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2112sax

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Hello all
I am going to New York around October, and I will be on the lookout for a sax to bring home. Heres the question, I've never done this so whats the best way of getting a sax from America back to the UK??

your advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Think you will find on a lot of stuff that if you take the, how can we say (above board) route and pay all relevant taxes ect- I think you'll find there's not a great deal of saving involved. Not certain about musical instruments but a friend of mine has just been to new york and bought a 64gb ipad, after taxes ect, he saved about £100, which isn't to be sneared at, but my way of thinking is that you may have no garuntee and the risk of damage in transit sort of out ways the small saving.

Only my opinion, I stand to be corrected.

Lee.
 
Guys

Please note forum rules - no illegal activities. No problem with discussing how to import legally/issues with transportation. But how to evade duty/taxes is not allowed.
 
Guys

Please note forum rules - no illegal activities. No problem with discussing how to import legally/issues with transportation. But how to evade duty/taxes is not allowed.

Aw...spoilsport. Not even the old sopranino down the trouserleg routine? ;}
 
Hello all
I am going to New York around October, and I will be on the lookout for a sax to bring home. Heres the question, I've never done this so whats the best way of getting a sax from America back to the UK??

I also don't think you will save much if at all, unless you are lucky to find a nice vintage horn in a pawn shop going very cheap.

Once the value is over a certain limit, you would need to pay duty plus VAT.
 
Hi all
yes i agree we need to keep legal, well unless you work for barclays, what i find interesting is . How many fantastic instruments can someone buy with the Barclays fine of nearly 3 million GBP.
But to add a note to guard against if you plan on importing a sax and try to avoid paying the import tax [ unless you have diplopmatic baggage or work for Barclays] customs can check with the manufacturers on the serial numbers and to where the instruments of those serial no.have been exported.that is if they want to take the trouble.
But i agree with pete you can probably find the same deal here if you look around.
Check out John Whelan.
 
Hi all
yes i agree we need to keep legal, well unless you work for barclays, what i find interesting is . How many fantastic instruments can someone buy with the Barclays fine of nearly 3 million GBP.
But to add a note to guard against if you plan on importing a sax and try to avoid paying the import tax [ unless you have diplopmatic baggage or work for Barclays] customs can check with the manufacturers on the serial numbers and to where the instruments of those serial no.have been exported.that is if they want to take the trouble.
But i agree with pete you can probably find the same deal here if you look around.
Check out John Whelan.

Wasn't the fine GBP290 million? Now you can buy a few saxophone manufacturers for that price - takeover bid for Selmer (Paris) perhaps?

Regards,

Greg S.
 
a few years ago i spent a day thoroughly exploring the music shops just up from Times Square- some great vintage horns but, to be honest, not much which constituted a bargain.... do seem to remember Conn 10Ms were pretty common and somewhat cheaper than over here.....
 
whats the best way of getting a sax from America back to the UK??

Fly out with a saxshaped case that the airline company allow you to bring into the cabin. Check before. The airline company that fly from Copenhagen over Iceland to north America allows you bring a saxshaped case into the cabin. A tenor is fine. If you are going to have your sax checked in as ordinary luggage the you need a very good case an make shure you pack the well/correct. Maybe you have a sax that you can trade in ? And declare the sax when you're back in UK. Have all the papers (receipts,....) in order.

One thing you should be aware is that a sax can test positive in the security control. Even if it's just the sax+neck in the case. If you buy a used sax you don't know in what enviroment the sax has been in before. It may cost you an hour extra and lots of talk and other unpleasant things.


If you are going to buy a sax in USA I think you should bring back one that is ready to play and a good player. Is not worth the ev trouble for having a "wreck" back home.

Thomas
 
I brought a Beuscher alto back as hand luggage a few years ago, no issues but it wasn't very valuable. I agree that there weren't loads of bargains to be had. Interesting to look around the music shops though and of course take in some live jazz - can highly recommend the club Smoke
 
If you have an address in the USA to have things shipped
http://shop.weinermusic.com/
is really cheap for reeds/mouthpieces

Conn 10m is the horn I will try to go for. Maybe through (thru) ebay, since there is quite a discrepancy between the two sides of the pond. If returns are accepted.
 
I've been to the musical instrument shops in around Times Square - Rod Baltimore, Sam Ash on 48th, Roberto's on 46th - a few times over the years. My general conclusion is that you shouldn't get too excited. Rod Baltimore's the best place to find some funky old thing that's harder to find here than there. Roberto's is where you go to see vintage Selmers at eye-watering prices. Junkdude in Ohio seems to be a great source of old saxes - but it's in Ohio.

However, you can load up with reeds and mouthpieces quite economically there, and as Aldevis points out Weiner is insanely cheap. I'm going to be in Boston in August and will make sure to stock up on bari reeds in particular.

London has got two of the best shops for saxophones that I've seen anywhere - Howarths and Sax.co.uk - and the prices of second-hand saxes are competitive. Sometimes cheaper than Manhattan, anyway.
 
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