details any longer, but my vague recollection is that some of the options were almost three times that amount.

So my inclination would be to automatically not leap to a conclusion that a US$90 shipping cost for an overseas shipment is a mistake. What kind of shipment service were they quoting?

 

[gbenaim]

That was the cheap one, USPS.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

That price may well be indicative of customs duties and/or hazardous materials charges that don't apply when shipping domestically. Even though it is in a chemically modified form, you are shipping PLATINUM or palladium, which may have significant import duties on them. Depending on which developer you're getting, Potassium Oxalate is a poison (when taken internally in large quantities), as is the Ferric Oxalate #1 solution. Granted, you're not ordering chemistry for Wet Plate or uranotypes (made with uranium salts). It will depend very much on which country you're shipping these things to.

 

[copake_ham]

Import duties are not paid by the shipper - they're paid by the recipient.

 

[nze]

do you order a dry kit. If you take some product in their liquid form you pay the shipping for the water. ( such as potassium oxalate developer). It is better to buy platinum palladium in the us and find the other product in Europe where we can find them at similar prices.

 

[Monophoto]

Christian's suggestion is very pertinent -

The bulk of the weight in a Pt/Pd kit is in the developer and EDTA clearing agent, both of which are provided "dry". I would not be surprised to find that you could purchase both developers and clearing agents in Europe at prices that are very favorable compared to the cost of shipping those chemicals from New Mexico.

The other chemicals in the B&S kit are liquid solutions, but the water is probably less of a weight factor than the glass containers. You might look at the option of buying the FO and metal salts as dry components that you would mix with distilled water (which I presume is readily available where you are).

 

[gbenaim]

Thanks Louie and Christian, I'll lokk into that if all else fails. I checked Freestyle for a similar order and they only charge $35, so if B&S can't do it cheaper I may just order from them. BTW, Christian, I pm'd you yesterday about some of your platinum work, was wondering how you got such great sharpness on the enlarged 6x6 still-lifes on your flicker page. Take care,

GB

 

[Ian Leake]

I buy the Pt, Pd and Ferric Oxalate (dry) from B&S and source developer and clearing agents locally (from Silverprint in London). The shipping charge to the UK is quite high, but it's dwarfed by the import duty and VAT if you buy in any volume

 

[Lyn Arnold]

I ordered 2 packs of Pictorico OHP from B&S a few days ago. The shipping charge to Australia is $48.36 via USPS (cheapest available on the site). A friend here ordered 2 packs OHP film plus a 40 page pack of White Film from Pictorico (California) and her shipping charge via USPS is $42.00.

So distance wise, B&S and Pictorico are not far apart, but have different shipping charges. Very expensive business this photography hobby!