Moving vinyl and components overseas

I had about 1000+ LPs when living in China and a lot of equipment. Each time I came home in the US for the summer I would bring some back a little at a time. Most tube amps will fit nicely in a carry on but I was always stopped and the amp looked at in Japan when transferring. But when I decided to move back in 2015 I had to send the rest back by ship, an 8'x4'x4' wooden box. It cost me about $1000 to ship, I can't recall exactly. But everything arrived safely. Once I sent two boxes full of records and a few odds and ends back home by post. Big mistake. All I received was a smashed box with two records and one flip flop.

I have a good friend (Brazilian American) that I met in China who now lives in San Francisco. He's into audio maybe he could give you some advice? I know he had a nice size system that he moved around.

I also have a medium sized storage building at my home in Ohio that I would gladly let you keep your stuff as long as I can play with it once in a while Seriously.

 

Your post in the link was very thoughtful, it also prompted me to think that the issue of an international move--aside from distance and logistics- raises a lot of additional issues. I think a good moving company knows how to deal with this, but honestly, even as a lawyer, I found the forms that the moving company used for a domestic U.S. move entirely incomprehensible- based largely on weight and schedules based on box size/object count, with very few particulars. Terms like "drayage" were used--this is when the teamsters in the U.S. used horses. I also took much greater comfort by getting my insurer involved, so I knew that whatever happened, whether it was in the move out, the carriage, storage or eventual move in, I wasn't at the mercy of the movers and their archaic forms, dictated by government regulation, rather than comprehensibility.

 

Why not donate it all to charity? I can... erm...give you a forwarding address

 

By choice, so I would have to pay for the shipping which is why I'm only thinking about moving the vinyl and only after I pare it down to my must-own stuff.

I may "donate" the rest to some locals, but I wouldn't want to store my records at a friends unless that person owned their home, which is somewhat rare in this area amongst my friends who are mostly east coast transplants not sure if they are staying in the Bay for awhile.

 

Everything depends on the circumstances. In 2011 I moved from Poland to the Philippines, and then again in 2014 from the Philippines to Bali, Indonesia. Every time we we’re shipping all our household appliances, clothes, furniture and of course my audio gear, vinyls, CDs and DVDs. Think 40-foot container. In both cases we used a good relocation company and (almost) nothing was damaged or missing (at lest not my audio stuff).

However if your new location is not a permanent one (changing cities), you have to figure out how mobile you’ll have to be. Sometimes moving within the same country might be more difficult than moving overseas - there are just different quality standards. Local moving companies don’t have to provide the same high quality services as local subcontractors working for a global relocation company.

 

You joke, but I suspect this will actually happen. Out of my 10k records, I'd say 4,000 were bought "on purpose". Zero junk. Tons of audiophile labels, mint OP's and some rarities (like a bunch of unopened and unplaced Music Matters test pressings). I want to keep most of this, but there are definitely titles that I can live without.

I acquired another 4,000 records when I bought this jazz collection over a year ago. These are still in the boxes I got them in, many of which I've yet to open. I have maybe picked out 30 records from this lot, so no idea what's even in it. But there were a bunch of $10-20 records that I did pull out, so definitely not junk. Quality is not all NM, but has been mostly VG/VG+ and many were indeed NM. Paid $4k for the lot, but I probably did overpay.

Then I probably have another 2,000 records that I acquired from posting on that neighborhood social network (name escapes me). It's got a lot of 60's titles in varying conditions.

For the jazz collection I got in bulk and the others I acquired with sweat equity, I'd probably let one of you guys take those off my hand for pretty damn cheap. Just haven't thought that far ahead.

 

3-4 years is not a long time. Since you say you may be moving a few times during this period, I'd strongly advise not moving your records or hifi. It's just not worth the cost, hassle and the risk of loss or damage. The region you are moving to will be humid, maintenance/service may not be available and frankly stuff may get held up in customs unless a bribe is paid or stolen/lost in transit. I can say this because I've lived in similar conditions before.

So, sell off your gear if you must since you are likely to be able to buy them back later. As for records, 10,000 is a lot even for storage. So pare them down and store them. I think it'll be a lot harder to reacquire your records and possibly at much higher price given where vinyl prices are going.

As for music while you are there, I'd buy a simpler, cheaper system. Perhaps digital/downloads will be best.

 

Yeah, I'd only ship them if I thought I was going to stay for at least a few years.

Sadly, I just realized that I'm also going to need to sell my second system (Opera Seconda with all surround speakers) that I use for home theater. Hadn't even crossed my mind until this very minute. Damn, I have a lot to do in the next few months.

 

Brian:

This is a good time to "clean house". If I were you I'd be focusing on acquiring all that rare Latin, salsa, meringue, afro records while in Latin/Central America.

Good luck!

 

Believe me, that has crossed my mind. I love South American psychedelia and Afro beats. There is one vinyl record store in Medellin, but it seems to specialize in electronica.

 

Also check out the honesty of the country you plan to move to in regards to importation of goods. Sometimes the less the better or at least try to bring as much of your truly loved items with you on the plane.

 

I would buy a little audio system in each country and then sell it when you leave.The countries you appear to be going have a prosperous middle class albeit smaller than here. But you need to consider security as this is an issue in all but a few countries. Good luck. At least you don't have to remodel the living room and basement now!

Edit: Just to be clear I don't recommend shipping the systems there. I wouldn't even ship the LPs. I would store my favorites hopefully with a friend and buy music where I was. If you decide to stay more than a couple of years you can always reassess. Just my thoughts but I have some limited familiarity with Brazil and Panama.

 

I would probably pack the good LPs up properly, and put them in storage, a small unit at a relatively climate controlled place is not too expensive. Or maybe at parents' basement or something. If they are packed properly records are pretty inert, should be a fine for several years or a decade or two even. It is probably wise to sell the gear though. There will always be new gear to buy down the road. LPs too, but you may have invested time tracking them down, etc.

 

Do you cherish your one and every lp ? The 10K of them ? Or is it a good time for weeding out the collection ? I personally can' think of more than 1000 titles I'd want to own and listen to (both CDs+Lps). And I'm dangerously close to that number now.

But I don't regard them as a collection. It's merely the source for the music I listen to.

Now the stereo.....that's a conundrum !

 

I enjoyed watching you assemble and sort out your hi fi system. I know this is an audio forum, but I hope you'll update us when you do move...especially if you open that cafe.

If I lived in San Fran, I'd be trying to figure out how to lease your Shindo rig while you were gone.

 

If you plan on returning to the US after the assignment, keep things simple for all the reasons listed in the preceding posts and live digitally. Absence makes the heart grow fonder for analog!

 

Comes down to cost. If I can pare my LP's down to say 2500 titles and can ship for under $1,500 each way, it might make sense if I'm staying a few years. But it sounds like it might be a pain in the **** just to get an accurate estimate.

I will do some searching tomorrow.

 

Shipping may be a hassle though. I haven't checked in a while, but storage lockers that would hold at least a few thousand packed/boxed lps used to cost well under $100/month, even with climate control (at least around here). I had one for years, not for LPs specifically, that was like $40. So you would be looking at under $1k per year. Might be a wash depending on the length of time, and safer.

I assume this move is uh, for a lady or something? You can probably forego analog audiophile stuff for a few years and live with digital/small system/headphones. nb Colombia is expensive, for most consumer goods, from what I hear.

 

I drug my LP collection around for thirty years, but only 1-1.5K Lps. Four moves without ever having a playback system, but lugged those around. Glad I did. I have quite a few first pressings from '68-'85, pretty much M or NM. As for the equipment, it's not good to let electronics sit unused, and you have some really nice stuff. I contemplated making an offer on your amps but not sure they have enough wattage for my current speakers.

 

Amps are already sold. I need to update that listing. Had to make a spreadsheet just to keep up.

 

Brian, don't mean to pry but what prompted the move?

I'm sure it will be a fantastic adventure.

 

Stop prying!

 

Brian,

I assume that neither you nor your wife has family in the Bay Area who could store any of your stuff for any length of time (at least until you determine where you want to live long term)?

I don't know how much time you have to get your things in order before you leave. I assume that you will be selling your home in the Oakland hills? Given the nature of the real estate market here, that could be a very fast process. Given what you have said about your LP collection, thinning it out may not be quick and easy, not unless you sell the 6,000 albums you acquired but have not had a chance to investigate, and simply thin the 4,000 you bought yourself.

I am always puzzled by the attitude of many on the Forum who either try to keep their collection to a fixed size, or who sell titles, for example, when a newer re-master appears. Apart from a small handful of discs which I know I would never listen to again (and gave to friends), I have kept everything, even if that means half a dozen remasters of the same title. So, I would find it very hard to cull. Therefore, my advice is to think long and hard before you act. Storage may be a better option short term (you don't need to do anything except box stuff up and move to storage), and if down the road you decide that you want to sell, then you can always come back for a trip and deal with the issue then.

With regard to your move and intention to set up a business, let me throw out a few things for you to ponder (this may be old news, in which case you can disregard it):

1. work permit/visa

Will you be allowed to work in the countries you are considering? If so, do you need a visa/work permit? Do you need to organize this BEFORE you leave? Have you considered where you will be paying income tax, pension contributions, health insurance, etc.?

2. language

Are you fluent/reasonably fluent in the language(s) used in the locations you are considering? If not, life can get very interesting, even for the mundane things. I moved to The Netherlands as an adult, without knowing the language at all. My employer paid for intensive 1-on-1 language classes, even though many will tell you that you can get by with English. Long before my Dutch was any good, I found myself on a train platform. Announcements for international trains would be given in Dutch, English and French or German depending on the end destination, but local train announcements would only be given in Dutch. So, when an announcement was made that my train would be arriving on a different platform, I had to rely on everyone else leaving to let me know!

If you plan to set up a business, you will need to interact with local authorities, local laws/regulations, etc., so will need some command of the language to avoid pitfalls.

3. short-term vs long-term

We are all different when it comes to our attitude to emigration. Some people never want to leave their home locality, some never want to leave their home region/country, and some are continually restless, moving often. Do you have an idea what kind of person you are? For myself, I am always looking forward. I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the moves I have made in my life, and have considered that I could quite happily have stayed in any of the locations. However, having said that, once I had made a move, I never had any desire to go back.

You may have decided that you want to try something for a few years before returning to the US, or you may have decided that you want to experience as much of the World as you can, and will never come back, or you may have no idea (after all, you may get to your destination and simply not like it!). As a result, it can be hard to give advice on what is best to do with regard to taking/storing possessions. Some things (hi-fi, furniture, etc.) can be replaced relatively easily, others not. If you do not know how you may respond to such a move, you may want to consider storing things in the interim. You can always ship your possessions to your new home later, or simply decide that you don't want them, and come back and sell, sell, sell. Better to be sure than rush into a decision which you may regret later!

If you do not know where you may be living to begin with, and may move around a bit until you find the perfect place, then you certainly do not want to be encumbered by a container full of possessions! However, you may want to talk to international shipping agents about the costs, etc. before you leave, and decide whether you want to store then ship when you become settled.


[Just throwing the above out for your consideration. No need to answer the questions, they are just points to try to help you have as smooth a move as possible. Good luck with it. Keep us posted of how you get on.]

 

It was just something I always wanted to do but never had the balls to go thru with. Opportunity presented itself, so seized it.

Scariest part is that I speak zero Spanish today. But going to take the first 4-6 months off and concentrate on learning Spanish full time.

 

Your record collection represents a tremendous asset and investment, particularly if you have a dream of opening up one of those record store/cafe type of busineses. In my travels I have shopped in many such places and I think they are very cool. Perhaps you could find a cheap, safe storage solution outside of the big city while you figure out a plan.