International Shipping assistance network?

Such a "network" has existed for a long time between Tolkien collectors, on an individual basis. Indeed, we first got to know each other because we were on opposite sides of the Atlantic and wanted U.S. or U.K. editions respectively. In those days, there was no Amazon or Book Depository or the like, and paying in a foreign currency was elaborate and expensive, before the introduction of international credit management and PayPal.

We still have this kind of arrangement with several friends in Europe: we buy something for them, they buy something for us, as we choose, we keep track of "accounts", and we negotiate what seems mutually like a fair exchange. This is especially useful for obtaining Tolkien-related society publications which don't enter into the usual trade, or translations not found from online sources, and when we're concerned to get a first printing of a book or a copy in good condition, neither of which one can count on from Amazon et al., but which is sometimes possible when a friend can look at copies in a shop. We have also used friends in the U.K. as shipping addresses for U.K. eBay sellers who won't post to the U.S.A.

From our point of view, there is certainly room for a wider network, and we could see ourselves using it to some degree, while helping others in return.

Wayne & Christina

[1] Very interested and would be a supporter

Hi
Yes
put me down as a 1

1

I would be glad to help others if needed.

The main problem is price though --& the best shipping options (shipping abroad from the UK) just aren't very cheap anymore, regardless of who's shipping. I'm not sure how much difference we can make in this department.

Would agree with Findegil though --already informally doing the other stuff anyway, where normal channels don't work/apply. To be honest I don't really see it making that much difference unless someone, as Urulókë suggests, either wants to buy piles of stuff & have it all shipped over in one go, or is being hampered by a seller simply not willing to ship abroad or to their country. So if we're just talking about tackling these two issues, sure, go for it. I've done this in the past with a few members here & others have kindly made similar arrangements for me too --so happy to help anyone out.

BH

I agree with the other longer responses here, which is that many of us (myself included) already have a network of friends that are able to help out in this regard - but it is also clear that there are other collectors who have not developed their own network yet!

My personal goal here would be to assist other fans and collectors in building their own network of friends and acquaintances, with a little help getting off the ground from the more established fans around here (for example). I don't see this as able to work at large scale in an impersonal, business-like mode of operation.

The sense I get is that 99% of the readers here (most of whom are silent members, and don't post much if at all) would not be comfortable asking any of us for help out of the blue. But if there is a short list of willing helpers in various locations, that could be the seed to allow new relationships to start from.

So a follow-up question: if you were a "volunteer", how comfortable would you be with a request from an unknown person? Would you (a) not want to help in that case, (b) be willing to help out anyways, or (c) want some sort of safety net in cases of lost shipments/fraudulent claims of lost shipments, etc.? Again email or PM are fine if you don't want to share your answer with the world.

If whatever we end up with is a closed network of trusted people, we already have that and don't really need to do anything.

I would be glad, if I could help from /get assistance to Germany.

[1] for me too. I'm Belgium-based (The Netherlands should be no problem either).

Urulókë: for most scenarios the risk (from a monetary point of view) rests pretty solely with the buyer; which in almost all cases (except those scenarios where the buyer gets someone else to purchase on their behalf) will be the person seeking this arrangement in the first place; in order to get round a seller not shipping directly to them, etc.

Yes, there might be complications around something being genuinely lost --but this is dependent on whether the seller/buyer bother with insurance in the first place. I don't think there's a great deal of risk involved for the party forwarding something on i.e. this shouldn't worry anyone (--not that it seems to have anyway, judging by the responses.) Either way, requesting a package go to an address which is not your own, is no different (in principle) from getting something posted to a business/works address. It seems to work fine as an arrangement when I've needed it or others have asked me.

At the end of the day I wouldn't personally request this favour from anyone I didn't "know" --& this "know" I only developed by participation in this forum & from private contact (email).

BH