Sucks being a Canadian sometimes

[nick delmore]

Not only are there very few quality mandolins to try in Canada, now some US stores are refusing to ship internationally. I just tried to buy a mandolin but was denied, as my fellow Canuck Mike Meyers might say. This situation just gets worse & worse.

[Sue Rieter]

That's ridiculous. I've bought lots of stuff from Canada. What is the world coming to when a guy can't get a new mandolin?

[nick delmore]

Clearly we're headed for hell-in-a-handbasket territory

[Richard500]

Tell ya what, Nick; swap shopping access for your medical access.

[journeybear]

If you live close to the border, consider going on a road trip. That's what plenty of Americans find themselves doing when they don't live close to a mandolin emporium.

If you're in the east, there's Bernunzio in Rochester NY. A bit further down the road there is Norman's Rare Guitars in Woodstock. If you're out west, I'm sure there are good stores in and near Seattle. And if you're centrally located, look around Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit. I'm sure there are members who can advise further. And google is everyone's friend, regardless of borders.

I'm with Richard about medical care. That's a much more pressing and important concern. Well, most of the time.

On the other hand, there are winters. But then again, there's also poutine. And Sarah McLachlan. So, yeah, sometimes it sucks being anywhere. Plusses and minuses abound everywhere. What can one do?

[Paul Cowham]

I know they are at the higher price range, but I'm a proud and lucky owner of a Heiden mandolin made in Canada...

[nick delmore]

Uh...yeah. I was trying to buy a Northfield NF-S, so nowhere near the same ballpark.

[nick delmore]

A couple of problems. One, the trip to Seattle would add several hundred dollars to the price tag, the other is that I let my passport expire & renewing it will take a few weeks.

[nick delmore]

Just when we're finally getting dental added? No way!

[journeybear]

Oooh ... Yeah, the exchange rate is a bit much - around 25% less purchasing power for you. But wouldn't that be the case when buying online, anyway? It seems to me you would be weighing cost of driving versus cost of shipping. Now, if you find something to buy in the Seattle area, you could also fit into your road trip a meal at the physical Mandolin Café in Tacoma. Better move on it, though; it's closing in three months, according to this article. (The link to the café in the article is no good.)

[nick delmore]

Aside from the exchange rate, the major cost isn't shipping, it's the customs & duties plus brokerage rates we pay to import things into the country. But I can't go in person anyway without a passport.

[journeybear]

Well, yeah ...

PS: In case people are trying to keep up with this ... Mandolin Sushi & Steakhouse is what the new identity of the restaurant at that location will be. That is, the property owner has sold the building, the Café is out, the Sushi is in, and the name is staying the same.

[Mandobar]

Did you try Dusty Strings?

[Joe Mendel]

Peter Sawchyn makes very fine mandolins in Regina, Saskatchewan.

[nick delmore]

Did you try Dusty Strings?

Yes. That's the store that doesn't ship to Canada.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I wonder if the stores won't ship outside of US due to concern with CITES? I think there are still many stores that would. Have you tried contacting the Mandolin Store? Or Northfield directly and see if they can point you to a Canadian dealer?

Interestingly, a few of the mandolins on my bucket list are from Canada: Besides Heiden, there's Apitius and Lawrence Nyberg who makes killer Celtic style mando instruments.

[DaveGinNJ]

Not only are there very few quality mandolins to try in Canada, now some US stores are refusing to ship internationally. I just tried to buy a mandolin but was denied, as my fellow Canuck Mike Meyers might say. This situation just gets worse & worse.

There are worse places to live than Canada, although I can't think of any at the moment I bought an FS-5 last fall and couldn't be happier. If you are not close to the border do you have any friends/family in the US that could ship it to you?

[j4music]

It's not Canada that sucks. It's the know-nothing store you were dealing with. Just go to another store.

[Cú Chulainn]

It's not bad enough to not be able to spend more on mandolins then you can afford, I've had to hit up the RRSP's several times . Myhers Music in Edmonton gets some really nice stuff from time to time and generally well stocked with midrange Mando's(Collins,Gibson etc) and quite a bit of stuff does come up for sale in Canada on the Cafe if you keep your eyes peeled... also if your looking for specific stuff, try wanted adds, I've had that work out well for me a coulpe of times, there's a few Canadians on here with bloated collections who can afford to let one go every once in a while!

[nick delmore]

I wonder if the stores won't ship outside of US due to concern with CITES? I think there are still many stores that would. Have you tried contacting the Mandolin Store? Or Northfield directly and see if they can point you to a Canadian dealer?

Interestingly, a few of the mandolins on my bucket list are from Canada: Besides Heiden, there's Apitius and Lawrence Nyberg who makes killer Celtic style mando instruments.

Yes, they did say it had to do with CITES, at least in part. Sounded like there were enough hassles they decided it wasn't worth it. Also, amazingly enough Northfield doesn't have any Canadian dealers. As far as Canadian builders go, I know who they are. I was looking to buy a mandolin, not get on a wait list.

[nick delmore]

Not the store's fault, just a business decision they made. They are an established business with a good reputation. I don't blame them at all, they are free to set their own policy. Unfortunately, the particular mandolin I was interested in is at that store. I'll just take it as a swing and a miss.

[Marcus CA]

Or Northfield directly and see if they can point you to a Canadian dealer?

On Northfield's website, they don't list any Canadian dealers. However, they do say, "We can help you locate specific models or custom combinations by letting you know about recently shipped instruments or instruments currently in production for our trusted dealer network. Feel free to contact us at 877-367-7304 Ext. #1" Surely you're not the first Canadian who has wanted to buy a Northfield.

P.S. I LOVE Vancouver Island, Quebec, and Nova Scotia!

[nick delmore]

On Northfield's website, they don't list any Canadian dealers. However, they do say, "We can help you locate specific models or custom combinations by letting you know about recently shipped instruments or instruments currently in production for our trusted dealer network. Feel free to contact us at 877-367-7304 Ext. #1" Surely you're not the first Canadian who has wanted to buy a Northfield.

P.S. I LOVE Vancouver Island, Quebec, and Nova Scotia!

If it was just a matter of getting a Northfield there are plenty of stores that do ship internationally. It's just that someone who I think knows what he's talking about had checked out a mandolin & had raved about it. Since I can't try them before buying, I depend on hearing that kind of feedback. So I was interested in hopping on that one particular mandolin. As I said, I took a stab at it, came up short.

[Glassweb]

Nick... I sent you an email with some options after receiving your message. Didn't hear back from you...

[Peter Coronado]

Could be the use of mother-of-pearl. The Dusty Strings web site says:

“Where do you ship?

We mostly ship within the continental United States. For international shipping, please call for an estimate. Due to legal restrictions, we currently do not ship internationally instruments which contain pearl or rosewood.”