Wings, baby, Wings

[travel_dude]

11 hours ago, conundrumed said:

Hey, I love being Prime.

Fun story. An old and dear friend crossed the river into the US and opened a US address business.

It’s delightful. Don’t ship to Canada? Okay. Here’s a Port Huron, Michigan address 15 minutes away and visit a buddy.

It’s kinda spectacular. 

 

Ooof.  Sounds a bit shady.  LOL.  Hope CBSA are not Flames fans.

[conundrumed]

2 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Ooof.  Sounds a bit shady.  LOL.  Hope CBSA are not Flames fans.

Perfectly legal. Every CDN pickup over $100 links to Border Customs. He has a small pick-up frontage and a giant warehouse. $5 pickup fee. He does well. I'm shocked by what people don't pickup. He started 6 month holds but had to reduce it to 90 days.

Too much never picked up. Then he runs on-line auctions.

Everyone picks up their guitars and sound gear, so that part kinda sucks for me.

He's a dual citizen, of course.

[The_People1]

20 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

Perfectly legal. Every CDN pickup over $100 links to Border Customs. He has a small pick-up frontage and a giant warehouse. $5 pickup fee. He does well. I'm shocked by what people don't pickup. He started 6 month holds but had to reduce it to 90 days.

Too much never picked up. Then he runs on-line auctions.

Everyone picks up their guitars and sound gear, so that part kinda sucks for me.

He's a dual citizen, of course.

 

Exchange rate is brutal now though.  And USA inflation is worse than Canada it seems.  Probably better for Americans to buy same stuff in Canada and bring it back home.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, conundrumed said:

Perfectly legal. Every CDN pickup over $100 links to Border Customs. He has a small pick-up frontage and a giant warehouse. $5 pickup fee. He does well. I'm shocked by what people don't pickup. He started 6 month holds but had to reduce it to 90 days.

Too much never picked up. Then he runs on-line auctions.

Everyone picks up their guitars and sound gear, so that part kinda sucks for me.

He's a dual citizen, of course.

 

Context matters.  Maybe I am misinformed, but I thought that less than 24 hours there is no personal exemptions.  24-48 it's $200 CDN.  I know in the old days you could cross and bring back groceries etc up to $100.  Am I looking at the wrong thing?

 

Not nitpicking here, it sounds like a great thing he does.  It's so frustrating finding car parts for old vehicles.  I needed a main fuse for a '84 CRX.  Only place in North America I could find was in USA.  Only one place would even ship to Canada.  Part was $1.14 USD.  Could only get minimum of 3 shipped, and the shipping and other charges made it about $14 CDN.  This is a part the size of a stick of gum and weighed about 10 grams, if that.

[conundrumed]

32 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Context matters.  Maybe I am misinformed, but I thought that less than 24 hours there is no personal exemptions.  24-48 it's $200 CDN.  I know in the old days you could cross and bring back groceries etc up to $100.  Am I looking at the wrong thing?

 

Not nitpicking here, it sounds like a great thing he does.  It's so frustrating finding car parts for old vehicles.  I needed a main fuse for a '84 CRX.  Only place in North America I could find was in USA.  Only one place would even ship to Canada.  Part was $1.14 USD.  Could only get minimum of 3 shipped, and the shipping and other charges made it about $14 CDN.  This is a part the size of a stick of gum and weighed about 10 grams, if that.

Hahaha. That goes out the window in border towns. I try to keep groceries <$100, but I've exceeded $200 on occasion and waved through. Maybe 2 hours in the US.

It's too much volume to clog up customs for a few dollars. I buy beer at duty free, and come right back. Pay duty on 6-8 flats, and it works out to <$40 with duty and exchange. Well worth it. Takes about 30 minutes.

The main thing, be friendly with law enforcement. Smile, be chatty, don't lie. On the US side questions on beer runs, I say, "I'm going to that duty free right there". How long will you be in the country? "As long as it takes to load up on beer and come back". They laugh. Wine's cheap too. They don't bother with 1 bottle. When I grocery shop I always grab a bottle.

I've been in secondary, produced receipts, and get, "why are you here"? They told me to. "Go, we don't need your, what, $10? Have a good day".

They are waaay too busy for nickels and dimes.

 

[travel_dude]

53 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

Hahaha. That goes out the window in border towns. I try to keep groceries <$100, but I've exceeded $200 on occasion and waved through. Maybe 2 hours in the US.

It's too much volume to clog up customs for a few dollars. I buy beer at duty free, and come right back. Pay duty on 6-8 flats, and it works out to <$40 with duty and exchange. Well worth it. Takes about 30 minutes.

The main thing, be friendly with law enforcement. Smile, be chatty, don't lie. On the US side questions on beer runs, I say, "I'm going to that duty free right there". How long will you be in the country? "As long as it takes to load up on beer and come back". They laugh. Wine's cheap too. They don't bother with 1 bottle. When I grocery shop I always grab a bottle.

I've been in secondary, produced receipts, and get, "why are you here"? They told me to. "Go, we don't need your, what, $10? Have a good day".

They are waaay too busy for nickels and dimes.

 

 

Hey, all I was talking about was rules man.  I would say they should spend more time asking if you have guns, have been to a failed nation state lately, just finished flying lessons, have a bag of cash, or work for an arms dealer.  More serious things to worry about.  

 

Years ago they used to ask the standard questions, did you have mods done to your vehicle?  What was the value of your purchases, etc.  The good old days of pr dollar.  Seems like forever ago.

[conundrumed]

27 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Hey, all I was talking about was rules man.  I would say they should spend more time asking if you have guns, have been to a failed nation state lately, just finished flying lessons, have a bag of cash, or work for an arms dealer.  More serious things to worry about.  

 

Years ago they used to ask the standard questions, did you have mods done to your vehicle?  What was the value of your purchases, etc.  The good old days of pr dollar.  Seems like forever ago.

It's

1. Purpose

2. How long were you away

3. What did you purchase and value

4. Any alcohol or tobacco

On the US side, you can't bring in food of any kind.

In Canada, we're bringing in tons. lol Particularly dairy. And Gordon Foods. You've likely seen their transports. They have a store in Port Huron. Everything from meats to cheeses to desserts are unreal quality. Always shop there. It's bulk, like a Costco, but focused on meats, produce, dairy and bakery.

We do a fair bit of hosting parties. We always go there for quantities. I saw their trucks at Tim's a lot all over Alberta, but they are waaaay more than that. I had zero idea they have small grocery stores until about 10 yrs ago when my bro-in-law told me. Everything is top shelf and reasonably priced for what you get.

[travel_dude]

8 hours ago, conundrumed said:

It's

1. Purpose

2. How long were you away

3. What did you purchase and value

4. Any alcohol or tobacco

On the US side, you can't bring in food of any kind.

In Canada, we're bringing in tons. lol Particularly dairy. And Gordon Foods. You've likely seen their transports. They have a store in Port Huron. Everything from meats to cheeses to desserts are unreal quality. Always shop there. It's bulk, like a Costco, but focused on meats, produce, dairy and bakery.

We do a fair bit of hosting parties. We always go there for quantities. I saw their trucks at Tim's a lot all over Alberta, but they are waaaay more than that. I had zero idea they have small grocery stores until about 10 yrs ago when my bro-in-law told me. Everything is top shelf and reasonably priced for what you get.

 

You forget about the Did you visit a farm in the last 7 days?  TBH, it's so long since I crossed the land border.  Bangor and Portland was the only real options from NS.  Back then Bangor was still a bit of a hick town, but noce folks.  They had a local NBC affilliate WLBZ, and the weekend TV hot things were HeeHaw and Dick Stacey's Country Jamboree, sponsored by Dick Stacey Chevron and Dick Stacey's Chevron Motel.  One trip down there with the fam damly, we were stucj and stayed a night at that motel.  Yikes.  Great decor; you would never see the blood in the dark maroon velour and dark wood.

  

Forgive my trip down memory lane; your talk about cross border shopping reminded me of a few car trips.  Best one was to Virginia, coaster tour and touring the GW carrier.  Friend was Lieutenant Commander serving on it at the time.  Ate in the Officer's Mess, got to see the cargo deck, flight deck and forecastle.  It was so cool.  

[conundrumed]

8 hours ago, travel_dude said:

It was so cool.  

That is very cool!!