Ivory and Overseas

Antfarm

Antfarm

PRAGMATIC PONTIFICATOR
Silver Member
Okay, here is a question that I'm going to run into pretty soon. I'm getting ready to move overseas.... South Korea specifically and I want to take my pool cue collection with me because I will be there for multiple years. Many of my cues have ivory in them. Now, can I take them with me? I won't be selling them while I'm there and will be bringing them home with me when I return in a few years.

Am I going to have problems? Will I be able to take them? Will I be able to return to the states with them? Some of these cues are pretty valuable so I don't want them to tell me when I get there that I can't have them and I have to chuck-em.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Greg
 
You may be fine or they may get confiscated. You never know. I would say the odds are in your favor that nothing will happen, but remember Murphy's law. Just ask yourself if you can afford to lose them. If not leave the ivory ones with a trusted relation and take the rest.
 
I would have to agree with Chris. How would anyone know whether or not you're telling the truth? You might getting away with it, and you might not. Just putting yourself in a powerless situation.

I would stick them in the attic at your mom's and forget about em for a couple years.
 
If you are in the military...you are ok...i sent some of my cues overseas multiple times in my household items and nothing was said..if you say you have ivory, then it may be a problem....but I know alot of military people that ship ivory in thier household items
 
ftgokie said:
If you are in the military...you are ok...i sent some of my cues overseas multiple times in my household items and nothing was said..if you say you have ivory, then it may be a problem....but I know alot of military people that ship ivory in thier household items
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I'm not in the military.... anymore. But I am being moved by the military/U.S. gov't. Weren't you worried about shipping the cues in your household goods? You can't control the temperature and the humidity that those cues are exposed to when you put them in your household goods? I'd kill someone if one of my Lambros' or Kornele were destroyed. I'm so particular about my cues that I don't even trust anyone to watch them.

Am I just worrying too much?
 
You can just give them to me. Then you won't have to worry about it...:grin-square::grin-square::grin-square:
 
Yep, they call me undercover cracker. I'm a super-fat, lazy white boy that's absolutely nothing like James Bond. But I'd still find a way to cut someone that destroyed one of my cues. That includes my dad because he doesn't know how to properly take care of a cue even though I've bought him 3 or 4 and tried to teach him.

I'm a computer jockey in case your wondering. That's why I'm going to Korea. But, I don't know if I can leave my sticks behind.
 
mamono said:
I believe that there are many of us that cringe at that statement of placing them in the attic! High heat mixed with high humidity!!! BAD!
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Tell me about it! I couldn't believe someone suggested that!
 
mamono said:
I believe that there are many of us that cringe at that statement of placing them in the attic! High heat mixed with high humidity!!! BAD!
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God I hope he was speaking figuratively :o , which I'm sure he was considering he is a custom cue maker I believe? And if customs does check they can even tell what kind of ivory is in the cues. There is some kind of light?....they use now and it colors differently when shown on different animal ivory. I read something about it somewhere...maybe even here. Anyhow, good luck. Yeah a couple of years would be about 1yr and 364 days too long for me to live without my cues ;) Best of luck.
 
You need to verify with the State Department; however I think you will be fine with temporary importation documents and a Carnet.

Basically, you insure the cues such that if you sell them, the government of the country you are going into is paid out of the insurance policy. That basically ensures you don't sell the cues.

Temporary importation documents are just that- you are importing them; however you will export them when you leave.

Needless to say, you need photo documentation and (if possible) appraisals from the cue makers and/or an independent source to corroborate the current (or replacement) value.

Then you essentially need to 're-buy' the cues to get the Carnet by placing their current value in a bank account you do not have access to until you return with the cues.

I have done this sort of thing with vehicles for Drive the Globe and it is a bit of a nightmare, but not impossible. The Ivory is an issue; however if you show that you are not exporting them to sell (which the above documentation will verify) you have a much better chance than smuggling guns across state lines ("Put it in your pocket and don't tell anybody").

Look into it carefully! If they find the Ivory at the border without proper documentation it may very well be confiscated...
 
Maybe a good idea maybe not but you could print some different type of blank recipts off and have someone fill them out stating all the different materials listed that are in the cue and put antler or any of the ivory substitutes on it and store them with the cues.Just a thought.
 
You might be better off shipping them to yourself. Carrying them... would be more likely to be checked.
 
Antfarm said:
I'm not in the military.... anymore. But I am being moved by the military/U.S. gov't. Weren't you worried about shipping the cues in your household goods? You can't control the temperature and the humidity that those cues are exposed to when you put them in your household goods? I'd kill someone if one of my Lambros' or Kornele were destroyed. I'm so particular about my cues that I don't even trust anyone to watch them.

Am I just worrying too much?
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I had them stored in an air tight container with the silicon stuff in it. I had talked to Richard Black about it because that was one of the cues I was shipping. He is the one that suggested what to do...they went to Germany and back, Alaska and back and I didnt have any problems.
 
triley41395 said:
Maybe a good idea maybe not but you could print some different type of blank recipts off and have someone fill them out stating all the different materials listed that are in the cue and put antler or any of the ivory substitutes on it and store them with the cues.Just a thought.
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The only problem is, if they scan the cue with the UV light they use for the passport check they will know it is Ivory. I don't think bone or antler fluoresces the same way under UV... Could be wrong on that...:confused:
 
ftgokie said:
I had them stored in an air tight container with the silicon stuff in it. I had talked to Richard Black about it because that was one of the cues I was shipping. He is the one that suggested what to do...they went to Germany and back, Alaska and back and I didnt have any problems.
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How do you get an air tight container? I have one of those suitcases designed for cue's... 48 butts/48 shafts. I was wondering if I could ship them in that and include some of those silicon packets.

Everyone else... thanks for the input. It sounds like the state department route might be a bit of a nightmare! But, it may be worth it in the long run.
 
Antfarm said:
How do you get an air tight container? I have one of those suitcases designed for cue's... 48 butts/48 shafts. I was wondering if I could ship them in that and include some of those silicon packets.

Everyone else... thanks for the input. It sounds like the state department route might be a bit of a nightmare! But, it may be worth it in the long run.
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I had a tube that screwed on the ends...kinda like a tube that is 12" across and 36" long, the ends screwed on and it was about as air tight as you could ask..served me well
 
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