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taking books to CGC from Canada

Started by howlingdog,

38 posts in this topic

howlingdog

howlingdog

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Hi all, I am a brand new member but long time collector, I will be flying from Canada to Florida next month and hope to bring some books for grading. Any tips or problems with bringing them across the border, they will be shipped home by CGC. Thanks for any advice or experience you can offer.

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slym2none

slym2none

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Pack them up securely and take them in your carry-on. The x-ray machine won't hurt them, and the authorities surely aren't going to make you unpack them. Having them in your carry-on ensures you know where they are at all times and you won't have to worry about the "throwers" possibly damaging them.

 

:)

 

 

 

-slym

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kimik

kimik

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Take them in your carry on and answer any questions if you are asked. My guess - they will not even bother asking about them. I have brought back books on many business trips to the USA and it is not a problem in carry on. Taking them there should not be an issue either.

 

Just make sure that you have a note for CGC to declare them as collector's comics being returned from certified grading so you do not get dinged for GST on the book value (you might on the grading fees, though).

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aardvark88

aardvark88

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Recommend you make color laser copies of your better comics or take pics of them next to a current newspaper headline date before you cross the border to help prove that you owned the comics in Canada before you entered the USA. Else the border patrol may think that u bought the comics at an Eastcost USA comicon, dropped them off at Cgc to get slabbed, and now trying to import 'undeclared goods' back into Canada.

 

Border patrol could even ask u to stamp a UPC code on the back of your comic issue or backing board (at the very least) for tracking of specifically :idea: IDENTIFIABLE vintage inventory from Canada.

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howlingdog

howlingdog

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thanks for the info, carry-on is the way to go,is there a customs form one can fill out to take with the books? and should I even show the custom guys unless they ask about them, they just do the xray of carry on, usually all over in 10 seconds

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Iceman399

Iceman399

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thanks for the info, carry-on is the way to go,is there a customs form one can fill out to take with the books? and should I even show the custom guys unless they ask about them, they just do the xray of carry on, usually all over in 10 seconds

 

You "should" go to the CBSA and get a temporary export form and fill that out so that when the books come back you have proof that they were yours initially. I have had both positive and negative experience with that.

 

1 time the guy just photocopied my cgc forms and signed off on them

1 time the guy required me to open up and show him every single issue I was sending down (this isn't bad in your case from the sounds of it) however I had 100+ books.

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howlingdog

howlingdog

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Looks like form 1Y-38 is needed for temporary export, I am going to the local CBSA office on Friday with the comics and photocopies and I will report back to the Boardies, hopefully I won't be wound up in red tape

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Darjis_

Darjis_

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I'm in Canada (BC) and send books to CGC to be graded all the time. They return ship via Fedex and state in the return form "Canadian goods being returned."

 

98% of the time Fedex doesn't read this line and will attempt to charge you taxes. (It's really not that much, about $20 on a $200 order), however, once you show them that form, they will (always so far for me) not charge you.

 

The only hassles I've had were depending on delivery or if I missed them and had to pick them up. The drivers are unable to wave that fee so in the past, I've provided them with my cc number explained that I shouldn't have been charged and given them a copy of the CGC invoice that states Canadian Goods...this followed up with a phone call to let me know I wont be charged. When I had to pick them up, they were able to wave the fee right there in the office. And I've also had them send an invoice AFTER delivery claiming it needed paying. I called customer service, they forwarded me a form I filled out an submitted and, again, didn't have to pay.

 

Honestly, you might not need that form mentioned above if you don't mind the bit of hassle I have listed.

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Iceman399

Iceman399

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I'm in Canada (BC) and send books to CGC to be graded all the time. They return ship via Fedex and state in the return form "Canadian goods being returned."

 

98% of the time Fedex doesn't read this line and will attempt to charge you taxes. (It's really not that much, about $20 on a $200 order), however, once you show them that form, they will (always so far for me) not charge you.

 

The only hassles I've had were depending on delivery or if I missed them and had to pick them up. The drivers are unable to wave that fee so in the past, I've provided them with my cc number explained that I shouldn't have been charged and given them a copy of the CGC invoice that states Canadian Goods...this followed up with a phone call to let me know I wont be charged. When I had to pick them up, they were able to wave the fee right there in the office. And I've also had them send an invoice AFTER delivery claiming it needed paying. I called customer service, they forwarded me a form I filled out an submitted and, again, didn't have to pay.

 

Honestly, you might not need that form mentioned above if you don't mind the bit of hassle I have listed.

 

I would caution against that. Though you have been "lucky" to get by thus far, the onus is ALWAYS on the individual to prove that the goods originated in Canada. Since the books would have been brought via carry on etc it would be very difficult to prove. Its always nice when you don't have to do the extra legwork but if CBSA decided to press harder for the books/proof it would be a real pain in the .

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Darjis_

Darjis_

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Yeah, I always ship them and have never crossed over the border with them in hand. CGC tends to put my label from the original shipment in with their paperwork as well.

 

And let's be realistic here. Worst case scenario, they deny the wave and I pay $17-20. oooooo.

 

As well, I wouldn't consider myself "lucky" when I've shipped 6 or 7 lots to get graded and returned in this manner.

 

 

 

 

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Iceman399

Iceman399

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Yeah, I always ship them and have never crossed over the border with them in hand. CGC tends to put my label from the original shipment in with their paperwork as well.

 

And let's be realistic here. Worst case scenario, they deny the wave and I pay $17-20. oooooo.

 

As well, I wouldn't consider myself "lucky" when I've shipped 6 or 7 lots to get graded and returned in this manner.

 

That $17-20 is a fedex charge and not the worst case scenario. IF CBSA wanted to "randomly" inspect etc they have every right to hold the books until you can prove they are yours and originated in Canada. If you can't you would be liable for the full FMV of the books taxes.

 

Since I don't know what province or the value of the books I can't guess as to what the taxes could be but if for giggles its $5000 worth of books and lives anywhere outside of BC/AB where the tax is about 13% that is $650 I sure as hell don't want to pay that if I can avoid it by filling out the temporary export forms.

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howlingdog

howlingdog

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Update. the Canadian Border Services Agency website said they had offices at the peterborough Airport (45 min. drive) We get there and even tho they had a sign on the wall the guy there said they had moved out of there 2 or 3 years ago

and the closest office is in Oshawa.. Why not change the Website!! Off to Oshawa( 1 hour drive) on Tuesday, I will phone first and make sure they are there and have the forms I need. It.s not easy being a comic geek. And there are no government zombies like Canuck government zombies,do everything by the book if they can even find the book

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bababooey

bababooey

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Update. the Canadian Border Services Agency website said they had offices at the peterborough Airport (45 min. drive) We get there and even tho they had a sign on the wall the guy there said they had moved out of there 2 or 3 years ago

and the closest office is in Oshawa.. Why not change the Website!! Off to Oshawa( 1 hour drive) on Tuesday, I will phone first and make sure they are there and have the forms I need. It.s not easy being a comic geek. And there are no government zombies like Canuck government zombies,do everything by the book if they can even find the book

If you're flying out you might as well just do the form on your way out of the country - I wouldn't drive that far just to pick up a form that they won't stamp/certify until you are on your way out of the country.

I recommend doing up a list of your books & print a few copies of it to save time when leaving - you'll just put some tombstone data on the y-38 form & then attach your list & they stamp it when you leave. When you return you should only get dinged for taxes on value added (CGC fees)

2c

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VintageComics

VintageComics

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Update. the Canadian Border Services Agency website said they had offices at the peterborough Airport (45 min. drive) We get there and even tho they had a sign on the wall the guy there said they had moved out of there 2 or 3 years ago

and the closest office is in Oshawa.. Why not change the Website!! Off to Oshawa( 1 hour drive) on Tuesday, I will phone first and make sure they are there and have the forms I need. It.s not easy being a comic geek. And there are no government zombies like Canuck government zombies,do everything by the book if they can even find the book

 

You should be able to print off a customs form (called a commercial invoice) somewhere online rather than drive an hour to pick it up.

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