Well palleted is always cheaper then shipping with legs on. Not to mention safer. But cheapest way is to send to the border somewhere and drive down and pick it up and bring it back into Canada yourself. You just have to pay the tax on the purchase price and your good. I've done it numerous times shipping games from California to North Dakota or elsewhere and it has always worked for me. However the drive to the border for me is 1 hour, for you would be significantly longer so just look into it and see if it's possible. Less trouble for both parties that way.

its about 3 hours to border for you? if so would follow bay78 advice. Sometimes they dont even make me go in and pay the tax if the border guy loves pinball!

I would think legs on is a safer shipping option
Hand carry versus forklifts

hey you took mine off when delivering Totan!

1. Why not ship to the closest depot in the States. Drive down grab the game and pay the 5% alberta tax?

2. Call Matt Togerson at Freightwire, he will beat any price.

3. By doing so you will pay no brokerage fees, shipping will be cheaper.

_{Post edited by flashinstinct: added more info}

Legs off for me is the way to go. It means it's on a pallet and the shipper can pallet jack it onto the lift gate, lower it down, and pallet jack it into the garage or what have you. I have had them shipped right to my door which is the costlier option. Remember the delivery people never want to lift. If it's insured and a forklift punches it at least you are covered (Hey, I heard stories).

You can also pick it up at the shipping depot in Canada which is cheaper. Then you can muscle it into your truck and let the shipper keep the pallet. Again I find legs off easier for this too. YMMV

But for me the best way would be ship to a a depot in the US and then drive down (as suggested above) pick it up and declare it, drive home. But I'm not leery of long road trips.

Don't have a shipper recommendation - sorry.

Also good luck with this deal. It sounds like you are getting a great pin, otherwise why go through the trouble. Hope it works out smooth.

Never ship a game with legs on... unless you are shipping with a specialty company!! A freight company WILL use a forklift regardless if its on a pallet or not. No one will hand carry anything, I believe they even have union restrictions against it. Ship a game on its legs and they is a decent chance that because its top heavy it will wind up on its side at some time during the trip.

To Canada some of the best pricing and service I have ever seen is with NAVL and their STI (Special Transport Inc) division which handles odd stuff. They WILL hand carry. A few years ago I had a 16' Big Ball Bowler delivered to Halifax from upstate NY for about $400. They went in and covered it with blankets and carried it out by hand.

At the other end though I have seen a normal freight company puncture a crate with a set of forks so they could get some purchase on the crate to lift it, because it wasn't on a pallet! Took out a back glass and the electroinics in teh head!

Pack it well, and then go over it once again.

Mike