Importing Agent for taxidermy mounts

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EarlsSon

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My taxidermy (mounts being done in Africa) mounts will be ready for crating for the end of August. The mounts will need to go from the RSA to a port on the East Coast of the US. Can someone recommend an importer that they've used to ship their trophies to the US that they had good luck with. There seems to be quite an array of problems associated with this and I would prefer to minimize the headaches if I can. I do not know the size of the crate / crates ?? as of yet but it will contain the following: shoulder mounted cape buffalo, blue wildebeest, zebra, blesbok, gemsbok, kudu, impala, nyala, and an eland. I'd like to thank you in advance for taking the time to suggest a reputable importer.
 
That’s going to be a big crate, it will most likely come to the US via Turkish airlines because of the buffalo. I’ve used Coppersmiths 3 times with absolutely no problems and D&L Customs Brokers once with no problems but I don’t know if they have offices outside of Chicago. Coppersmiths is pretty much nation wide.
 
EarlsSon said:
My taxidermy (mounts being done in Africa) mounts will be ready for crating for the end of August. The mounts will need to go from the RSA to a port on the East Coast of the US. Can someone recommend an importer that they've used to ship their trophies to the US that they had good luck with. There seems to be quite an array of problems associated with this and I would prefer to minimize the headaches if I can. I do not know the size of the crate / crates ?? as of yet but it will contain the following: shoulder mounted cape buffalo, blue wildebeest, zebra, blesbok, gemsbok, kudu, impala, nyala, and an eland. I'd like to thank you in advance for taking the time to suggest a reputable importer.
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Coppersmith
 
Why not Trophy Shippers who are a sponsor here on the forum.

I'd recommend who I have used twice but they would be deleted.
 
EarlsSon said:
My taxidermy (mounts being done in Africa) mounts will be ready for crating for the end of August. The mounts will need to go from the RSA to a port on the East Coast of the US. Can someone recommend an importer that they've used to ship their trophies to the US that they had good luck with. There seems to be quite an array of problems associated with this and I would prefer to minimize the headaches if I can. I do not know the size of the crate / crates ?? as of yet but it will contain the following: shoulder mounted cape buffalo, blue wildebeest, zebra, blesbok, gemsbok, kudu, impala, nyala, and an eland. I'd like to thank you in advance for taking the time to suggest a reputable importer.
Click to expand...
Good Morning, We can absolutely assist you with the importation of your hunting trophies. My name is Joy and I am with Trophy Shippers. If you would like to give me a call at 832-544-4067 I would love to discuss the process and details with you. :)
 
I’ve used Safari Specialty Importers multiple times and have several shipments pending with them now. Give Wyatt a shout
 
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't shipping and importing two separate things in most cases? You have to pay for each and typically two separate companies.
 
Letzhunt said:
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't shipping and importing two separate things in most cases? You have to pay for each and typically two separate companies.
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You’re 100% correct. Shipping is independent from the importation/customs clearance.

There are however certain Customs Brokers (like Safari Specialty Importers) who will aid in the shipping portion or offer some insight. Given the number of shipments they clear, they’re often more in turn with current rates as they relate to crate sizes. They always ask for crate dimensions, a quote from the taxidermists preferred shipper. In more than one instance they’ve asked the taxidermist to get quotes from Shipper A, B or C as well. Once you decide who to ship with, Safari Specialty Importers will also allow you to pay your shipping bill, with your customs stuff on a single itemized invoice if you like. You perform a single wire transfer or ACH payment and they take care of paying the shipper if you’d like
 
I’ve used coppersmith, but I’m really tempted to drive out and clear it myself next time. Air freight for the crate I just got was $1700. The total coppersmith fees and ground freight was even more - $1800.
 
BryceM said:
I’ve used coppersmith, but I’m really tempted to drive out and clear it myself next time. Air freight for the crate I just got was $1700. The total coppersmith fees and ground freight was even more - $1800.
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The place where a importer comes in handy is making sure that all the paperwork in completely in order before the shipment even leaves Africa. Then if they have a bonded warehouse where your crate might be stored for a number of days waiting for the USDA inspection is a huge plus.

There are stories on here where some have done it themselves and ended up with a $3000 bill for storage waiting for a inspector to show up.
 
All good points, but still it seems like a huge ripoff to me. A few years back their fees seemed reasonable. Now, it’s almost $2000 for what probably amounts to a few hours of work. I dunno.
 
It is like back when I was working as a phone repairman and would go out on a trouble call and charge the customer $100 for 10 minutes of work for just turning a switch back on the phone.

When they would ask about it I'd just tell them that it's knowing about that switch.
 
BryceM said:
All good points, but still it seems like a huge ripoff to me. A few years back their fees seemed reasonable. Now, it’s almost $2000 for what probably amounts to a few hours of work. I dunno.
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I just looked up Coppersmiths fees. I think back in 2014 I paid around $700, today it’s $1,030.
Customs entry fee $400
APHIS $25 for 4 animals $3 each additional animal
Messenger $40
Warehouse $65
Airport transfer $130
Airline delivery $245
USDA and USFWS inspection $100
CDC inspection if needed $25
This does not include any CITES animals, not sure why we should have to pay USDA or USFWS to inspect anything as we pay for their very existence with our tax money.
This is for Atlanta, may be different for other ports of entry.
 
What is the closest big city to you? I use coppersmiths through Chicago, but I’d make sure to choose a broker with a bonded warehouse in case any problems occur depending what city you choose.
 
JimP said:
Why not Trophy Shippers who are a sponsor here on the forum.
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Difficult to recover from their reputation damage during their personnel transition a few years ago.
 
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