Ellen, tell your friend not to worry. We've been shipping shells from the UK
to America and to 50 other countries for 12 years, and we've never had any
issues. Use the regular postal service, mark the customs label "Seashells
for scientific study - no commercial value", and write on the parcel "Small
packet". There's nothing illegal or suspicious about it, whether the shells
are rare or not, or live-collected or beached. We've sent almost 2000
parcels of shells to America that way, without any problems apart from a
handful of parcels that have got lost in the postal system somewhere.
Obviously you won't send CITES species, living snails, or snail eggs.
Simon Aiken
Simon's Specimen Shells Ltd
12a Daniel Owen Precinct
Mold CH7 1AP
U.K.
www.simons-specimen-shells.com
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Ellen Bulger
Sent: 05 November 2010 04:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CONCH-L] shipping (common & beached) shells from England to Texas.
Any issues?
Hi all,
I'm looking for some info about shipping shells internationally. I've got a
friend in England who wishes to mail some shells to another friend in Texas.
These are dead beached shells and nothing, as far as she knows, rare or even
uncommon. But she is afraid that it is illegal or problematic to mail
shells. This, in a day and age where you can purchase plastic toilet seats
with dried seahorses set into the plastic, but hey, who said laws were
logical or sensible?
Obviously, this is a regional issue. I want to tell her, just mail the dang
things. But am I unrealistic? Anyway, I would be very grateful for any input
from folks who deal with postal and shipping issues in England.
Thanks in advance,
Ellen
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