Prohibited Items of Interest in Germany

Posted on February 28, 2014 by admin

It’s our last day of looking at the more bizarre prohibited items in countries across the world. It’s always helpful to know what’s prohibited in the country you are posting to as you don’t want to risk losing an item you’ve sent as a gift or that you’ve cherished for its value in the past. Today we’re looking at some of the prohibited items of interest in Germany.

Playing cards are a common gift and are probably one of the most recognised forms of gaming in the entire world. Germany has playing cards on there list of prohibited postal items unless they are complete decks that are properly wrapped. Germany prohibits loose playing cards as they are often used to carry drugs through postal networks.

Other unique items on Germany’s prohibition list include pulverised cocoa beans and the alcoholic drink Absinthe. Pulverised cocoa beans are a reasonably common food ingredient and Absinthe could potentially be sent as a gift.

It’s vital that you take a look at our list of prohibited items in Germany to ensure that you don’t lose anything you cherish when posting to Germany. Playing cards are often regarded as valuable collectibles which is why it’s important you only send properly wrapped and complete decks to Germany.

Prohibited Items of Interest in Canada

Posted on February 27, 2014 by admin

On the penultimate day of the working week we look at some of the more bizarre prohibited items in Canada. Many people relocate to Canada as a result of its stunning scenery, imposing mountainous regions, extraordinary wildlife and exciting winter sports.

For this reason, many people tend to post abroad to Canada from the UK so it’s essential that they are aware of what could be intercepted by customs. Whilst there are some expected items on the prohibited list there are also a few surprises.

If you’ve got any reprints that are copyrighted to Canada in the UK, it’s not advisable to use these as gifts. This could be any kind of publication or image that was originally made in Canada. If you’ve travelled to and from the country in the past, this could be you.

Other interesting postal restrictions in Canada include second-hand bee supplies. Whilst it’s unlikely that you’re friend or relative in Canada is a beekeeper, a jar of honey or anything along those lines would be prohibited.

Other unique items on Canada’s prohibition list include smoke-making devices, parcels with caution labels on them and commercial tags of metal.

If you need to send a gift to Canada, why not make the most of RAND’s international shipping service to Canada?

Prohibited Items of Interest in the UK

Posted on February 26, 2014 by admin

It’s the third day that we focus on peculiar items found on postal restriction lists and we’re today we’re concentrating on the UK. Many people who live abroad may not expect to find some of the following items on the UK’s postal restrictions list, so it’s important that any friends or family living abroad are aware of what items or gifts could be stopped in their tracks.

Walkie-talkies are often regarded as an excellent gift for a child so they are often bought for Christmas or birthdays. However, any device that is capable of transmitting frequencies cannot be posted to the UK, so keep this in mind before sending a gift along these lines.

Any item that was made in a foreign prison cannot be shipped into the UK, whilst comics or magazines associated with horror genre are also prohibited. Other items you may not expect include batteries, pesticides and matches.

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Prohibited Items of Interest in China

Posted on February 25, 2014 by admin

We continue our week of interesting items on postal prohibition lists across the world with China today. There are some rather unusual items present on China’s list of prohibited items, including items you might not expect to be too much of an issue.

As ever, it’s important you’re aware of what you can and can’t send to any country as you risk losing the item to customs.

If you’ve got someone you know in China a smart looking wrist-watch, think twice before posting it to him/her. Watches are on China’s prohibited list so keep this in mind when sending a sold item or gift to China.

There are plenty of other electronic devices that can’t be sent either including cameras, sewing machines, televisions, radios and much more. Electronics are commonplace on many public shopping sites such as eBay, so make sure your item being sent to China is not on their prohibition list.

Finally, don’t try and send anything that could potentially harm the cultural, political or economical damage to China. This includes any kind of document, film or photograph so choose what you ship carefully.

If you’re interested in sending a parcel to China but want to learn more about what can’t be sent there, check out our prohibited items section for China here.

Prohibited Items of Interest in Italy

Posted on February 24, 2014 by admin

There are some particularly interesting items on the postal restrictions list of many countries across the world, with some more bizarre than others. This week we take a look at some of the prohibited items you might not to expect in preparation for your trips abroad.

Losing an item to customs can be a real bother, so it’s important to know what you can and can’t take to certain countries. Today we’re focusing on Italy, a hugely popular holiday destination.

There are some notable items present on Italy’s postal restrictions list, whilst some are both puzzling and intriguing. Clocks and any clock supplies cannot be posted to Italy, so be careful when sending an antique clock to Italy as a gift.

There are many other unusual products included, such as any kind of footwear, musical instruments, leather goods and even toys that aren’t completely made from wood. If you’re planning on sending pictures, photographs or albums of images to a relative in Italy, don’t do it by post! All of those items are prohibited and won’t be allowed into the country.

If you are concerned about what can and can’t be sent to Italy, take a look at our shipping restrictions page for Italy to learn more about their restrictions.

The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 5

Posted on February 21, 2014 by admin

When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, to commemorate the occasion a new set of stamps needed to be made. A collection of stamps based on a portrait done of the Queen by the photographer Dorothy Wilding, was used until 1967 and were commonly known as the Wilding issues. In 1967, the Machin issues were introduced, and have remained the same set of stamps that we use today.

Regional Stamps

From 1958, various regional stamps were used in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, Scotland and Wales, that are only sold at post offices in their respective countries. However many of these regional stamps are still valid for use throughout the UK.

Commemorative Stamps

Up until the late 1950’s there were very few commemorative stamps in Britain, however more recently it has become common for commemorative stamps made for various events related to the present Royal Family. The Royal Postal Office have even issued various memorial stamps after the deaths of Princess Diana in 1998 and The Queen Mother in 2002.

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The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 4

Posted on February 20, 2014 by admin

There was only one stamp set issued for Edward VII in 1936 before he abdicated. George VI’s coronation was celebrated by an omnibus issue of stamps from every colony in the empire, featuring a profile of the new king on a solid colour background. World War II affected the way stamps were printed as in 1937 they used less ink, resulting in lighter shaded stamps.

Three years later, in 1940, the Postal Office celebrated the century year of the postal stamp with a commemorative set consisting of six stamps with Victoria and George VI side by side. Other commemorative stamp sets of the decade depicted the end of World War II and the return of peace, the Silver Jubilee of George VI and the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London.

The start of the 1950’s saw a new series of high value stamps to mark the changes in currency, with the new Queen Elizabeth II succeeding her father in 1952. The succession of a new monarch marked a change in the production of stamps, thus a new set of stamps needed to be made.

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The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 3

Posted on February 19, 2014 by admin

The perforation of stamps during the Victorian age was often a subject of experimentation. Cutting stamps from imperforated sheets using scissors was time consuming and costly, so many different methods of perforation were used as a ways of saving time and money. Trials with the Archer Roulette and then with surface printing in 1855 were undergone, then tests were made with perforation, which quickly became one of the most popular methods and is still commonly used today.

pennylilac Embossed postage stamps were also used, in a variety of octagonal designs. The age of the Penny Red came to an end in 1880 along with the start of the new surface printed stamps. The Penny Lilac was issued subsequently in 1881 and lasted until the end of Victoria’s reign in 1901. The Penny Lilac was also the first stamp issued that was valid as both a postal stamp and a revenue stamp; used to collect taxes or fees on documents.

In 1883 and 1884, the postal service experimented with fugitive inks that faded quickly and washed out to prevent the stamps being reused, but these were short lived and not liked by the public. Because the reign of Victoria was coming to an end, a new set of stamps needed to be issued.

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The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 2

Posted on February 18, 2014 by admin

Penny_black On the 6^th May 1840 the very first postal stamp was introduced. As a way of combating the financial losses of the Postal Office, 1d was charged for prepaid letters, whereas 2d was charged if the fee was collected from the recipient. This meant it was better for the sender and the recipient to prepay for their letter, plus the Postal Office received the money straight away (some messengers would be likely to pocket the money received and claim the letter was lost).

As a way of documenting this, an ‘adhesive label’ was attached to the prepaid letter. This was known as the Penny Black and was the first stamp ever to be used.

The Penny Black was quickly discontinued, as the black ink made it hard to see any attempts to void the stamps by crossing through them. In 1841 the stamps were printed in red, becoming the Penny Red. This new stamp was originally only for use within the UK, as it was a local stamp that depicted a profile of Queen Victoria. When international postage gained popularity, envelopes would be marked with the country’s name.

In 1951 a special commemorative stamp was issued containing the name Britain for the Festival of Britain, and the name has been used in stamps ever since.

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The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 1

Posted on February 17, 2014 by admin

Although many things have been digitized to keep up with the technologies of the modern world, stamps are and will continue to be, essential when it comes to sending parcels both across the country and internationally. Even though nowadays we type our letters out on the computer, and send emails and messages regularly, physical parcels still need to be sent by ‘snail mail’. So stamps are as essential now as they were when they were first introduced.

The first documented case of letters being sent and received on a long distance basis was in the 12^th century, when Henry I assigned special messengers used to carry letters for the government. However the first unofficial ‘stamp’ was not conceived until the 1660’s, when following complaints made about delayed letters, Henry Bishop the first Postmaster General introduced the ‘Bishop Mark’ which consisted of a small circle with the day and month marked inside, to show when it had been sent.

This quickly became popular as the Postal system expanded to covering the entire country, whereby every city and town then had its own individual postmark. Shortly after this, in 160, William Dockra became the founder of a delivery system that would deliver both letters and parcels to the city of London and the surrounding areas; the London Penny Post. This system would deliver any package or letter weighing up to a pound for a single penny.

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Monthly Archives: February 2014