Long-distance moving on the cheap??

 I'm going to be moving from TX. to Rochester, NY.
ALL i'm taking is an armchair, 1 big box (18x18x24), and 3 med. boxes
(18x18x16) for the non-clothing stuff.

Looks like the Minimum for movers like ABF is "5 linear feet" (i.e. 1
linear foot: 1'x8'x9').
They're saying the 1 linear foot equals abt. 500 pounds. I know for
sure I don't have more than about 200 to move.
So far the best quote is- $779 for a cube way bigger than I need.

Please Help Me problem-solve creatively:
How can I cheap out even more?

Has anyone ever shipped a BIG item (like a couple hundred lbs.) by UPS
or some such?
Can you think of anything else?
Let's have some fun with this!

Thanks-
Christine

 

Rent a cheap economy (rent-a-wreck?) car one-way from Texas, return it in
New York.  Have a couple buddies help you flip the armchair upside down and
strap it (securely!) to the roof of the car.  Might want to put a couple
blankets under it first, and a tarp over it.

If you already own a car that you are driving to New York, then this is even
cheaper!!!  -Dave

 sadie wrote:

Were it not for the armchair, you could just put it all in a car.
Does the armchair have sentimental value or some other reason you
must hang onto it?  If not, consider selling the armchair in TX
and buying another one when you get to NY.

For the medium boxes, I'm fairly sure you can just mail these
to yourself, or use UPS.  It shouldn't cost all that much since
you have so few of them.

Another possibility, if both endpoints are in the right place, is
to ship with Amtrak Express:

         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Express

Yet another possibility is to find someone else who is already
moving from the same area to the same area.  Offer them some
money to take your armchair along with their stuff.  You could
pay them when you pick it up -- that way they won't be tempted
to keep it.

   - Logan

 

What's wrong with strapping the chair to the roof of a car?  It can be done,
safely.  It will look like hell, but oh well.  -Dave

 Dave and all,

Nah, nothing wrong with chair-strapping. I don't care how weird it
looks. : )
Chair's from about 1920, gotta stay dry and not get busted up.

Everyone is right- would be best to give/sell the thing (and I hate
people who get all sentimental about furniture).
It was Grandpapa's though.

So thanks for the craigslist, roadway, and amtrak express ideas.
That's what I was lookin' for- knew there had to be other shipping
companies than UPS.

I am driving my car from Austin to Rochester, and will cram all the
heavy stuff in there.

Thank you, everyone!
-Sadie