Importing a new Tokai to the USA

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stratfan

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Hi Guys.

I'm finally about to get a new LS150, in HDC, from Richtone, and it will be shipped to the USA next week sometime.

Has anyone out there had a NEW guitar shipped into the US?

What, if any was the import / sales tax rate?

How was it collected?

I know that the UK LSs have the dimple, but believe me, I will have 2 bigger dimples from the huge grin that wll be all over my face when this beauty arrives.

BTW, Kudos to Richtone, they have been on the ball with every email, kept me informed all the way. Very helpful.

John. :)
 
8) where in california r u from john? where did you hear good enough
(besides here) about tokai when you are in USA, so far unfortunately
no serious distributer or dealers for tokai when you are surrounded
millions of gibson? (thats why u ended up buying yours from uk?)
 
Just so you know, there are shops in Japan that will ship you a new Tokai without the dimple headstock and probably for less money. Have you checked any of them out?
 
stratfan said:
I'm living in Alameda, but originally from the UK. I had a friend who had a Tokai Springy back in '82.
Click to expand...

Really? I grew up in Alameda.....lived on Fairview, three houes from High Street. Went to Alameda High School - last graduating class (76) from the old one on Central.
 
This may be a dumb question but what the heck is a dimple? I too got one from richtone last year and don't see what this is? Thanks
 
In the US, getting hit by customs charges seems to be very hit & miss, some people do and some don't, keep your fingers crossed :wink:
 
stratfan said:
Guys, we are getting off the topic.

Can anyone shed light on the original questions that I posted?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Sorry... didn't mean to drift. Don't hear very often of people living in Alameda...got excited. Anyway.....

It depends on where you live from what I've found. I've only been tagged for duties once. Normally, if it is shipped via EMS (mostly from Japan), then the US Postal Service takes over after it hits the States.

If duties are due, they will either collect upon delivery or they might have you come by the Post Office and pay when you pick it up. For the one I paid, I think it was about 15% of the declared value......which can really sting you if the value is much higher than what you paid for it (retail vs cost). You can't negotiate it.... you either pay it or they send it back.

Let us know the details when it arrives..... good chance you won't pay anything.

Now go down to McGees on Park Street and have a beer.
 
FWIW I have imported four guitars from Japan, and have never been charged any customs fees. Good luck.

Oops, forgot to add I'm in the USA :oops:
 
Thanks for the replies.

It seems a common thread that most people bought from Japan. Mine is coming from the UK.

To respond to the dimple issue, going off topic seems to be the norm on this forum, I understand that the UK specific models have a small nub or dimple right in the middle of the "open book" headstock. Apparently this keeps Gxxxxn off their back for copyrighted design.

See also the posting from Richard at Richtone, where he describes the differences between the Japanese market LS line and those from the UK market. You seem to get more for your money from the UK models... Anyone care to weigh in on that point?

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=12850&highlight=richtone


I am getting the Heritage Dark Cherry finish, and I cannot wait :D

John.
 
FWIW I have imported four guitars from Japan, and have never been charged any customs fees. Good luck.
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Hi Ryan, You obviously haven't bought one over $1000 Australian dollars. As soon as you hit that mark it all goes down hill. Anything over $1000 aussie dollars Will be taxed, always check exchange rates to work out your guitar prices, remember this doesn't include the shipping cost, just the guitar. I have been caught once, now i do things differently. I have bought 12 guitars in the last 2 years and i am very wary of customs, i had one guitar go over the $1000 mark because the exchange rate dropped while it was being shipped, when it got here it was $13 dollars over the $1000 mark and i had no end of trouble trying to get the bloody guitar and eventually had to go to the bloody customs office to get it because even though i had paid for the shipping they wouldn't post it to me ......never again.

Mick
 
FWIW, I have imported a ton of guitars from Japan & none of them have been 'new'.

Since I live in the Twin Cities, my imports clear US Customs at O'Hare Int.

They are real keen on sticking my a** for customs duties; rate usually runs 8.7% of the listed value, plus a $10 or $11 fee for superfulous BS on top of the duty :evil:

I was never charged a duty until about the end of 2006, and then it went balistic.

they will tag on a form 19 CFR 154.4, 145.12 aka Mail Entry form :wink: .........

They hit me for about every 7 of 10, or about 70% of what I import

these are always shipped EMS, deliverd by USPS .............

.......... bastards ............
 
MIJvintage said:
I was never charged a duty until about the end of 2006, and then it went balistic.

they will tag on a form 19 CFR 154.4, 145.12 aka Mail Entry form :wink: .........

They hit me for about every 7 of 10, or about 70% of what I import

these are always shipped EMS, deliverd by USPS .............

.......... bastards ............
Click to expand...


My heart bleeds for you! Fancy having to pay import tax to your own government on imports! Outrageous......

It seems that almost everything arriving in the UK gets caught by Customs & Excise. On my most recent purchase (the Breezy) I got charged VAT & import duty, & the Parcelforce "handling fee" was only a few pennies less than the import duty!

You Americans have it easy.

Mike
 
stratfan said:
Guys, we are getting off the topic.

Can anyone shed light on the original questions that I posted?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Sorry but it was mentioned in original post and was curious cuz I can't see any "dimple" on my LS1000 from the uk.
 

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