Little bit of German shipping help.

[FramFramson]

I'm trying to find the cheapest shipment option for a single miniature from Germany to Canada and the seller I'm talking to has a shipping rate that seems a little... elevated.

My German is virtually non-existant and the deutchespost.de site doesn't seem to have an obvious Engish version as it used to. The cheapest rate I can find there is 28 EUR, as they only appear to offer DHL courier options for international small packages? This is flat out insanity, but also appears wrong? I mean there must be some sort of small package option to Germans of some sort. What are the Germans here using for their non-EU shipments?

I guess it could be sent Großbrief International (which is 3,45€), but I think that has a maximum width of just 20mm? Or would Maxibrief International be better (which is 7€)? I'm not entirely sure on the size restrictions of those two as they're both under lettermail.

[Westfalia Chris]

It depends on how bulky the figure is. If it can be flat-packed, so that the figure plus padding plus the envelope is less than ca. 20mm thick and less than 500 grams in weight, I think it should be postable by using the Grossbrief International for 3,45 Euros (the "letter" thing is usually measured by the post office worker trying to push it through a letterbox slot template).

I have used the Maxibrief rating for small parcels before, so it should work. Note though that these options aren't insured per se, which I suggest for the 28 Euros option (insured small parcel), and it pains me to say that, with DHL being what it is these days, one should shell out for the recorded option if the item has any monetary or intangible value.

So, a single 28mm figure, unless there is a 25mm or larger base attached which cannot be removed, should be able to be posted by Grossbrief.

[former user]

You can send almost everything with Maxibrief for 7€, and you can also add insurance
here is the info:
   L: min. 14cm
B: min. 9cm
L+B+H = max. 90cm (no side may be longer than 60cm)    up to 1.000g

additional insurance
Wertbrief   Bis 5.000 € zugelassen, Valoren II up to 500 €. tracking included   + 2,15 € plus. 1,50 € per
100 € insurance

so it appears like someone might be attempting to do some extra money, or is plain ignorant.
I can offer to do the shipping for You, ask him how much shipping is inside Germany. Either he "normalizes" or it can get only cheaper.

are we talking miniatures or some jewelry?

[FramFramson]

No, one miniature and it shouldn't be particularly costly (I can get it new in a pack with 2 figures for $9 USD at the moment, though shipping for that is pricey because it's a big box). It's not worth insurance or tracking. I have bought things from Germany for years and never once have I had an issue with Deutsche Post (and they've always been super fast, though Royal Mail is almost as quick these days).

Thanks guys.