Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cedar]

Does anyone have any hints? I have so many boxes of books, I could open a freaking book shop. And no, getting rid of them is not an option. This is a collection, it's an investment and it's worth sending... Please! Someone! What do I do?

[Cedar]

please, someone, tell me something! I can't be the only one who ever went through this...

[Maserial]

Probably telling you stuff that you already know, but anyway.. How much are you willing to pay for service? I've sent boxes of things (such as books) a few times here and there, and sending them over the standard issue, Korean post (surface delivery) has done the trick, albeit slowly. You could opt for the air service, and the package would arrive quickly, and (from my experience) reliably, but a large package is going to be quite expensive.
Other carriers (FedEx, for example) offer good service, but again, it's all up to your pocketbook. I've never regretted using FedEx, but my wallet certainly felt raped.

[Qinella]

My friend bought some furniture here and had it slow-boated back to the US. Takes a little while, but it'll cost loss.

[Dawn]

I'm going to be dealing with the same situation when I leave and had originally planned on using an int'l shipping company. Pricey, but worth it to keep my books secure and in good condition. Int'l mail is probably the cheapest option, but the handling process can be pretty rough, and boxes may or may not arrive -- not a risk I'm willing to take.

[eamo]

Surface mail is the way to go.

But you will need to find good boxes. Normal cardboard boxes won't do. "Teachests" would be best. Sorry, I've no idea where to find those. Try asking at your post office.

[antoniothegreat]

i have been trying to find information like this, but i heard somewhere, you can get a crate on a boat that takes like 3 months, but only costs maybe 300,000 won, and it is pretty big. not sure where...

[cornie_man]

The cheapest and arguably the best option for you is this. Divide your book collection up into two. Send one home via surface mail but keep one novel for yourself. Send the rest to me...

[JongnoGuru]

Cedar, here's a link to a 5-page list of freight forwarders in Korea, with addresses & phone numbers:
http://www.freightnet.com/country/c129-Korea%20South.

They send someone to your home, give you an estimate, and you can discuss shipping times, pick-up or delivery at the receiving end, the "who" & "how" of wrapping and packaging, etc. in person. And yes, it's just like dealing with a moving company -- you have a few of them come by, compare estimates, and go with the one you want or none of them at all. If it's just a matter of 5-6 medium-sized boxes of books, it would seem book rate surface mail via Korea Post might be appropriate. Books don't really "break", and you can insure. Just (obviously) wrap them securely, and maybe bind them together before boxing them to prevent books spilling out and getting lost should the box itself be torn open (unlikely). If it's substantially more than that, check out the following.

Here are just a few from that list:

[Harpeau]

Which one of the these companies might you recommend? Which is less expensive?

[JongnoGuru]

[Cedar]

Thank you everyone, especially the Guru.

Yes, it's books and more books. Only books in Korean I probably have 5 Ramyeon boxes and books in English- forget it, so many! Some of them are books I bound together of articles and essays from other sources- downloads, hand-outs in class, etc. Then there are the newspaper articles (10 years of clippings), the programs for performances (this is research, not keepsakes), the important papers-- all in all a giant 4 drawer office style metal filing cabinet of non-bound papers, 80% of which I need to keep.

Then there are the photo albums from back when I used to do such things. I have maybe 45 albums. Fat ones.

Last but most important, I have slide files-- all in dustproof sealed boxes (like very tough 3 ring binders), but to me, infinitely valuable (they either go Fedex/DHL or at least 1st class post). I have around 50 of those binder-boxes (or I will once I make sure all my slides are in such boxes- some are not mounted now... ).

I will take the Guru's advice, and let you all know later on...

[Dawn]

[Cedar]

Update: I haven't chosen the company yet, but it seems I can do like this:

1. pay to have my stuff sent in a container with other stuff, take longer and someone has to meet it at port of entry (in my lucky case, that's Seattle)... this would be cheaper if I lived in Busan (point of departure) but... around 500,000-800,000 won.

2. get it sent directly from here to my parents house in America, as a unit, without other stuff being handled together with it, for around 1 million.

This is 30 boxes (mostly Number 5 size from the PO) and most of them are books, so they are heavy as hell, but these companies are only interested in dimensions, not weight.

I sent 11 boxes to CHINA on the boat from the PO and paid 240,000 won, so let me tell you, 1 million to America is a big savings.

I have talked to 5 companies, several are coming to give quotes after actually seeing it. One of the 1 million companies PACKS it for you (because of their insurance).

Oh, they like MORE than a week notice to schedule pick up, etc. (I am not giving them that, so they are complaining).

[JongnoGuru]

Great update. And yes, I forgot that important point -- it's dimensions they look at, they don't bring a scale & weigh your stuff.

Out of curiosity, why is it that you're not giving them the week's notice they want? I think you've been preparing your exit for several weeks or months, no? (Yeah, I know I must sound like your dad. Or Homer. Just wondering, though.)