mumblesmumbles

Next Spring I'll be heading to Venice, Italy and traveling south to fly out of Palermo, Sicily. Since it'll be my first time in Europe I thought about bring home a sexy Italian frame and fork to commemorate the trip.

Is this just a really idiotic idea given the bad exchange rate (USD - EURO), that mysterious VAT and shipping? I think I could check the frame in as luggage as I'm traveling really light but would I need to declare it in Customs?

Has anyone here done something like this? If a new frame and fork would be $Texas, what's the used market like?

wearyourtruth

dooooooooo it.

i don't have a good answer to any of your questions regarding europe, but people do that with frames from japan a lot.

Xgecko

cost wise it could be a really good deal you might find something that wouldn't make to the US under normal circumstances, as for Customs normally not a big deal, its for personal use and remember this "you are not going to sell it"

Overwhelming

How much money are you willing to spend on this endeavor? If you have oodles of money to toss around, then do it! You won't regret having a sweet frame to show off to your buddies.

mumblesmumbles

If say $2000 USD at the current rate it would give me a bit over 1400 Euro to play with. If I really really try to save, maybe more.

I searched the forum and a guy was thinking about it in 2006 and never updated after his trip.

Dr. DRE

1. It will probably be somewhat difficult for you to buy a frame in a foreign language, but not insurmountable. Italians don't speak as much English as some other Europeans.

2. The exchange rate is what it is. It also affects Italian (and other) frames imported into the U.S.

3. You may be able to get a refund on VAT, or have it removed at the point of sale IF you have the shop export the frame directly.

4. You have to declare everything to customs (not that everyone does this, cough cough), and a bike frame would be pretty hard to sneak past them. That said, you do get an $800 personal exemption, and the rate on the next bunch (I think up to $5,000, but don't remember for sure) is often a flat 10%, so may not be too terrible. IF you have an item that's on the exempt from duty list (the customs people have a book about the size of a big-city phone book), or on a reduced duty, you may be able to do it for less. Or they may just let you go.

In about a dozen or so trips abroad, on every one of which I've brought more than the allowed duty-free maximum, I've only paid duty once, at JFK in NY, and I was carrying several thousand dollars worth of Turkish rugs when the allowance was only $400. It's probably not a big deal for you, but you do need to be ready to pay.

You also have to factor in carrying the thing. I haven't been to Italy since 1994, and it's wholly possible that a lot has changed since then, but at that time, in Rome, Florence, Siena, Venice, Ravenna, and a couple of other places, I did not see a single "pack and mail" type place. Getting the frame boxed up and moving it around in country while you're traveling may end up being quite the hassle.

I've carried a bunch of stuff back to the U.S., including some large and fragile things such as 18" porcelain plates. It's always an adventure. You will, however, have an awesome souvenir if you choose to follow up your plan.

One final thing: Be sure you know what a range of frames cost here. Nothing worse than bringing home that cool CIOCC frame and discovering on the internet at a place in Houston for $300 less than you paid, before duty, etc.

Good luck regardless.

Triple8Sol

I would definitely do it.

mumblesmumbles

Dr.DRE, thanks so much for the information. These are some of the details I'm looking for.

Hopefully my brother, who is fluent in Italian, will be going along on the trip. If he does I'm sure he won't want to spend a bunch of time frame hunting so I'll need to narrow down shop / factory visits. If he doesn't go along I guess I'll make do by yelling loudly, ending my words with ah an oh while wildly waving my arms. Hey, TV taught me well.

When you say there is a $800 credit is that a deduction from all claimed items? I.E. I paid $1000 for a frame and I'm taxed on $200 of it.

When you purchase items of value do you use a US credit card for protection or do you convert currency and pay cash or is it just situation dependent?

Xgecko

Yes that's prety much what an $800 credit stands for.

Purchasing is usually situation dependent, however in a lot of Europe bargaining is expected and Cash talks, if you are at a factory make sure you have cash, Bike shop, plastic is acceptable. My primary experience in moving goods was buying motorcycle helmets and bringing them to the USA I bought one for my wife and one for myself paid using a credit card and Customs didn't blink an eye at them, they did however seize my Parma Ham which I found out afterwards was packaged in the proper manner (chick just wanted my prosciutto I;m sure) also at JFK FWIW, I made a complaint and was eventually reimbursed but i still lost my ham. 2 months later I packed a side of spanish ham in with test equipment and never had it searched. I've brought back a case of Mellonchelo from Naples with no questions so it really does depend on
1) how you pack stuff
and
2) how much other stuff you are carrying
which since I usually was traveling with a ton (yes 2000lbs) of test equipment and tools my luggage was rarely looked at but I also noticed that the better dressed I was the less scrutiny I endured

jet sanchEz

If it is just the frame/fork then I think you could do really really well for a lot less than 1400$USD. Check out ebay.it if you don't believe me. If it were me, I would put up some ads on the CL over there asking for a used frame/fork in your size. New frames will be super-expensive but there must be some incredible bikes just waiting to be used sitting in some Italian dood's basement.

Go to bike shops too, why not? Ask around at velodromes, etc.

I am envious.

rogwilco

I don't think it's a bad idea at all, the only problem you're going to have will be the shipping.