Things I learned while packing boxes for shipment across the ocean:
- we have too much stuff
- we’re supposed to provide purchase dates and prices, yet for most of our belongings I have no idea (not sure what will happen in those cases, but I imagine I cannot be the only one?)
- everything has to be categorized, which is fine for items like books or shoes, but what category are “neoprene fishnet wine bottle carriers”, exactly? Accessories you don’t really need but like anyway?
- also, what would be the category for postcards and letters I have collected over the years? Memories? And what value do I assign to those?
- did I mention we have too much stuff?
Was ich beim Packen für die Container-Verschiffung gelernt habe:
- wir haben zuviel Zeugs
- wir sollten Kaufdatum und Preis angeben, aber für die meisten Dinge weiß ich das einfach nicht mehr (mir ist noch nicht klar, was in diesem Fall passiert, aber ich kann ja kaum die einzige sein, der es so geht)
- alles muss in Kategorien einsortiert werden, was für Bücher oder Schuhe ja schön und gut ist, aber wie ist es mit Neoprenweinflaschentragetaschen? Schnickschnack den man nicht wirklich braucht aber doch gern hat?
- und wie ist es mit den Postkarten und Briefen, die ich über die letzten Jahre gesammelt habe? Erinnerungsstücke? Und wie soll ich denen einen Wert zuweisen?
- hatte ich schon erwähnt, dass wir zuviel Zeugs haben?
Tags: moving
My sympathies. Bureaucracy in one’s own country is bad enough.
I think, actually, that the wine carriers would be ‘kitchen equipment’ and the correspondence would be ‘personal papers’ (surely there’s an office category somewhere?). As you may have to pay import tax on everything and as they’re irreplaceable….. I’d say whatever the local equivalent of one currency unit is. ($1, around here.)
And yeah, the too much stuff. Who *doesn’t* have too much stuff when moving? Last time we moved it was 2000 miles (3300 km for anyone who doesn’t feel math-y). It barely fit even without all the stuff we threw out…. and I’m still mourning that Metro wire shelf and the wok.
You’re moving?! Where are you moving to? (I have a vague feeling that I already knew this but can’t remember exactly!).
Ah yes, the fun of packing. When we moved from Deutschland to den USA, we sent about 8 boxes of things that arrived mostly unbroken (I don’t have any faith in the Deutsche Post / DHL anymore, they were HORRIBLE!)… and it was expensive, too!
Also important to remember to check the “personal” box – when we shipped things to Germany we forgot to put that and somebody in the post office put “other” and we were charged taxes on old jackets and shoes!!! I was so angry.
And yes… we all have a lot of stuff… To this day, I don’t know what ever happened to all my baking stuff and my toaster… I miss them… even though I’ve bought extra stuff to replace it… oh well… the joys of moving :)
Jenny, I like “kitchen equipment”, maybe I’ll go with that. For the value, as long as it is personal belongings, has been yours for over a year, and is not for sale, you should not have to pay any taxes. The irreplaceability worries me more in those cases.
SB, to San Francisco :)
Sorry to hear about the bad postal service. I hope we’ll be luckier…
For the baking stuff, you mean you sent it and it never arrived? That would be a shame…
My largest boxes would be ‘accessories I don’t need but like anyway.’ Some of my favorite things have no practical purpose.
Katie — I managed to find other, somewhat appropriate categories for most of the items ;)