High Keyboard Shipping

[Zukoi]

I was looking for alps keyboards for use as a donator but the problem I constantly ran into was very high shipping fees (at least for me.) On average, I saw $15 dollar shipping and for a project that I wish to keep the cost down low, it's pretty bad even when the price of the keyboard is good.

I tried to go to thrift shops and look for keyboards but they either don't have keyboards or they are crappy rubber domes.

I bought a Model M and the shipping rate was $15 which made the $30 keyboard to $45. But I am pretty happy with the keyboard and learning how to soldier and work with micro controllers is irreplaceable. 

Anyone else have issues with shipping costs?

[rowdy]

You should try shipping a keyboard from the US to Australia - shipping cost usually around $40 to $80!

[bueller]

You should try shipping a keyboard from the US to Australia - shipping cost usually around $40 to $80!

Yeah and it's not getting any cheaper with the exchange rate getting worse. MechanicalKeyboards.com wanted $30 USD the other day just for 100 switches. **** that ****.

[Axollott]

You should try shipping a keyboard from the US to Australia - shipping cost usually around $40 to $80!

Yeah and it's not getting any cheaper with the exchange rate getting worse. MechanicalKeyboards.com wanted $30 USD the other day just for 100 switches. **** that ****.

So is the exchange rate to USD getting worse for everyone? My national currency has faced an approximately 20% devaluation against the USD since December, making everything at least 20% more expensive. It's the first occasion that I can remember where buying things in here is sometimes cheaper than the U.S.  It sucks. And I guess its only cheaper for now because some vendors have previously bought stocks of the minimal amount of products they sell but I'm sure when they need to buy more again everything will get way more expensive. FML .

[tbc]

it costs me $40 to get a unicomp from usa to canada :/

in 2013

[bueller]

You should try shipping a keyboard from the US to Australia - shipping cost usually around $40 to $80!

Yeah and it's not getting any cheaper with the exchange rate getting worse. MechanicalKeyboards.com wanted $30 USD the other day just for 100 switches. **** that ****.

So is the exchange rate to USD getting worse for everyone? My national currency has faced an approximately 20% devaluation against the USD since December, making everything at least 20% more expensive. It's the first occasion that I can remember where buying things in here is sometimes cheaper than the U.S.  It sucks. And I guess its only cheaper for now because some vendors have previously bought stocks of the minimal amount of products they sell but I'm sure when they need to buy more again everything will get way more expensive. FML .

Yeah that's pretty similar to Aus. Last year our dollar took about a 25% dive against the greenback, it's recovered slightly since then but it's unlikely to ever return to the rates we were previously used to.

[tbc]

You should try shipping a keyboard from the US to Australia - shipping cost usually around $40 to $80!

Yeah and it's not getting any cheaper with the exchange rate getting worse. MechanicalKeyboards.com wanted $30 USD the other day just for 100 switches. **** that ****.

So is the exchange rate to USD getting worse for everyone? My national currency has faced an approximately 20% devaluation against the USD since December, making everything at least 20% more expensive. It's the first occasion that I can remember where buying things in here is sometimes cheaper than the U.S.  It sucks. And I guess its only cheaper for now because some vendors have previously bought stocks of the minimal amount of products they sell but I'm sure when they need to buy more again everything will get way more expensive. FML .

Yeah that's pretty similar to Aus. Last year our dollar took about a 25% dive against the greenback, it's recovered slightly since then but it's unlikely to ever return to the rates we were previously used to.

AUD dropped or USD rose?

we had CAD drop and USD rise in Canada -_-

[bueller]

You should try shipping a keyboard from the US to Australia - shipping cost usually around $40 to $80!

Yeah and it's not getting any cheaper with the exchange rate getting worse. MechanicalKeyboards.com wanted $30 USD the other day just for 100 switches. **** that ****.

So is the exchange rate to USD getting worse for everyone? My national currency has faced an approximately 20% devaluation against the USD since December, making everything at least 20% more expensive. It's the first occasion that I can remember where buying things in here is sometimes cheaper than the U.S.  It sucks. And I guess its only cheaper for now because some vendors have previously bought stocks of the minimal amount of products they sell but I'm sure when they need to buy more again everything will get way more expensive. FML .

Yeah that's pretty similar to Aus. Last year our dollar took about a 25% dive against the greenback, it's recovered slightly since then but it's unlikely to ever return to the rates we were previously used to.

AUD dropped or USD rose?

we had CAD drop and USD rise in Canada -_-

Combination of both, AUD has been down while the USD has been rising.

[Evo_Spec]

JPY is down too, sucks cause I did my exchange from CAD before CAD dropped.

[hwood34]

USA! USA!

[fohat.digs]

There are lots of factors, but at the low end shipping is a larger cost than the price of the item.

In the US, the large flat rate game board box is a "sure thing" at $17 domestic, $53 to Canada (and probably Mexico, but I have never shipped there) and $78 international (but the PO allows higher-priced exceptions even to that, eg Morocco).

A moderate-weight keyboard can be shipped to a neighboring state for as little as $8-10, but by the time you are going cross-country the flat-rate box is often the best you can do. At least you can put 2 Model Ms in it for the same price.

Having become accustomed to cheap shipping from the 1970s-1990s, skyrocketing prices in recent years continue to astound me, but, as others have said, get used to it, they won't be going down.

[KHAANNN]

For internationals, I suggest Shipito, an extremely valuable service in my opinion

You can combine 10+ items into one package, both eases shipping, reduces the cost, and more importantly eases the customs hassle, lately they have been holding every item at customs here, at least with shipito'ed packages, the visit is reduced to 1
(they probably boost the shipping cost just a bit as everyone does, but overall, the gain was tremendous for me)