"Dorm room" type move - Mail or Bring with?

I think the best way to describe my "stuff" situation is that I don't have a lot of larget furniture to move. Think of it as if you were moving out of a dormroom - I have lots of clothes, computer, books, and knick-knacks. Because of my hobby (crochet), I have HUGE amounts of yarn and projects to send over as well. (I'm talking hundreds of dollars in yarn, or I'd just leave it all behind).

What do you think is the best way for me to ship it all over? Slow boat it through the mail, or pay the excess baggage fees for my flight? I won't be flying Virgin, unfortunately. Cost is more a concern than time issues.

If I mail it over, what's the biggest package size they'll take? I have these awesome rubber tubs that I keep my yarn and other stuff in, that I'm really tempted to just duct-tape the heck out of, and ship as is.

Give up the tubs and by more here.  I would repack everything using regular shipping boxes and ship them USPS surface post, I think it takes 6-8 weeks. 

Give up the tubs and by more here.  I would repack everything using regular shipping boxes and ship them USPS surface post, I think it takes 6-8 weeks. 

That's what I did with my yarn, well, actually, the clothing went by slow-boat and I fast-tracked the yarn/needles/hooks/books/magazines cos I totally have my priorities in order!

This will be my second time around moving that manner, though I don't have a hobby like where I need to bring supplies.

I've gotten by with carrying 95% of my stuff on the plane through checked luggage and shipping the odd light box here and there.  I just mailed off a medium-sized box of books - because w/M-Bags it's way cheap & books are very heavily to pack in luggage - and I plan on checking 2 well-sized bags and calling it a day.  If you are going to ship anything - do it ground (much cheaper, if you don't mind waiting a few extra wks) and keep it to the lightest things - like clothes/yarn.  Take the heavier things with you and whatever doesn't fit that you HAVE to have, you can ship.  However, I want to emphasize that going over w/o shipping a lot can be done.

Thanks everyone....pretty straight forward - ship light stuff, bring heavy stuff.

I have a slightly different take on the rubber tubs. I brought most of what I have with me as excess baggage in giant rubbermaid tubs and tie banded the tops down. Now I have sturdy storage if I need it, and if not, they nest inside each other.

Prices/quality being what they are for things here (esp rubbermaid type products), and if you want to continue to store your yarn in the tubs, it *may* be worth shipping them. Yarn is pretty light so bringing them as excess baggage may be more expensive (in terms of cost/pound) than shipping them.

Thanks everyone....pretty straight forward - ship light stuff, bring heavy stuff.

I think you have that backwards, personally.  Ship heavy stuff, bring light stuff.  JMO.

just make sure whatever you ship slow boat is stuff you don't need right away  because even once it gets here, they made us wait  for another week because  'the lorry broke down, the guy  wasn't working, it's a friday tomorrow,  blah blah..' 

Definitely see how much extra baggage you can get away with taking on the plane - I brought three bags (All my clothing and painting supplies - paid for one extra piece of luggage) and none of them were close to 50lbs, let alone the 70lb limit. I could've brought more!

I used a international moving company (125 cubic feet) for the rest of my stuff, because I couldn't give up my kitchenware, let alone my yarn stash!

Hey Gershamabob,

I am a fellow painter and I was wondering what painting supplies you are allowed to bring in checked luggage?

Thanks,
Holly
 

I am a fellow painter and I was wondering what painting supplies you are allowed to bring in checked luggage?

Hi Holly,

I brought all my watercolours and gouaches on the plane with me in my checked luggage. (As well as the accompanying brushes, mat knives, etc ad nauseum.) I ended up mailing my water-soluable "oil" paints merely because there wasn't room in my luggage. It is entirely legal to bring paints on an airplane - even oil paints - although you'll have to leave any flammable solvents behind.

I recommend finding one of the statements on the internet that oil paints are not in themselves flammable and printing it out to bring with you if you rin into trouble.

Thanks gershamabob!