Shipping weapons???

[Gwydion]

Didn't really know where else to place this topic, but I figured since it was a law question, this would do.

A good friend of mine living in New Zealand is a collector of replica swords. These swords, while not exactly weapons, are still 4 foot 16 pound sharp bladed metal swords.

A new one has been released, but they are charging an outrageous price to ship it to New Zealand (Over double the price of the sword). I talked with him and offered to have them ship it to me (for much much MUCH less), then I would ship it to him. While still expensive, it would save him hundreds of dollars.

So, I ask the nerds of a different genre, the nerds that seem to be able to pull laws out of their asses with direct links to the articles at hand, to tell me if I am legally allowed to ship this replica sword to him without getting any special permission or what-not.

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Gwydion

Didn't really know where else to place this topic, but I figured since it was a law question, this would do.

A good friend of mine living in New Zealand is a collector of replica swords. These swords, while not exactly weapons, are still 4 foot 16 pound sharp bladed metal swords.

A new one has been released, but they are charging an outrageous price to ship it to New Zealand (Over double the price of the sword). I talked with him and offered to have them ship it to me (for much much MUCH less), then I would ship it to him. While still expensive, it would save him hundreds of dollars.

So, I ask the nerds of a different genre, the nerds that seem to be able to pull laws out of their asses with direct links to the articles at hand, to tell me if I am legally allowed to ship this replica sword to him without getting any special permission or what-not.

Who would you be using? Give them a call. I could ask the UPS guy when he comes by.
The following items may be shipped by UPS but are restricted to specific quantities, size and/or value:


Airline Tickets
Ammunition
Artwork
Dangerous Goods
Furs
Jewelry
Knives
Loose Gemstones
Loose Pearls
Magnets
Precious Metals

Also:
Country Regulations

From the United States to New Zealand


Prohibited or Restricted Commodities

In addition to the commodities which UPS prohibits to all countries served (listed here), it is prohibited to ship the following commodities to New Zealand.


Knives
Double-edged, flick, or butterfly knives are prohibited.

[huntr1]

It's not a sword, it's ART. Classify it as such on the customs form and you should be good to go.

[Gwydion]

Thanks desert and huntr. It seems like it might not be a wise thing to do. The total cost would be about $900 and it is probably not worth the risk involved in losing it.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Gwydion

Didn't really know where else to place this topic, but I figured since it was a law question, this would do.

A good friend of mine living in New Zealand is a collector of replica swords. These swords, while not exactly weapons, are still 4 foot 16 pound sharp bladed metal swords.

A new one has been released, but they are charging an outrageous price to ship it to New Zealand (Over double the price of the sword). I talked with him and offered to have them ship it to me (for much much MUCH less), then I would ship it to him. While still expensive, it would save him hundreds of dollars.

So, I ask the nerds of a different genre, the nerds that seem to be able to pull laws out of their asses with direct links to the articles at hand, to tell me if I am legally allowed to ship this replica sword to him without getting any special permission or what-not.

I'm guessing that the sellers of the sword know far more about the legality of shipping the item to New Zealand than anyone here, and if they were willing to ship it then it must be legal to do so.

I would guess that the reason their shipping is so high is that items of this nature are high theft, meaning the employees of the shippers will steal them if they are not carefully tracked, and the only shipping that is closely tracked is air shipment, which costs a lot of money. If you send the package via surface mail it will be much less expensive, but at much higher risk of being stolen along the way. What really sucks is that you can insure the parcel, but the US coverage usually stops as soon as the package leaves the country. If it is stolen outside the US it is difficult to resolve the insurance issue.

If cost is the deciding factor, I would send it via the fastest and most affordable means, insure it for the full value, and declare it as a "Replica Sword". These swords may look impressive and deadly, but the blades are very weak and no more a weapon that a pointed broomstick. Marking it as a replica will cue the customs folks that it's not a real sword.