I will say that it may be best to telescope the set...Pack all the rods hooks etc ina small box and put in the smallest drum..It may save you some bucks..

Also....wrap the drum shells with cardboard..you can take flattened cardboard or bubble pack...Or Take up the piccolo

agreed totally and USPS IS the only one who will ship it, if i remember correctly

I have only shipped cymbals but soon will be needing to ship two sets from the US to Japan. When you find out what was best for you please post your experience. I think no matter what you will have to telescope/nest the drums with cushioning and separate out the metal parts. When I nested a kit and flew it under an airplane for an international flight I removed all the lugs and hardware entirely and packaged them in a separate box, then I nested the shells with padding in one drum flight case with no problem.

The shells themself are usually quite light without the hardware and fit together easily. The hardware can be packed in a much smaller box and is not really in any danger of being damaged since it`s so durable. The 2 box approach might be your best bet? Or put the hardware box in the center of the shell box in the middle of all the shells... BOL

Hi, I have been selling drums for years,and i do ship sets overseas[japan,england,ete]...The best price is the post office..Fed-ex,,ups,are alot more then the usps..But a few of the places i will not ship to are italy,,spain,any part of south amercian..Mikey

Hi Andy C,

I've had a few shells sent from the states to Australia for around $US70 USPS. I've found it depends who you go through, and how willing/aware they are when comes to postage procedures and costs. I believe USPS caters for all sizes up to a 20" bass drum. I've only had up to 14"x14" shell sent but according to USPS postage calculators, as I said, Its possible to send a 20" kick without resorting to FedEx.

I've had very good transactions with established business' in the US, and US sellers eBay, however I'd suggest if you are thinking of doing business through a forum such as this a strong "caveat emptor"- let the buyer beware.

But as far as the actual logistics of buying a full kit from the US goes- I believe it to be quite possible and practical. Re: new equipment, given the massive mark ups on retail drum gear in Australia I've found I can purchase the same goods for less than half price in many cases including the postage costs!

I just shipped a snare to New Zealand through USPS. The whole experience went great, no problems, and the price was fair considering how far I was to New Zealand.