This is a faux concern over real ivory.
This is a loada bollax about the Cites Cert.I sent a set with Ivory and was able to get certification easily enough.(one phone call to get,one form and cost £5)The problem was at the American end but the broker over there finally got them through the customs(US)
Seems to me the reluctance is frae the seller (Ginsberg)who I suspect cannot be bothered or does not want to sell to Americans.
Anyway if ye are daft enough to pay out a fortune for a set just because its old and has been cleaned up without having a scooby how it plays, then a trip to the UK to collect them and get your own Certificate should present no problem,it may be more expensive that way,yes,but whats money in a scenario such as this! 
= $$$ = :roll:
Uilliam
Uilliam: “The problem was at the American end but the broker over there finally got them through the customs(US)”
I have never had to go through this sort of thing. Is it a pretty typical scenario when shipping ivory to the US?
Brokers are highly suggested by the US Govt for items worth over (I think) $1000. I don’t remember for certain if this is the break-point, but it’s somewhere around there. Could be up to $2000. Anyhow, I’ve bought from overseas items costing more than the limit and had no problems. I also know people who have bought items with Ivory from overseas with no CITES certificate and gotten them just fine.
Personally, though, I would not spend a great deal of money on something and then take the chance that customs may or may not seize it. Frankly the intelligence of Customs agents seems to leave a lot to be desired. When I received my A. Donax from Medir in Spain, customs claimed that my large box was filled with Music Boxes worth thousands of dollars rather than Cane worth hundreds. It made me wonder if they even bothered opening the box to look at it, because I’m pretty certain cane tubes look nothing like music boxes. It could just be me, though.
Dionys
Joseph.I have no idea if it is typical,but legally ye are required to have the certificate(which is easy enought to get).
The broker is meant to smooth everything out with the customs people (thats what they are paid for).But if you are seriously considering buying this,then why don’t ye just buy it,ask Ginsberg to hang on to it and you get the certificate then come across and collect(or as your spending a fortune anyways you could get a courier to do it for you,)thats where I come in .For a small fee plus travel expenses I could collect it for you from Wales and bring it over to you.Anyways when youve bought the set let me know and we can fix a deal.This offer is open to any potential buyers worldwide by the way…
(I can still think of better ways of spending my money) 
Slan Go Foill
Liam
The paperwork supplied by the Sender is the best place to concentrate the effort. Brokers only use the Commercial Invoice supplied by the Sender. That document should heavily emphasize antique bagpipes, including its vintage.
Uilliam wrote: “But if you are seriously considering buying this…”
No, I am with you on this, I’d have to know a lot more about its history and playability before I would even consider shelling out a small fortune for it… and unfortunately, a small fortune I do not have.
It would be a cool thing to have for its historical value, but not at the price it is going for…especially if it is unplayable.
I was just curious, should I entertain the idea of having a set made in Eire, just what kind of a hassle I may have to go through to get it. Currently I am committed to a maker here in the states for a chanter, and I will more than likely fill out the rest of the set by him when I have the cash to throw at it.
Thanks for the info.
There are no import duties for bagpipes to the United States.
No customs duty if you import bagpipes. Don’t worry about buying from overseas in regards to customs. Unless there is Ivory on your new set. Then (again) you’d need a CITES certificate, unless it’s something like fossilized walrus ivory or mastadon ivory, &c.
Dionys
(Added “Duty” 
Ooops!)
Thanks Kev, I realized afterwards that the thumbhole wasn’t lined up with the key hole, but wasn’t sure if it was for E in the second octave or third. It might work for the second too, depending on lower finger positions.
I had a chanter with an e’‘’ key, it also gave a much cleaner ghost d. Like what you get using the Eb key on a flute. You could do a semitone trill on the back D, if that floats your boat.
The seller still says on the description that it will be “Difficult” (sounds like Manuel on Fawlty Towers) to ship outside EU, but in the emails he says impossible. I’m not going to bother with this, nice though it’d be to own.
Here’s what the bell of the chanter looks like, eccchhhh:
Methinks that chanter spent a few decades as a drainpipe for the kitchen sink. 
Looks like old filler of some sort. You can see the line between the putty and the thin layer of wood. Maybe, maybe, nothing a big rush woundn’t solve. Not unusual for the reed seat to be ¼" wide, but not the throat!
The auction closed successfully; looks like the set is going to Germany; same buyer bought the Geoff Wooff half set that was up on eBAY:
Winning Bid: GBP 1,750.00 (approx. US $3,184.83)
First Bid: GBP 20.00(approx. US $36.40)
of bids: 8
Time left: Auction has ended.
What a steal! Regardless of the chanter problem.
Wow… that guy is doing well for himself! Congratulations to him!
PD.
I hope I can hear it being played somewhere in the not so distant future.
I wonder if Mr Rogge will be the man to put this set back into its original
key and do the “Biz” with this set, if anyone he’s the for the Job. 
“Over and out”.
[quote=“reedman” if anyone he’s the for the Job.
[/quote]
Andreas Rogge: the definite article.
I think reedman mean’t to say that ,he’s the man for the job, that being
Mr Rogge, 
Which I totaly agree. right Reedman.