Duty and Customs Price on Aero?

[Xopher]

Is there anybody from the States who has ordered a jacket directly from Aero that can tell me what I'd be looking at price wise for import duty and customs to the USA? With the GBP in the hole Im pondering a purchase so how much extra should I save for a 725 gbp jacket plus 40 gbp shipping, that works out to 950 usd, would I be looking at like 5% or 25% to get it into the states? Id order from thurston bros but they want 1200 and if I can get it for under 1k from the UK Id do that.

 

[Guppy]

Is there anybody from the States who has ordered a jacket directly from Aero that can tell me what I'd be looking at price wise for import duty and customs to the USA? With the GBP in the hole Im pondering a purchase so how much extra should I save for a 725 gbp jacket plus 40 gbp shipping, that works out to 950 usd, would I be looking at like 5% or 25% to get it into the states? Id order from thurston bros but they want 1200 and if I can get it for under 1k from the UK Id do that.

Two years ago, it was over $100usd.

 

[Insomnia]

2. Possible resolutions to your answer: First ask Aero maybe they know that.
2. Look at Thurston Bros Ebay-Site, they did the math for you.

If it is your first Aero jacket I certainly go with Thurston bros. There custom Aero ordering process with a fit jacket should be more value than your saving. If I live in the United States I certainly go with their well-known advise.

 

[Fanch]

Unless you are absolutely certain about sizing, you would be penny wise but pound foolish not to go through Thurston's fit jacket program.

 

[Mickiemac]

I received my Aero LHB CXL Steer in Cordovan back in mid-May and the customs fees were about $113.00 USD - I received notice from DHL that the fee was due before they'd deliver the jacket which I promptly paid. Of course then the GBP was at a higher rate than it is now but that had/has no bearing on what the customs fees are other than the value of the contents.

The USD to GBP conversion in general is a bit more depending on which method Aero uses to process the transaction. My total (jacket & shipping) was 725 GPB plus the customs fee. In total I paid nearly 1,200.00USD for my coat/jacket. But... the coat is worth every penny and I am more than pleased with it. Now that the weather has cooled so I can wear it out the coat is becoming far more appealing in appearance and fit.

If this is your first Aero then I can tell you now it probably won't be your last!

 

[ProteinNerd]

I'm all for saving money, however if this is your first Aero, I'd reconsider Thurston bros. The service (and the fit guarantee alone) make it worth it imo.

It saved me the cost of 1 jacket that had to be remade due to sizing (too small) and should have saved me a second but I didn't listen to Carrie (the size I insisted on ended up being too big).

The different styles are sized differently, unless you are damn sure you know the size you need in the model you are after, its very easy to order the wrong size and be way out of pocket.

 

[Xopher]

Im just so terribly torn between Good Wear, Eastman, or Aero and I think its largely due to the price differences and wait times.

I want a Good Wear but for $1750+ and a year or more wait time I find myself looking at Eastman.

At around $1400 for Eastman I find myself thinking "Might as well save an extra couple hundred and go Good Wear" but then I remember that with HPA I could literally have the Eastman in 2 days which is amazing and a huge selling point.

But then I think "Oh there is Aero for $1000 straight from the UK but then there are Customs and Duty charges and If I get the size wrong Im boned."

Then I think Oh there is "Thurston Bros for $1200 but then I have shipping money tied up in a fit jacket so its really probably more like $1250-1300 by the time its all said and done and still probably a 2 month wait period."

So then I think "If Im gonna have to drop $1200-1300 on an Aero and have to mail it back and for a bunch, I might as well save an extra $100 and buy an Eastman that would be at my door by Wednesday."

But then I think "Well sh*t, If I am spending $1400 on a jacket I might as well just save $1750+ and get a Good Wear....but ahhh the wait time....and ooooouufff that is so expensive."

And the vicious cycle starts anew.

Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[Xopher]

Why do most people choose Eastman over Aero or vise versa?

Do other people choose Eastman over Goodwear based on the price differences and wait time?

I think I could safely say if Aero and Eastman were the same price Id go Eastman all day every day although I can't quite put a finger on why I would.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Just look at it this way.....at least we have options! and so many great makers out there. The choice is hard but its better to have them than not.

Dont rush it, a rushed decision is a jacket that appears in the classifieds after a month or two.

Go with what you really want...a few weeks (or possibly a 2 year) wait will be worth it when you have just the jacket you wanted for the next 20-30 years.

 

[El Marro]

Im just so terribly torn between Good Wear, Eastman, or Aero and I think its largely due to the price differences and wait times.

I want a Good Wear but for $1750+ and a year or more wait time I find myself looking at Eastman.

At around $1400 for Eastman I find myself thinking "Might as well save an extra couple hundred and go Good Wear" but then I remember that with HPA I could literally have the Eastman in 2 days which is amazing and a huge selling point.

But then I think "Oh there is Aero for $1000 straight from the UK but then there are Customs and Duty charges and If I get the size wrong Im boned."

Then I think Oh there is "Thurston Bros for $1200 but then I have shipping money tied up in a fit jacket so its really probably more like $1250-1300 by the time its all said and done and still probably a 2 month wait period."

So then I think "If Im gonna have to drop $1200-1300 on an Aero and have to mail it back and for a bunch, I might as well save an extra $100 and buy an Eastman that would be at my door by Wednesday."

But then I think "Well sh*t, If I am spending $1400 on a jacket I might as well just save $1750+ and get a Good Wear....but ahhh the wait time....and ooooouufff that is so expensive."

And the vicious cycle starts anew.

Does anyone else have this problem?

I just went through the same exact experience when I decided to order a B-6. I liked the looks of the Aero redskin B-6 but I figured that if I ordered one right now it might be springtime before the jacket arrived. I had never purchased an Eastman before but almost everything I read about there B-3 and B-6 jackets was very positive. In the end it was the delivery time that sealed the deal for Eastman. Charles at HPA shipped the jacket the day after I ordered it and I was wearing my new B-6 the following week.
The nice thing about tough decisions like these is that you are going to end up with a beautiful jacket no matter which way you decide to go.

 

[Xopher]

Yea Charles at HPA is really hard to beat. Literally the best customer service I have ever experienced. The wait time is also the reason I bought my Eastman B-6 Standard. I was looking at an Aero B-6 but when they said 10 weeks, I phoned up HPA and had a B-6 two days later. I have to say Aero does have Eastman on custom sizing and hide combinations. But aren't Eastman B3s more accurate than Aero? I think maybe I am drawn to Eastman because they somehow just look more authentic and less flashy or fashion jacket than Aero. Then again Aero Redskin is intoxicatingly cool

If you had an Eastman and Aero B-3 laying next to each other and someone said pick the one you like the best and its yours for free, which would pick and why?

 

[Fanch]

Ultimately the price differential between Aero, GW, and ELC won't make all that much difference to you in the long run. My advice would be simply to buy the one you want.

 

[El Marro]

Yea Charles at HPA is really hard to beat. Literally the best customer service I have ever experienced. The wait time is also the reason I bought my Eastman B-6 Standard. I was looking at an Aero B-6 but when they said 10 weeks, I phoned up HPA and had a B-6 two days later. I have to say Aero does have Eastman on custom sizing and hide combinations. But aren't Eastman B3s more accurate than Aero? I think maybe I am drawn to Eastman because they somehow just look more authentic and less flashy or fashion jacket than Aero. Then again Aero Redskin is intoxicatingly cool

If you had an Eastman and Aero B-3 laying next to each other and someone said pick the one you like the best and its yours for free, which would pick and why?

It was the Aero Redskin that I fell in love with, although I have only seen it in photos. The Eastman did not grab me immediately in the same "I have to have it" kind of way. After owning the Eastman for a couple of weeks now I am very happy with it and I have no regrets about passing on Aero for the B-6.
Unfortunately, now I find myself tempted by the Aero D-1 posted by Insomnia yesterday...

 

[Xopher]

Yea those Aero D-1s are sharp! I was thinking about one of those too just because Im jonesing for something in the redskin hide and I feel like a D-1 would have more regular use than a B-3, but since I have a B-6 I kind of have that temperature range covered.

 

[ton312]

I'm not sure where you landed but as has been pointed out, since you are in the States especially, if Aero is your bag, you'd be best served with Thurston's fit service. It will eliminate 99% of the fit worry. I saved 1% because I'm a worrier. If you aren't it's as good as 100%, ring it up, in the bag, slam dunk, another cliche...done. Good hunting to you.

 

[Xopher]

You folks are really selling me on Thurston Bros. I really like what Im hearing about them.

 

[nick123]

Im just so terribly torn between Good Wear, Eastman, or Aero and I think its largely due to the price differences and wait times.

I want a Good Wear but for $1750+ and a year or more wait time I find myself looking at Eastman.

At around $1400 for Eastman I find myself thinking "Might as well save an extra couple hundred and go Good Wear" but then I remember that with HPA I could literally have the Eastman in 2 days which is amazing and a huge selling point.

But then I think "Oh there is Aero for $1000 straight from the UK but then there are Customs and Duty charges and If I get the size wrong Im boned."

Then I think Oh there is "Thurston Bros for $1200 but then I have shipping money tied up in a fit jacket so its really probably more like $1250-1300 by the time its all said and done and still probably a 2 month wait period."

So then I think "If Im gonna have to drop $1200-1300 on an Aero and have to mail it back and for a bunch, I might as well save an extra $100 and buy an Eastman that would be at my door by Wednesday."

But then I think "Well sh*t, If I am spending $1400 on a jacket I might as well just save $1750+ and get a Good Wear....but ahhh the wait time....and ooooouufff that is so expensive."

And the vicious cycle starts anew.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Totally have that problem. I want a Christmas jacket, damnit! But at least you're thinking it out before pressing a button, which is good. The one thing that has me leaning toward Eastman are the measurements provided on the HPA site, which is another semi-safeguard for not goofing up sizing in addition to Thurston's fit jacket if you go Aero.

 

[El Marro]

Totally have that problem. I want a Christmas jacket, damnit! But at least you're thinking it out before pressing a button, which is good. The one thing that has me leaning toward Eastman are the measurements provided on the HPA site, which is another semi-safeguard for not goofing up sizing in addition to Thurston's fit jacket if you go Aero.

The detailed measurements and size info provided for every single jacket on the HPA website is a really awesome feature. I didn't even bother to look at what the return policy was because I knew the jacket would fit me when I ordered it!

 

[AeroFan_07]

+1 for Thurston's! They will help you all the way. Plus if you review thier thread on here, they have a sale page, and perhaps one of those jackets might work out well for you and save you a couple hundred $$. Hope you find something you like and are able to get it on your back!

 

[Edward]

Why do most people choose Eastman over Aero or vise versa?

Do other people choose Eastman over Goodwear based on the price differences and wait time?

I think I could safely say if Aero and Eastman were the same price Id go Eastman all day every day although I can't quite put a finger on why I would.

I imagine there are a range of reasons people choose one maker over another. Some of them will be quantifiable - for instance, I tend to find Aero are usually a bit or a lot (or all point in between - it varies) cheaper than the equivalent Eastman model. Equally, because Eastman work to a stock model (as distinct from joining a custom order queue), you can typically have a jacket from them in a matter of days, rather than the two month wait period with Aero, or a two years with Goodwear. Other than that, there are all sorts of reasosns that may not be necessarily quantifiable or tangible, but they're there nonetheless. Good experience of acompany can keep you coming back - and Aero are particularly well known for that. (Not that Goodwear and Eastman aren't, though as smaller operations they don't have the same scope to have dedidcated customer-facing people as Aero do.)

Another thing is what they do: Eastman specialise in military stuff; their civilian range is limited. Aero do nice military stuff, but their civilian range is vast and excellent. Eastman's ELMC outshot are playing to a different crowd again. It did used to be the case that Eastman's military bits were considered markedly more acurate than Aero's, though I don't know that that's the case any longer. Ken certainly reviewed and redid a lot of the patterns since 2012; Aero's Irvin is now as good as any of them, imo - with the bonus that nobody else is doing the Coastal Command as a repro (I'm keen on one of those eventually, canary yellow hood and all!). The Aero contract A2s (i.e. the specific contracts that the original Aero Braconsfield did in the war era) are now working to patterns that Ken and John GW reviewed together, I believe. Still, some might nonetheless prefer ELC for features such as the 'timeworn' finish, or because they reproduce a specific contract Aero doesn't, or they have somethingl ike that specific squadron mod with the interior canvas pockets.

Really, though, once you're on this level of premium product, it rapidly becomes less about any quantifiable comparison or logic, and more about personal, instinctive preference. Some folks like Harleys, others would take any Triumph over any Harley and day of the week. Still others would like one of each....

Having owned jackets from ELC, LW, Schott, Wested, Aero, Buzz Rickson, and handled many more, including Vanson, Lewis, Mascot, Real McCoys and others.... I keep coming back to Aero because they make a jacket which fits what I want (especially given that my preferences have evolved primarily towards civilian jackets in recent years), at a price with which I am comfortable, and provide great service. I'll still buy other brands if they equally offer what I'm after for something different, or come up at the right deal, or whatever. I think, though, in the end while some of us like to find one great source and keep buying there, others like the thrill of variety and the new, and so keep looking around. There's no right or wrong approach here. WE're all just lucky to be living through an era where our relatively small niche is so well served with such a range of options.