How to Import Antique Furniture from England

Overseas Shipping Containers Direct from Dealer or DIY

Aug 9, 2009

Buying antiques in England is easy. Shipping them is the hard part. It's both expensive and time-consuming, but there are options to consider for individuals and dealers.

England never seems to run out of antique furniture and bric-a-brac. The British may be "Just out of tea," but they are never "Just out of antiques." Many of these antiques fall into the hands of dealers and into markets and warehouses. And every day a fresh supply of antiques spills into the dockyards along the Thames from towns, villages and cities all over Britain.

North Americans have been buying antiques in England and shipping them across the pond since colonization. Today, English and European antiques are filling the high-end shops of New York, Toronto and other cities and towns across the continent. Homes are soon enriched with a bit of old England.

Antique Buying in England

Antique buying is the easy part. Auctions, antique wholesalers, second-hand shops, car-boot sales and estate sales always have a good supply. So for buyers who want to pick and choose the pieces themselves, it's good to do some planning in advance of making the trip.

Internet research can bring up future auction sale dates, business listings and classified ads for car boot sales, estate sales and private merchandise for sale. Search terms should include the location the buyer is expected to travel to.

Do the price comparison to pieces easily bought at home. And include the shipping costs, duty and brokerage fees. Great deals in England are rare, but the selection is superb for any dealer or individual.

English Antiques

It was only 40 years ago when Welsh cupboards, also known as Welsh dressers, could be had for for less than $200. Today, a buyer might expect to pay upwards of $20,000 and beyond. They are rare in today's market, but certainly worth seeking out.

English farmhouse tables and refectory tables can easily fetch as much as $7000 or more when bought directly from a dealer in England.

Starting prices for 18th century Chippendale and Hepplewhite furniture can start as high as $8000. And it's not unusual to see these pieces selling for ten times that amount.

If the buyer is determined to find authentic English antiques without paying the dealer's mark-up, auction houses may be a good place to begin the hunt.

Shipping Antiques from England

Before making an antique buying trip to England, part of the pre-planning should include lining up a shipping agent at home with contacts and warehouses overseas. It's a good idea to contact the overseas subsidiary upon arrival to ensure someone will be taking care of things. Buyers need to discuss a few things with their shipping agents to get a full understanding of how it works.

Ask if they will pick up the goods purchased or if the buyer is responsible to get the goods to the shipping agent. Ask about costs per square meter in the shipping container, shared container space and costs for full shipping containers. Ask how long it will take for the container to cross the pond. If the buyer isn't buying enough to fill a whole container, the shipping container will be shared and it can take a long time.

Buying Antiques through Dealer Exporters

Buying antiques through dealer exporters is a trend among some larger antique dealers in Britain who are now selling shipping container loads of antiques for a set price. The buyer will given a few sample photographs of past shipments. Generally, every drawer, chest, wardrobe is filled with antique bric-a-brac to ensure the container space is used to its full advantage.

Costs of Antiques when Buying through Dealer Exporters

When buying through dealer exporters, usually the buyer will pick a price point of $10,000 and up. $10,000 could include over 150 pieces of furniture and a huge selection of bric-a-brac, also known as "smalls." The buyer cannot pick and choose the pieces themselves, but it is possible amend an arrangement to include something the buyer has been looking for. These are basically dealer lots, but a homeowner could easily furnish their homes this way and resell what they don't want.

Container Shipping Costs

The set fees to the dealer exporter do not include the actual shipping, which could cost up to $10,000. Brokerage fees, duty and the cost of transporting the goods to the buyer's location are also extra. All fees, including the purchase of antiques, hiring people to pack the shipping container, the time spent in foraging for antiques and hiring removal companies, could be much higher if the buyer were to do the work themselves.

Overseas dealer exporters will pick the items, pack them into the container and arrange shipping. Expect to make a lot of phone calls overseas if taking this route. It's important to feel comfortable with the dealer shipper and to stay in communication. Look for dealers with lots of experience and ask for local references before committing to a contract.

Buying through a dealer exporter is a good easy route to take and it's becoming very popular among North American antique dealers. It eliminates the need for an overseas buying trip. It's a huge investment, but the dealer's patrons will be pleased with the selection in their shops and they'll pay a premium for English and European antiques.

The copyright of the article How to Import Antique Furniture from England in Antique Furniture is owned by Lorraine Syratt. Permission to republish How to Import Antique Furniture from England in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.