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I've been putting magnets in the bases of my budding beastman army to help hold them to their movement trays, and to make storing them easier. They have lots of fragile bits like spears and arrows and such that I think would break if I tried to pack them tightly in foam but seem to be alright if they are kept in a loosely packed plastic box with metal plate on the bottom to hold their magnetized bases, which is itself packed in foam. It is likely I will have to ship them overseas in a few months, and I would like to do it via air.

Here is the translated conversation I had at the post office:
Me: In the future I would like to ship a package to America that has some magnets in it. How can I do this?
Clerk1: You aren't allowed to ship magnets by plane.
Me: I ordered these same magnets by mail and they were shipped to me here. Is there no way to ship them?
Clerk2: No, it's impossible. Look at this poster. It shows magnets are on the "do not ship" list.
Me: What if I made the package so there isn't a magnetic field outside the box?
Clerk1: No, they will check your package with x-rays and find the magnets. You cannot ship magnets by plane.
Clerk2: Actually, I think there is a new rule you cannot ship magnets by surface either. You cannot ship magnets at all. They are dangerous.
Me: But wait. Every computer hard drive and every speaker has a magnet in it. Those are okay to ship.
Clerk1: You cannot ship computers either.
Me: But speakers are okay?
Clerk1: [Checks the list] Speakers are not on the "do not ship" list, so they must be okay.
Me: But all speakers contain a magnet.
Clerk1: I'm very sorry. You may not ship magnets. You may ship speakers. Those are the rules.
Me:

So how can I ship my army home (aside from turning every model into a speaker)?

Don't tell them there are magnets in the box.

^ This or take the magnets off. Would UPS ship it?

fellblade wrote:Don't tell them there are magnets in the box.

This.

Tell them the box contains toys.

The material under contention: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/use/restriction/other_en.html

Magnetized materials: Substances that produce a magnetic field of 0.159 amperes (0.002 gauss) or greater per square meter at points 2.1 meters (7 feet) away from any point on the surface of the consolidated, packaged materials when they are packaged for air transport (see also the directions on packaging by IATA (902) that include information about how to measure magnetic filed strength)

I'd guess that a randomly arranged set of small hobby magnets in a box wouldn't be a problem if a set of speakers in a shipping crate are okay.

That is the same as the Royal Mail rule.

"Magnetised material Magnetised material with a magnetic field strength of 0.159A/m or more at a distance of 2.1m from the outside of the package."

Anyway, I'd be willing to bet that it's just a misunderstanding/mistranslation at the post office. If you ask about shipping magnets at the post office, they probably assume you want to ship a few kilograms of solid magnets rather than a couple hundred of grams of hobby magnets embedded in miniatures.

Create a lead shield around the box, blocking any x-rays. Laugh all the way to post office, then all the way home where you can treat both your hernia and your empty wallet due to exorbitant shipping costs.

I'm sure that most magnetic shielding you put on the packaging would cause some for of alert when a dark mass passes through their X-rays.

Absolutionis wrote:I'm sure that most magnetic shielding you put on the packaging would cause some for of alert when a dark mass passes through their X-rays.

LOL, I'm not planning on putting anything that would block x-rays. I might as well put a big red sign on my minis saying, "here customs! I'm dangerous!"

I was just thinking if there was enough padding between my tiny rare earth magnets and the outside of the box, there would be enough distance that their field wouldn't get out.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

solkan wrote:The material under contention: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/use/restriction/other_en.html

Magnetized materials: Substances that produce a magnetic field of 0.159 amperes (0.002 gauss) or greater per square meter at points 2.1 meters (7 feet) away from any point on the surface of the consolidated, packaged materials when they are packaged for air transport (see also the directions on packaging by IATA (902) that include information about how to measure magnetic filed strength)

I'd guess that a randomly arranged set of small hobby magnets in a box wouldn't be a problem if a set of speakers in a shipping crate are okay.

Oh, and thanks.

Don't magnetic fields drop off massively with distance? I think you'd nee a massively powerful magnet to have a noticeable field at 2.1 meters...

It sounds like this rule is to prevent someone shipping specialized magnets for industrial or scientific use. "No magnets" would eliminate a lot of electronics and similar.

They do. it's the inverse square law.

Some people have cufflinks with magnets on them. You don't see planes crashing all over because of that.

The law gives the maximum power of magnet that can be carried. Ask the post office people to measure your parcel to check if it is within the allowed limit.

Kilkrazy wrote:Ask the post office people to measure your parcel to check if it is within the allowed limit.

Wouldn't that be really expensive?

I should have thought they would do it for free, otherwise how can they tell the parcel is within the regulations?

Perhaps you could ask them?