Shipping / picking up a Studer from Toronto to bring back to the US

[srs148]

I recently put a deposit on a Studer A80 tape machine that I'm currently trying to figure out how to get back to the US. I'll either use uShip or make a roadtrip from where I'm located in the Philadelphia area - the problem is that with four kids, it's not easy getting away for a day or two - and with the size of the machine, I can't take fit the machine AND my kids into my car.

So I wanted to know for those who have purchased in Canada and brought back to the US - how does the border crossing process work? The machine I'm buying is near 40 years old and needs work, so I purchased it on the cheap - around $1k. Do I bring a purchase receipt with me / send a receipt to the shipper if I don't retrieve it myself to present at the border as documentation or do I need more formal docs to present at the border?

And how do I figure out what customs needs to be paid ahead of time? One seller of a Studer machine I almost did a deal with last year said that a reel to reel recording device did not have an import tariff, but I have trouble believing that.

If you have done so with any type of audio device and would share your experience and caveats, I would appreciate it. Thanks, Steve

 

[blhagstrom]

When I was crossing, I set things out of sight.
When asked questions, the answer is always "personal use" and "NO".

Volunteer nothing.
It just ends up in a pile of red tape with someone getting paid off.

I wouldn't have any paperwork on it at all, especially anything showing $1k value.