Shipping a Trumpet, Cornet, or Flugelhorn

With few and very rare exceptions, the safest (as well as less expensive) way to ship your trumpet, cornet, or flugelhorn is generously cushioned in a separate box, and NOT in a case. (In almost all instances, if your horn arrives at the Doctor Valve shop in a case, it will be shipped back to you separately.) A carefully prepared instrument, cushioned in a 5 to 6 layer bubblewrap pillow and nestled TIGHTLY in a doublewalled box will survive most anything.

The "old" packing directions have been relocated to a separate dial-up friendly page and we now have a NEW slideshow page with better pictures and a special guest packing assistant. Download size is about 600KB, approximately 1.5 minutes on dial-up, less than 20 seconds on broadband.  Please see either (or both) of those pages for some detailed pictures and instructions on how to pack your trumpet for safe shipping.

Necessary Materials

• A double-walled box, approximately 24" x 8" x 12" for trumpets
  24" x 12" x 12" for flugelhorns
• 25 to 30 ft of 12" wide 1" bubble (large bubble) bubblewrap
• for flugels, 2 bubblewrap "pillows" and 2 bubblewrap "cushions" for either side of the box
• 2 twister-ties, pipe-cleaners, or poly bands
• tape (use brown PAPER tape to reinforce all seams for shipping USPS Registered Priority Mail)

Detailed Instructions - With Pictures

For instructions plus pictures, you may see the "old" directions (with Steve wrapping a trumpet) on the dial-up friendly page or the new slick presentation with our "guest packing assistant" on the broadband slideshow page.  To open either of these in a separate window, click the appropriate button below.

Shipping Charges

NOTICE: New USPS postal rates (effective 5/14/07) have SEVERELY impacted my shipping costs. The standard trumpet box (24" x 8" x 12") is larger than 1 cubic foot, and now subject to "dimensional pricing" when shipped Priority Mail. Shipping costs for Registered Insured Priority and "regular" Priority Mail (for shipping kits) increased by $19 - $30, making the price difference between Priority and Express Mail negligible. The shipping prices below are now $20 higher than before, but includes Express Mail return shipping.

The invoiced shipping charges on services which include instrument refinishing (replates or instrument overhauls) is $80.00. This consists of insured shipping of your instrument to and from the platers as well as insured Express Mail return shipping of your horn to you.

The invoiced shipping charges on services which include valve plating (valve overhauls or valve restorations) is $65.00. This consists of insured shipping of the valves to and from the platers as well as insured Express Mail return shipping of your instrument to you.

The invoiced shipping charges on services for an instrument which does NOT require a trip to the platers is $55.00 for insured Express Mail return shipping to you.

If your case needs to be sent back to you separately, the invoiced shipping charges will be $15 to $35 for Priority Mail, depending on distance.

I enjoy meeting my clients, so if you live near Chicago, or your work or travels bring you to the Chicago area, you are welcome to save yourself the delivery and/or return shipping charges. Please email or phone first if you plan to deliver and/or pick-up your instrument at the shop.
 

Shipping your horn to the shop

I recommend shipping via Insured and Registered USPS Priority Mail (or Insured Express Mail for RUSH services.) Note, this is REGISTERED, not CERTIFIED (Certified Mail simply provides proof of mailing and receipt, and only costs $2.30.)

"Registered Mail" requires one extra form at the sending post office and the use of brown paper packing tape to seal the opening of the box AND reinforce all seams (the PO stamps the paper tape at all seams and the opening to ensure it is not tampered with.) To make this as easy as possible, the Doctor Valve Safe Trumpet Shipping Kit includes the brown paper packing tape and the Registered form and a preprinted Priority label.

Registered Priority Mail is the least expensive and safest way I've found to ship a trumpet. A box shipped REGISTERED stays in a locked room or vault at the shipping and receiving post offices, travels a different mail stream than the rest of Priority Mail, and requires a signature for delivery.

For instruments over $1000 value, shipping Registered Priority with postal insurance is significantly less expensive than unregistered Priority Mail with insurance.

If getting to your local post office isn't convenient, good alternatives are Insured UPS Second Day Air or Insured FedEx. I haven't had a problem with any of these specific shipping methods, however, be sure to insure your horn for its full value.

Average Shipping Rates

Rates confirmed 4 January 2007 for a 7 pound, 24"x12"x12" package, insured for $2,500.00. Note that these carriers may include distance in their rate calculation, so your prices may be different than the Atlanta to Chicago rates below.
 
• United States Postal Service (Atlanta to Chicago)
•  USPS Registered Priority $10.35 + $12.05 (reg + 2.5k ins) = $22.40
•  USPS Priority $10.35 + $27.50 (2.5k ins) = $37.85
•  USPS Express $35.25 + $25.20 (2.5k ins.) = $60.45

 
• Federal Express (Atlanta to Chicago)
•  FedEx 2day $24.19 + $10.00 (2k ins) = $34.19
•  FedEx Express Saver (3day) $22.47 + $10.00 (2k ins) = $32.47

 
• United Parcel Service (Atlanta to Chicago)
•  UPS 2nd day $31.16 + $10.00 (2k ins) = $41.16
•  UPS ground* = $13.84 + $10.00 (2k ins) = $23.84

* I do NOT recommend shipping your horn via regular ground UPS (with other packages which can weigh up to 150 pounds!) The cost savings do NOT outweigh the increased possibilty of an injured horn. 

Doctor Valve
42 N. Ashland Ave, La Grange IL 60525-2009
voice: 708-482-8153, fax: 708-497-1262, or
 

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