I have little of value other then a story. I was an importer/ exporter. I had a regular forwarder/expediter and was located at a port of entry. I bought a Victorian Clock at Brighton during a visit to the UK. I turned the details over to a business associate in the UK who was a regular shipper. The cost to ship the clock appalled me. The moral of the story is when you get out of your groove shipping internationally it gets complicated.
You are out of your grove and you are shipping a valuable object on an individual bases. Get help. If you are close to a port of entry, drop by a forwarder and ask questions, but don't use him. Use the knowledge gained to pick the best importer from the choices you have gotten. This first one is going to be expensive and maddening because you are learning. I can tell you it is easier to ship a container then it is to ship an individual package, so don't feel dumb. Once you learn the tricks of importing you may be tempted to have another go at it.
