Those look like you could pack them flat. I bet you could find a shipper (FedEx or UPS even) that would give you a quote. Just pack them well and insure it.

Most of international moving companies accept small shipping also, we used 5 m³ and it was very enough for us.

I used Seven Seas to ship a few boxes a few years ago. I can't give the best review (lack of communication mainly the problem) but they did the job and my stuff arrived safely.

If they pack flat and aren't too heavy, it might be worth it to check them on the airline. Have you asked for their rates? When I moved back from Italy, I brought a TON of stuff (not furniture, but stuff nonetheless) and just paid the extra checked baggage fees.

Take the Queen Mary 2 home and bring them home in your luggage...

How about checking airline cargo rates?

yeah, I too would put them in a large duffel bag or box and bring them on the plane. The charges usually aren't that bad (I brought an extra duffel of stuff home from Morocco, and it was only $15... but it was also pretty light).

Airline cargo is the way to go I'd imagine

You get companies that do "part loads". They'll put your things in a container for you, shared with other things that have to go that way, and then that'll be sent to you by sea and truck. It's the cheapest option.

P.S. Checking additional baggage can cost a fortune nowadays (I've seen £200 for an extra bag, and that didn't even look at weight).

Those are nice chairs... and one of your cohort just did a post on orange furniture two items after you. XD

Yeah, for this particular case, I agree, just take them with you on the plane. But I suppose you were hoping someone had a cheap solution, and then you would feel able to pick up something else; something even bulkier, perhaps....

I had a futon shipped from japan one time. The shipping wound up being more than the futon. SO ANGRY. (It wasn't even heavy, it just came in a box with large dimensions and they couldn't hold it for me....)

I think the extra baggage costs just depend on the countries, direction, & carrier. We've done partial "moving" that way with each extra piece (luggage or bound-box) costing $45 (Netherlands & U.S.). I think our airline had a generous maximum of 10 extra pieces.

starlinguk's idea is how we almost did it before. Expat websites (expatica, etc.) & their forums can be helpful (or confusing!) for getting recommendations on specific companies.

Similar to that idea (sharing a moving storage container), from the U.S. to Europe, we used a 3rd Party shipping company that put our boxes on a large pallet, wrapped it up in plastic, & it arrived in a week or so. That was post-9/11/01.

Also, you will want to read up on U.S. Customs laws to make sure your follow all rules. There may be extra duties/taxes to consider (you don't want to be surprised by that) -- but I'm not sure about that, coming into the U.S.

Do you happen to know any Americans shipping back for a big move this summer/ fall? My parents used to do this when they did big moves and really didn't mind if they already had a container, what's 6 extra flat chairs?

Wow. What a cool score. I'm sure you can get them back without too much difficulty.

As people suggest, definitely check into airline cargo rates. I've done it two ways - as checked baggage and as cargo. Both were surprisingly less expensive than I thought.

Remember that international flights have different baggage allowances than internal EU flights. I've gotten caught out on this before.

Also, 6 years ago, I also shipped a bunch of stuff from the UK to the USA. I just googled overseas shipping from the UK and found a place that did it for around £200. This was 4l large pieces of furniture (desk, dressing table etc) and 3 large boxes. It took 2 months and I was able to meet it at the port of Boston to clear customs. Otherwise there would have been an additional charge for someone to expedite that.

There's a place in the UK called Excess Baggage. It might be a bit pricey, but I think they do door to door service. I wouldn't be surprised if they were in France, too.

that should say 4 large pieces of furniture, not 41.

Yeah, when I moved home from Japan they charged me $400 for one extra box of stuff that I dodn't want to have crated and shipped home (about 2.5'x3'). It was worth it for me, because I wanted the stuff on arrival, but I don't know that I'd want to go that way in your situation. It DEF won't be a simple $15 charge anymore. You may just have to bite the bullet and pay extra to ship them - won't it be worth it to proudly tell your guests 5 years from now "those? Oh, I got them when I lived in Paris" ;)

I lived in London for a couple of years and arranged for 4 packing boxes to be shipped back to Australia with a specialist shipping company that deals with backpackers. They advertise in places like Time Out magazine. It cost a couple hundred pounds, there's no getting around that! You said you got things for a song so what's the big deal about paying for freight, plus your items are unique so worth every cent when you get back home and can show them off with pride.

the shared container thing works really well, especially if timing isn't critical. The longer you're willing to wait for them, the cheaper it can be. I don't know any actual company names, but I know of a few people who have shipped things that way from Japan and it was quite reasonable, and everything arrived safely!

I'd say, call back fedex and UPS and ask them for their FREIGHT rates. That's a very different animal than overnight services that they typically offer. You can also look up moving, "expediting" or freight services to find a company willing to send them the "slow-boat" (AKA affordable) way. Great looking chairs by the way.

I do shop flea and antique markets during my travels but, because of the shipping, generally try to stick with items that I can fit into my luggage (or pack/wrap myself and ask a concierge to ship for me - I always travel with packing tape & pre-addressed labels). It really is a hassle to ship larger items back home but it's worth it when you've got the item in your house! In this case I think you'll find that the least expensive and most sanity-preserving way is to simply have them boxed and padded properly and bring them home as additional luggage (could you buy an extra suitcase, large enough, and use your clothing to help pad the chairs?). Second, I'd check freight rates through all shippers, it's not cheap but it's usually reliable transport. Third, I'd check with antiques importers in the area you're moving to in the U.S. and find one that you can 'share' a freight container with (that way you'll know it's a container coming close to your home) - they should be able to tell you when their next container is shipping and who you could leave the chairs with (though I'd err on hauling them myself, since they fold, before taking this option).

Good luck!

Put rollers on two legs, and pretend they are luggage strollers?

Check with some airlines. If you don't need your stuff at the same time as you arrive, you can sometimes get a freight rate/cargo rate from the airline. Just be aware that if your stuff is arriving before you, you need a buddy to pick them up for you because the airline usually cannot babysit them for you once they are off-loaded from the plane, or if they do they can hold your items for a limited length of time.

If you don't know anyone where you'll be moving, ask friends if they know anyone or consider Craigslisting the task. Kind of like Hawkeye having ribs from Chicago delivered to Korea just by calling in a favor on MASH. LOL

Check with 1stdibs.com. They have companies that ship items from France all the time.

http://www.upakweship.com/services-baggage.php

When I moved back to the States from France a little over a year ago I mailed a package of my extra stuff by la Poste. I just packed up a box and brought it to the local branch. If you look at their website, laposte.fr, they have a link to a pdf with all of their prices:
http://www.laposte.fr/content/download/9317/67273/file/Métropole%20BP.pdf?espace=particulier
(Look under "colissimo international" and the US is "Zone C")
It does indeed take quite a while to get the package and you need to make sure you pack well. I think the prices wind up being better than taking extra luggage on a flight and it saves tremendous hassle to not have to deal with it while traveling.

When I moved from Paris to the States a few years ago, I used a company called Europe USA (I think...maybe Euro USA). Anyhow, it was relatively cheap (but I had a lot of stuff), everything arrived in one piece and it only took about 6 weeks.
Good luck!

I lived in Paris for a couple of years as well, and would recommed La Poste too. I shipped to Costa Rica 120 paper lamps, in a box that measured aprox 80x80x40 cm for about 80 Euros. And it arrived perfectly, I was beyond amazed, it took about three weeks to arrive.

Check DHL, which is widely used for shipping -and look at options that aren't premium. Also check out accompanied baggage on an airline - might not be as bad as you think, but who knows with all the extra fees. Get it crated however you ship - a box I just shipped home from Europe was torn open, and it was a pretty strong cardboard box.

I would also speak to dealers at the Paris flea market and to some regular dealers in vintage goods - I am sure they ship or advise customers all the time.

I've been wondering the same thing about shipping large and large-ish flea market finds back from China.

Those do look like they'd fit in a gigantic suitcase. If you haven't already booked your return flight, it would be worth shopping around between airlines to see what their extra baggage cost would be. More for the ticket but less for the chairs would be a worthwhile trade-off.

another DHL vote. I haven't used them myself but my in-laws from Indonesia have used them for 2 moves between Indonesia and the US and countless times for gifts and shopping scores all around SE Asia. They really like them.

UPS will be the cheapest unless you can find another French shipper... I just moved from the UK back state-side and used Excess Baggage (they shipped my stuff via UPS but have a bulk deal). If you're shipping lots of stuff, a 3rd party company might get a better 'bulk' shipping deal.

Others have mentioned La Poste - reliable, and very reasonable rates.

why don't you check them as unaccompanied luggage with your airline. I did that when I moved out of Asia and paid $200 for a 100kg trunk. It arrived 3 days after me and I just had to pick it up at the airport.

Otherwise if you have heavy and bulky pieces, and are not in a hurry to get them, I would suggest getting quotes from movers. Forget UPS and other express carriers, their tariffs are prohibitive!

I went from Mexico city to London via Paris and I had a bought a small-ish cabinet literally on the way to the airport. I had it wrapped in card board and foil and took it to the airport and it was absolutely fine. They just charged 55$.
I am sure you could do the same.
Good luck!

Don't know how but know that you need to get them back! These are fab chairs... good eye! Love!

Hi Rucy, I am planning a trip to Europe with my husband and I was curious about shipping items back. I see you shop the flea and antique markets. We were in Provence 3 years ago and found a source for wonderful doors, antique and reproduction. We also found some vintage electric sconces in a small town and bought all that they had (I believe there were 9 or 10) for around 5 euros each. Those we packed and carried on the plane. We are planning to build a French style house next year and would love to pick things up while we are there. So many designers do this and certainly make a profit after shipping. Do you know if it is easy to share a container? Thanks for any help. Joyce