Oil paints and fine art liquids

[bessomatic]

Hi Im bidding for a box of 26 American oil paints tubes including bottles of mediums and oils that contain thinners. They’re boxed in foam unopened fully packaged. Can I even import this? Ive read customs rules and Aus post restrictions etc but this kind of product is so specific its never clear. Theyre so lovely I desperately want them, surely people post super fine art materials! Anyone got any idea? Kind regards bess

[lyndal1838 · Accepted solution]

If the Customs website is not specific enough for you try ringing them tomorrow....they are very helpful and you will be in no doubt as to whether the goods are legal.

Just one problem.....is the seller using the GSP?   If yes, then you may have a problem with Pitney Bowes who are the logistics company involved in shipping from the USA.

If they decide there may be a problem with the item they just will not ship it.....and they may just decide not to ship it anyway.  Unfortunately they are a law unto themselves.

[bessomatic · Accepted solution]

Thanks

[davidc4430]

anything flamable cannot be shipped by air, not sure even by surface mail.

i sometimes by thinners for hobby painting, i can only be sure of recieving it if i buy from within australia and it comes via road transport.

had tried importing a very small bottle from overseas (much cheaper) it was confiscated by customs.

[lyndal1838]

Good point David.....did not think of the thinners. 

That means Pitney Bowes will definitely not ship it and there is no surface mail from the USA any more so the OP will not be able to receive it if she wins it.

[davidc4430]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

Good point David.....did not think of the thinners. 

That means Pitney Bowes will definitely not ship it and there is no surface mail from the USA any more so the OP will not be able to receive it if she wins it.

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it might slip through but depending on value might not be worth taking the risk. not saying its ok to import a flamable item, just it might not get detected.

as i said, i tried once on a low priced bottle so not getting it proved to me its not ok and i dint lose a lot of money.

the OP didnt say the value of the paints.

[lyndal1838]

Individual tubes sell for around the $10 mark so I would say that 26 in a box with other items would be in excess of $200.

It is not an amount I would want to risk losing.

[davidc4430]

if it was over $20 i wouldnt try.

[gutterpunkz05]

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@bessomatic wrote:
Hi Im bidding for a box of 26 American oil paints tubes including bottles of mediums and oils that contain thinners. They’re boxed in foam unopened fully packaged. Can I even import this? Ive read customs rules and Aus post restrictions etc but this kind of product is so specific its never clear. Theyre so lovely I desperately want them, surely people post super fine art materials! Anyone got any idea? Kind regards bess

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Flammable Liquids are prohibited items in all Australia Post Services.   Thinners are class 3 Flammable Liquids, but as it appears that thinners are only an ingredient in a mix of mediums.  then you should ascertain if the mixture is still labeled as a flammable

liquid.   Any doubt, I would go without.