One of the decisive factors when considering a choice of a painter for your miniatures should be the back shipment. Does not matter how well miniatures have been painted if they get damaged while on their way back to you. For me it is of high importance to protect your miniatures and thus ensure my work would get to you in one piece. That is why I have invested in a wide range of protective material, which – combined with my experience – should provide safe passage for the miniatures we both care about.
I have wide experience in packing and shipping miniatures. My shipments have traveled all around the globe and rarely have I seen minor damage done to the miniatures I packed. Is it possible to ensure 100% safety for the miniatures? No, but one can still try to provide as much protection as possible. Of course packaging varies between shipments and materials used depend on the quantity, weight and fragility of the miniatures being shipped. Here’s an example of how I prepare miniatures for shipment.
Below is a tentative price list for shipping. The prices below are indicative and might vary depending on the weight and size of a package and current postal/courier offer. Please remember that upon packing your miniatures I will provide a solid pricing of different shipping options for you to choose from.
Destination
Postal
Insurance +2% worth,
Courier
Insurance +1% worth,
EU
30€
no Germany, no UK*
35-50€
USA, Canada
45-60€
140€+
Australia, Oceania
60€
175€+
Asia
45-60€
175€+
*Nothing personal Germany and UK – I had very bad experience with your Postal service and I would rather not deal with it 😉
This is something worth considering. Throughout the years couriers lost only one package of mine yet without insurance this would turn out to be a grand disaster.
Please take note that in order for insurance to work package must get lost, or get visibly damaged. If damaged you are required to open it, check the insides for any damage and fill necessary complaint documents in presence of a courier. In both cases there is no guarantee insurance will cover the loss/damage and it might take up to three months to process.
Once a courier rings at your door – be sure to check out the package for any visible damage. If damage is there, open the package in presence of the courier and check out if ‘inner’ package is also damaged.
In worst case scenario the ‘inner’ package is also damaged. If so, you should check out insides of the package in courier’s presence and fill any necessary complaint protocol, to be entitled to get a refund/insurance payback. This is not something that happens at daily basis, still – better to be ready rather than sorry.
To better help you with unpacking your miniatures I also prepared this short UNPACKING GUIDE.