I heard Larry King say once that all generalizations are wrong.

Last week I read that General Motors is moving the center of their business from Detroit to China.

So they took the bailout money and they're using it to make jobs in China.

Well, yes I am lumping the rest of the world together with Italy on this one. I have done international selling on ebay before and almost every transaction had something go wrong with it, be it it was lost by the shipping company, it was held up in customs, the buyer refused to pay duties on it because I refused to mark it as a gift, things would get returned to me because the idiots at the post office would lose the shipping paperwork fir customs, the list just goes on and on. Its not worth the time and agrrevation to me to ship around the world anymore. I will say this, everytime that the item did make it to where it was going, the buyer was always happy with the item itself. I disclose all flaws, if any, when i list things, that way the buyer is not shocked at some hidden undisclosed flaw. If there is something there after I shipped it, thats a damage claim to be made through the shipping company, and I've never had a problem in that manner. Its the crazy demands SOME of these buyers ask you to do AFTER the fact, and the hassle of customs paperwork, and the shipping companies in general that I don't want to bother with anymore.

As far as the statement about Italians trying to get Vespas back to italy, that is the basic point I made about shipping Rogers, Gretsch, Ludwig, Slingerland, Leedy, etc out of the country. As an american those are part of our heritage, just like the Vespa is part if an Italian's heritage. We are proud of them, and like the italians, I believe the heritage should stay here if possible. Thats the point. If we import everything, what do we have left of our drum heritage? Pearl? Yamaha? old Tamas?? Thats not our heritage, thats Japan's heritage. I'd rather sell to a collector here and keep the heritage here and make a few less $$ now than send the heritage somewhere else just to be greedy and make a few extra $$ from a foreign collector. Money isn't everything you know. (but it does help)

They should take the money back if they actually do that. I say, give tax breaks to these companies if they keep the work here. Create the jobs we need here, so what if they make less of a profit! The whole thing is messed up. I love how the media says that GM and Chrysler don't build vehicles that people want. Well.....guess what? Before the Bush administration jacked the price of oil and gasoline up past $4 a gallon (to line HIS pockets before he left office!!) every american wanted a big honkin gas guzzlin V8 SUV. And that what everyone was selling. As soon as the gas prices went nuts for no reason other than pure greed, it was "oh my god this things a gas hog!" well guess what!??! It was before the prices went that high! All of a sudden we're not making vehicles the public wants?? Everyone panics and trades in the SUVs for a "fuel efficient" vehicle, now its all about going green, blah blah blah. Well, thats the Obama administration foisting that notion on the american public. Since the american car companies were stuck making 50 types of suv's each and very few cars becasue NO ONE WAS BUYING THEM, they get caught with their pants down! Then the current administration gets this "clunker bill" program going and everyone rushes out to buy a small car again.....and other than Ford, the only other cars that qualify are small imports. Which further puts the american car companies in the hole because they have no small cars to sell.......putting the american auto worker slowly out of work. So for the company to survive after bankruptcy they send more jobs overseas which makes the economy tank even more.

Makes perfect sense! Hmmmm

Ok I'm off my Soap Box :D

I think the point which needs to be made here is that all overseas dealings have the potential for more things to go wrong, simply because there are more middlemen involved. Countries have different duties, rules etc and this will have an impact. Buyers are always eager to save as much money as possible because they are aware of the high overseas charges - the marking as a gift is the good example. Personally I've had just as much hassle with my overseas bids as my British ones, but granted, I've never shipped a full kit abroad.

As for the whole sub-argument which has developed in this thread over culture, trade and business. Trade was the cornerstone of the development of the modern world and importing something so others can benefit from it does not in anyway devalue its cultural worth in the country it was made, and the legacy it will leave. Selling companies' names to manufacture cheaper stuff abroad on the other hand, is wrong, but sadly a fact of life in the business-led world we live in. This goes for bringing in foreign labour too.

So, be proud of the kits your country made, but give others a chance to enjoy them too. Indeed, if they are as good as we say and think they are, then nobody will every forget where they are from. It'll just mean that others will be getting the chance to enjoy them too.

Hey Guys,Boy i love this with all the replys about ebay shipping..i must say that Ludwig-Dude is right on most of the points he has stated..But i for one have shipped many vintage parts around the world just to name a few japan,england,ete from my listings on ebay and off of ebay [like forums like this] I have nevered had such a problem with any of these,but only with italy...i will still ship all over most of the world,but not to italy..I'am just hopeing that this guy does not open a case at ebay over this,I just want this to end,but I also know this guy will leave bad feedback but thats only one i think ebayers will see all the other feedback and judge me on that....Oh i will keep you guys posted on this in the days to came..Thanks for all the input ,,mikey

I would keep all correspondence with him and post in every new listing after that what happened and offer to give info to anyone that wants to know. And use it in your listing as an example as to why you don't ship Internationally, or at least to Italy. Tell people, one jerk ruined for all. And no, I DO NOT SHIP TO ______. (fill in the blank)

Fair enough...

Just to keep the threadjack going...

The problem with keeping American-made products in America is that it's bad for the U.S. economy. The way to bring added wealth into a country is to export goods. The more foreign dollars you have pouring in, the better off you are.

On a more individual note, eBay sellers who are willing to ship outside the U.S. can often command higher prices. There just aren't as many vintage U.S. drums outside the U.S., and there aren't as many U.S. sellers willing to ship internationally. That means demand outside the U.S. outstrips supply, and the drums are likely to sell for more. If you can put up with the shipping hassles, it's good business.

How so?

The item might sell for more, but not because the seller commands it. The buyers determine the sales price.

True, the buyer determines the sale price--but a Canadian looking for a particular item will have fewer sellers to choose from. If there are only one or two sellers who are willing to ship the item to him, he'll bid higher to make sure he wins the auction. Also, there aren't as many music shops and great garage sale finds up here, so vintage drums are rarer and command a higher price in Canada than they do in the States. An American seller willing to ship up here can take advantage of the fact that demand in Canada outstrips supply, and may get a higher price.

My two cents. :)