# What can I realistically take with me?



## Nightwing

I have a large collection of comics and toys. I have been thinking about how much of my stuff can I take with me if I become an expat again. I don't have anywhere I can leave my stuff in the US when I leave. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of stuff?


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## Bevdeforges

Depends a bit on where you're going and how you're getting there. I've moved overseas a couple of times, and if you're going for good (or at least for the long term) you want to consider carefully how much "stuff" you want to take with you - especially if you're paying for the move yourself. You also need to take into consideration what sort of a flat/house you're moving to. European homes can be much, much smaller than homes in the US and I can tell you from experience, they have considerably less storage space.


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## Moulard

Once upon a time the US postal service offered an M-Bag rate specifically for books and other printed materials. When I returned to Australia from the US, I shipped about half a dozen archive box sized boxes of books, journals etc sea mail ... One large archive box fit into a mailbag, and met both the min and max weight limits.

At the time it was the most economical way to move a library from the US to an international destination.

If it is still offered, it might be suitable for a comic collection. But not for what I assume are collectable toys.


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## Bevdeforges

As far as I know, there is no longer any sort of special "book rate" for shipping books or other printed material overseas. Though, as always, it would pay to ask. Otherwise, you pack your various collections in with the other stuff you are planning on shipping over to your new home.


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## Moulard

According to the USPS Mail Manual it still exists...but it looks like they now only offer Airmail and Surface Airlift.

Depending on the volume and value SAL may or may not be economical .





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260 Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to One Addressee (M–bags) | Postal Explorer







pe.usps.com









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faq.usps.com





Even 20-odd years ago, the person at the counter had never heard of it, and I had to speak to the postmaster.


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## Harry Moles

God, I did that once in the mid-90s. It was horrible dragging a 30kg sack of books across town and up four flights of stairs, but it was cheap.


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