sending magazines/printed matter internationally?

    I did a trade from the U.S.A. to a fellow in Australia about 4 or 5
years ago.  It was something like 25 pounds of comics on my end, and he
sent me about the same weight in Frew Phantom comics in trade.

   I sent using surface mail.  It took about 6 weeks, but only cost
about $30.  Now I have about 30 pounds of issues I'd like to trade
again, but it looks like the slow, cheap surface mail options are all gone.

   The cheapest I can find is about $170 - or about 5 to 6 times as much
as just a few years ago.

   Not only does the cost make it prohibitive to send printed matter
internationally, but I also don't like the thought of being forced to
use airplanes to send things - the jet fuel exhaust is much more
destructive to the atmosphere per pound shipped than using boats.

   Anyway, I can send the same 30 pound box to any place in the U.S. for
about 12 bucks using media mail.

   Anyone have any thoughts on how I might get it the rest of the way
for cheap?  Thanks!

 

USPS Priority Mail medium flat rate box, 8.5x11x5.5 up to 20 pounds,
is about $45 to Australia.

 Jeff wrote


You are unlikely to be able to get 15 pounds of comics into a box of that size.

 
International surface mail hasn't existed for years. All mail has been
flying for probably 20 years.


Not sure I agree with you on this--ships generally burn bunker fuel, a
thick and fairly dirty oil. Airplanes burn a much cleaner fuel, and only
for hours (USA --> Australia is a total of about 20 hours flying,
IIRC--it's been 30 years since I went there). A ship will take several
days, assuming the container your package is in doesn't wash overboard.


Hang around outside an international airport and ask people travelling
to Australia to transport it for you?   (No, don't actually try that.)

Look into shipping it as freight rather than sending mail. Check your
yellow pages for international shipping companies, and pack it well--put
the comics inside a plastic bag, seal it well, and double box it in
sturdy boxes.


Gary

 
   The difference is that pollution created down lower, at sea level, is
less likely to cause problems in the upper atmosphere.  The pollution
can be cleaned up to some extent by wave action, microbes, etc.

   Have you heard of the ozone layer?  Airplanes fly up high and
disperse their pollutants where it can affect things in the upper
atmosphere.  This means it can cause problems with the layers of
atmosphere that help keep us from getting bombarded with cosmic rays and
such.

   In other words, increased airplane pollution can also lead to greater
radiation bombardment of the surface.  This can cause an increase in
mutations and cancer.