Taking Concertina On Visit To South Australia

[Spectacled Warbler]

Does anybody have any idea if it is possible to take a concertina worth over AUD1000 on a trip to South Australia, for recreation only, then bring it back home again afterwards, and whether import duties are payable? The Customs website doesn't make it very clear, just wondered what people's experiences were.

 

Thanks for your help

 

 

Joy

[Warren Fahey]

Joy. this is not a problem in Australia. The only thing you'll find, like most places, is that security sometimes thinks the concertina is a hand made bomb. I usually give the customs folk a tune and they do a wee jog. You don't need to claim you are bringing a concertina into the country hence no duties etc. Have fun in South Australia. There's a few squeezers in that city. Go look at the HATs Inc SA site etc

[kenneads]

Joy,

you don't say where home is. I took two concertinas to Ireland from Australia via England and had no problems except as Warren says on the X-ray they can look suspicious. I took them as hand luggage.

Cheers,

Dave

[Bill N]

When travelling from Canada to other countries with a concertina (or any valuable instrument or piece of equipment) and then returning with same, I've been told by Canada Customs that If I don't have the original bill of sale for an instrument that I already own that I should register it with Customs before travelling. This is so I can prove that I didn't purchase it while out of the country. I was threatened once with confiscation when I returned from a workshop in the United States with several concertinas in the car. I imagine similar laws exist elsewhere.

[wayman]

So what if there never was a bill of sale? There isn't, when you buy one from a friend, inherit one, etc.

[d.elliott]

Have a look at the earlier thread on taking instruments from one country to another that are made out of some of the 'protected' wood species, some rosewoods ebony , and ivory etc..

 

The thread was called: ' Importing Or Transporting Concertinas Into The Usa', the forum was 'general discussion'

 

dated June this year

 

At least be prepared

 

Dave

Edited September 18, 2014 by d.elliott

[JimLucas]

Have a look at the earlier thread on taking instruments from one country to another that are made out of some of the 'protected' wood species, some rosewoods ebony , and ivory etc..

 

The thread was called: ' Importing Or Transporting Concertinas Into The Usa', the forum was 'general discussion'

 

dated June this year

 

July, actually.

Here's the link.

[Don Taylor]

So what if there never was a bill of sale? There isn't, when you buy one from a friend, inherit one, etc.

In Canada, at least, you can take your valued item into the customs house before leaving the country and they will issue a little green card describing the item that you can use as a substitute for a receipt. They prefer that there be some sort of identifying serial number that they can write down, but I don't think that is essential as I have logged a camera without a serial number.

 

You can re-use your green card for as long as you own the item.

 

This seems to be a sensible, simple system. Maybe other countries have something similar? It cannot hurt to make a phone call.

[MatthewVanitas]

As is often mentioned in these travel threads, I and a lot of other people explain to X-ray technicians "it's a small accordion". Especially in the US, especially among military/security personnel, the word "concertina" is far more widely known as a form of barbed wire, so "small accordion" is less confusing.

 

 

I worked with a lot of ex-military people, and had to constantly explain that "concertina" also means a musical instrument, and that the barbed wire was named after the instrument, not vice-versa.

[Geoff Wooff]

Veyr good point Matthew !!

[Spectacled Warbler]

Thanks for all of your information, it's very helpful, especially the bit about the concertina wire - I'd not thought of that. I'll have a purchase receipt with me, and pictures of me playing it, together with details of the website advertising new ones. I'm still waiting for a reply from Australian customs.

 

Thanks again,

 

Joy

[malcolm clapp]

I'm still waiting for a reply from Australian customs.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't hold your breathe...

 

Actually, Joy, you may have more of a problem with the Australian Quatantine Service (or whatever they're called this week!) who may wish to inspect and/or treat the leather parts of your concertina. I have received a couple of concertinas through the post from overseas where the packaging has been opened and a flyer from AQS inserted stating that the item "has been inspected and treated in accordance with... etc.etc.". No apparent damage, odour or staining though, and they didn't appear to have been dismantled at all (I guess the bellows were the main "target").

Edited September 19, 2014 by malcolm clapp

[Geoff Wooff]

In reference to the customs and quarantine departments in any country... I find it better not to rattle their cages....

 

Things have tightened up with regard to materials that might carry something infectious or insectious though ,so far, I have never had a problem with taking or sending instruments to and from many countries.

[HansiRowe]

Hi Joy

 

I don't think you will have any problem at all… I have travelled many times into Australia with all manner of weird and wonderful things, either as hand-luggage or shipped in, and the only time my items have been sprayed is when I bring my bike in, they like to spray the tyres, and once I sent my riding boots over and they were sprayed. As mentioned somewhere before, I have entered Australia with guitars and flutes made from various woods, my wooden furniture (half a container load) has been shipped backwards and forwards endless times without a problem. If you read the quarantine restrictions you'll see that they check for woodworm and other nasty little things in wooden and some natural articles, but mainly from certain countries. Obviously, bone, feathers, eggs, meat, ivory, horn, shells, plants, etc. etc. are a big no-no, but even then it depends on how it's presented. I came through customs carrying a shepherds walking stick/crook with a huge deer antler on one end as the crook, and they hardly even glanced at it, as it was part of something manufactured, it was clean and finished off… the same antler wrapped in newspaper at the bottom of my suitcase would have most certainly been taken away. People wear hats with feathers on… no problem. The wooden ends of a concertina will not be a problem unless there is obvious signs of something living in them like woodworm or rot… and as far as leather goes, it's the same... if you think of all the leather shoes walking through airports from exotic countries, if you had some leather rolled up in your suitcase you will have a problem... you see what I'm getting at… declare your items and you'll have no problem at all… hope you have a nice stay in Oz!

 

Cheers, John

[Spectacled Warbler]

Thank you ever so much for your interesting and informative replies, all of you. I now know how to be prepared for questions the Customs personnel are likely to ask, and what evidence I need to reply easily, and you've put my mind at rest about their likely view of me importing leather and wood. I've received a reply from Customs today, it states that if I've owned the concertina longer than 12 months, it is regarded as personal effects and doesn't have to be declared.

 

Thanks again, everybody

 

Joy

[Cogsey]

Hi Joy

 

I arrived I in Melbourne last month from Ireland and brought 2 Dipper concertinas through Tullamarine airport. Customs didn't even ask what was inside. I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

Ciaran O'Grady

Now in Heidelberg, Melbourne!

[Peter Laban]

Customs didn't even ask what was inside. I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

He probably will be. The problem with this sort of things though, you never know. One gets through, the next one may be stopped and they'll do, well, whatever they think of at that point.