Moving small items out of state
 

Hello everyone! I need to move a small desk and box of fine China to my son who lives out of state. Moving companies consider the load too small to move and I can’t put a UHaul in back of my car. Are there other shipping companies that would move it? I would appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!

Pardon Our Interruption

(not sure why the name)
(the link works)


Not saying go thru this website, but it does list companies.

Whay not pack carefully and ship by UPS or similar, or better yet, have THEM pack it and insure it.

Agree. Do NOT pack this yourself, have one of the local companies pack and ship it for you and insure it fully. There is an excellent shipper in Southern Trace close to Publix, ask for Maria and have her pack and ship this china. It will be expensive, but worth it. She has shipped antiques for me. The desk should be reasonably easy to ship, bubble wrap and double box. Again expensive. Push bubble wrap into any space to avoid movement.

I have shipped valuable antiques all over Europe from the US. The key is to have everything bubble wrapped until you cannot see the item, then pack each piece tightly together in the box so that nothing can move. Packing loosley allows the items to move around and get broken, packed tightly together you should be good. Double box.

Have you called a car hauler. Some of the smaller guys haul odd size pieces, such as wing fuel tanks, slot machines, etc…

Tell your son to drive down here and pick the stuff up. That's what kids are for.

The box of fine china doesn't need a uhaul, you can put it in your car. The desk you can disassemble and put THAT in your car too. No need for a trailer. And if you're squeezed for space, UHaul has storage compartments that fit on TOP of your car - you can put the china and some soft things like bags of clothing or linens to keep the box of china snug and secure. And that'll give you more room in your car for the disassembled desk.

Self pack such as Pods might be a solution.

I shipped furniture and art work to Rockport, MA. I was added to another job going to the same area which kept the cost low. Great service, on time pick up and delivery.

Quality Moving Services - Home

Maybe your son could come and pick it up?

You may want to ask a local antique store how they would move the items.

You never mention what state your kid lives. Maybe a snowbird or resident header in that direction for the summer might have room their car Your payment could off set their travel costs

you need to find an LTL carrier, less than truck load. also what state, we may be going to Ohio in a week

Have your son come here, rent a uhaul and drive it home.

It's a changing of the times, but very few people younger than us want fine china. Please have a good heart to heart conversation before spending a lot of money to ship something that would be left in the box upon arrival.

If you do send it, get bubble wrap at BubbleBoy online.

Especially if you can't put it in the dishwasher. I never wanted fine china. But today, my fine china is made of paper. If I have a guest, I break out the fine Corelle.

We had lots of antiques and collectibles plus china before we moved here. The kids didn't want any of it and couldn't sell much of it neither so it went to thrift stores. In chatting with others of retirement age---they said much the same thing. The younger generations don't want our "stuff".
Unless your son specifically said he wants it you both will find a way for him to have it. You've gotten some ideas here so let us know what you decided.

Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions. My son and his family live in Utah so it is quite a distance. The cost to move through a carrier was more than the worth of the desk which is sentimental to him as it was his grandfather’s. Many are right- only 1 of my 4 children want any of the China/crystal/furniture heirlooms that I took from previous generations. I’ve given much to thrift stores in the area. Thanks again for your suggestions.

U-Ship
Owner operators, with smaller trucks move it.
LTL-Freight | uShip.com

Before moving I sold everything I had and came to The Villages with just my car and my clothes. Best decision I ever made. But now, I already have too much stuff.

I know this is off subject, but do you really think your son wants these items? I have found that my younger family members really don't want or have use for my treasured possessions. My great grandmother's Haviland china is in a box in my sister's garage. Unless there is a huge sentimental attachment by your son, the cost of moving these items will far outweigh their monetary value. Sad, I know but I plan to enjoy my treasures and try not to think of what happens after I no longer can use or enjoy them.

Just a suggestion. But I would get a price on moving it however, you’re going to move it and see what it would cost just to replace it unless these are valuable, antiques or sentimental value you might be able to replace them and get brand new items where your son lives for not much more. Unfortunately, we live in a disposable society these days and it’s not that much more to buy new then they get rid of it just a thought, but I don’t know nothing about your personal items, but a desk and a box of Janet should not cost more and less is super valuable desk and dishes.

UShip, sorta like ebay they bid on your load
 

UShip, sorta like ebay they bid on your load, you can get it shipped cheap.

15 years ago I shipped one pallet (48"L x 40"W x 48"H)of sewing machine and other assorted items from Milwaukee to Miami via Yellow Freight. The cost (then) was just under $1000, so I am sure it would be close to double that today. Is the desk worth the cost? Dishes can be put in a car, or shipped via UPS (expensive), but the desk entails more problems. Desks can be purchased relatively cheap locally or online ($200-$300).

I still think you could do fine by disassembling the desk and getting it to your son that way, either shipping it or driving it up in the car. We moved down here with an antique "piano-top" desk and a 3-shelf bookshelf my great-grandfather made in the 1800's with solid maple and no screws or nails. We disassembled both of these things, and both pieces of furniture fit flat in the hatchback area of my compact car. I was able to put my cat carrier (with the cat), the litter box, a disposable litter box (for the trip), my pillows, three suitcases, a box of books, my computer and all the peripherals, my makeup case and toiletries, and various other doodads and thingamabobs, and was still able to see out the top of the rear window.

Disassemble the desk and ups it.

Bubble wrap the china in many layers of bubble wrap and bubble wrap the cartons you place it into. Use enough should make the china idiot proof to ship.

That's exactly right
CD

Second vote for uship.com. if some truck is going there empty, you will get a real good price. No professional services ( Packing Insurance etc.. ) but you will get a very good price if you are lucky.

I used UShip as well for different items going to different locations. Not as convenient as you have to be ready when they are passing through your area, but they pick up and deliver. You have it packed well....especially the china. We sent items to Denver and Chicago. Very reasonable.

Are you sure they want the china set? Many old sets can't go in the dishwasher, I see lots of them at the Goodwill. If you are sure they want it, uship.com is your best bet. Go to the website, state what you want to move and where you want to to go from and to. Then you will get bids. Before you accept a bid, check out the bidder's references.

Jernick moving & storage does a lot of shared moving for smaller moves.
Jernick Moving & Storage

Rent a van
 

Moved similiar items from MA to Villages. Rented a Grand Caravan mini-van. Put all seat in back down. Loaded up and made a nice drive to the Villages. Cheaper than U-Haul, and much more comfortable to drive.

We moved out fine china (service for 12, ugh) by using thin foam sheets. The foam is slip-resistant so we could stack pieces on top of each other neatly, and they wouldn't slide in the box. Then newspaper in the corners and the top of the box before we closed it. The cups had a bit of foam draped into them so we could stack 3 cups in 4 columns in a smaller box. The boxes went in my car with light-weight things on top of them and wedged between the boxes and the doors/seat of the car, to make sure the boxes themselves didn't move around.

Moving is an artform. But it doesn't take a lot of skill, or even a lot of planning. You just have to be able to visualize where things will fit, and then fit them there.

Just call pack n ship they will do it all

Thanks to all! I am contacting UShip- my son and his wife asked for his grandparents desk and the wedding China ( I know that’s unusual for 40 yr olds!). I have no room for them. They cannot afford the cost to ship and I didn’t want to pay an exorbitant rate to send to them. All is well now. Thank you all again!

Uship dot com. Moved a chair, some boxed items, and a motorcycle, not all at once, a few years ago. LTL ( less than truckload) moving.

Where is it going?