The smarter way to buy from the USA

From an early age I helped out on a friend’s farm and we naturally moved into repairing older farm machines and tractors. Since the age of 16 I’ve owned my own vintage tractors and they have gradually become older and more unusual or interesting. I especially enjoy owning and working with vintage American tractors and currently own 12 such models ranging from 35 to over 80 years old.

I understand there is a East Midlands based group- can you tell us about them?

I belong to a club called the Vale of Belvoir Machinery Group. We have similar interests around farming, the countryside and vintage machinery. The group holds regular meetings with films, slide shows and entertaining speakers. We came together through the small vintage field events we organised in our local area around the East Midlands. We attracted a number of interested visitors who of course wanted to get involved. Today we have around 85 members.

Vale of Belvoir Website

How do you go about sourcing the parts you need?

It’s all about leg work! Once I have the full details of the the items I’m after I Google search for a suitable supplier. Some larger companies have online shopping facilities and I will use these quite happily. For other smaller suppliers you really need to call them up, check with them that the items they have are precisely what you want then order from them. If I had a tip for those trying to sell to overseas buyers then it’s to make sure they can accept credit card payment - most suppliers do today, but the small number that don’t are a pain! I personally avoid those that don’t accept credit cards if at all possible. I haven’t yet tried BundleBox’s BuyForMe, but I may well give it a go next time!

John Deere 1941 Model

Is the USA a good place to source?

Yes - absolutely! Almost everything you could possibly require is available from somebody in the USA! You do have to shop around to some extent, but you can get it all. It’s all down to the large population of old machines that survive in the US, plus the popularity of vintage restoration as a hobby.

It seems like there is a cult interest in preserving traditional techniques- would you agree?

When we began restoring old tractors over 25 years ago it was a real minority interest and lots of people thought we were crazy! These days however it’s becoming a very popular pastime or even a business for some professional restorers and fully restored tractors can command prices of up to £60K depending on the brand or model.

Vale of Belvoir Group Outing

Tell me about your experiences buying such parts from the USA- how has BundleBox assisted?

BundleBox has helped me in several ways - firstly for those smaller suppliers who are either unwilling or inexperienced in shipping overseas BundleBox has given me a US shipping address that is easy for my suppliers to use. Secondly, I’ve managed to reduce my overall shipping costs to the UK - I believe by around 20% compared to shipping each package individually. That’s an impressive saving that makes it far more affordable to restore these old machines. Finally, an important factor is that I can pay the VAT and Import duty on my items before they are shipped. That takes out all the hassle of having to pay these fees on the doorstep before I can take delivery of my items, which when I’m out at work all day, just isn’t convenient! With BundleBox however I pay these fees before shipping and arrange for the shipment to be sent to my friend’s farm, where my old tractors are kept. It’s far simpler and easier!

Do you showcase the finished restorations in any way?

We attend 4 or 5 vintage rallies and events  each year. My goal this year has been to finish the 1946 John Deere Model D tractor I’ve been working on in time for the Belvoir Castle Rally on May 21st. With the help of BundleBox I’m on course to do this!

Display of Tractors at Vale of Belvoir Annual Show

We have Bundleers who source parts for motorbikes etc in the USA, what advice do you offer?

The most important thing is to do your research first. Get hold of a Parts Manual for the machine you’re working on and use the correct part numbers for the items you need. There is then no argument about what you are looking for! Then don’t be afraid to pick up the telephone and ask if you have any questions or are unsure. Without exception, all of the people I’ve spoken to about parts and similar items from the US have been extremely friendly and offered helpful advice.