Prohibited Items of Interest in Germany

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

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.

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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 This could be any kind of publication or image that was originally made in Canada.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

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.

RAND Logistics provide a collection and delivery service throughout the UK and internationally, so get your quote and make the most of our unrivalled services today.

Prohibited Items of Interest in China

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

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.

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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 4

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.

Whether you are sending your parcel within the UK, or internationally, RAND Logistics can help you with competitive rates on all parcels delivered from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland and even further afield.

The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 2

Penny_blackOn the 6th 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.

At RAND Logistics we endeavour to provide you with the best service at competitive rates. RAND Logistics can provide an instant quotation on excellent rates on parcels to Spain, Norway or anywhere else worldwide.

The History of the UK Postal Stamp – Day 1

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 12th 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.

For cost effective and professional service from Denmark to Dubai, choose RAND Logistics to send your parcel internationally.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 5

It’s the last day of our Winter Olympics blog posts and as we come to the end of the downhill slope we take a look at how Great Britain is getting on in the games. Great Britain isn’t famous for their successes in the Winter Games, although they have set a target of three medals this year. Here’s what’s happened so far for team GB and a brief look at their history in the games.

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Great Britain won the first ever medal on snow in this year’s winter games with a bronze medal victory for Jenny Jones in the women’s slopestyle. Since then GB have struggled to add to their medal tally but finally managing to win a medal on snow is a positive achievement. Elsewhere team GB are putting a lot of their hopes on the curling teams who have tasted success in the past, most notably in 2002.

The most medals Great Britain have ever won in a winter games is four medals, way back in 1924. Their total accumulation of medals in the history of the winter games currently stands at 22 with 9 gold medals.

As we come to the end of posts surrounding the Winter Olympics, remember that RAND Logistics provide a collection and delivery service internationally. So if you need to ship a parcel abroad make sure you come to RAND for your free quote.

Winter Olympics 2014: Day 4

On the penultimate day of our Winter Olympics coverage we have a look at how the leading team in the games, Germany, are fairing. They’ve managed to assemble nine medals in the games so far with six of them being gold. We also take a look back at Germany’s history in the games. RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to Germany, so you can easily get your parcels to Berlin or Munich with our unrivalled service.

Germany has been involved in 18 of the 20 Winter Olympic Games that have been hosted as they were not invited to either event that came after each World War. However, Germany did host the event just three years before World War 2. They had also been selected to host the games in 1940. Overall, Germany has won 360 medals at the Winter Olympics.

At this current point in the 2014 games, Germany has been extremely successful in their chosen events. Yesterday we saw Eric Frenzel win gold in the Nordic combined event, whilst they also came out on top in the double luge. However, day 4 saw the Germans lose out 7-6 in their curling match against Great Britain.

Keep up-to-date with the leading countries here at RAND during the winter games. Why not have a look at our range of services or contact us for a detailed summary of the logistics services we have to offer.