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deodorant , hard candies , toothpaste , toothbrushes , hair brush , I would package loose tea in a ziplock baggie and send tea bags in a ziplock also , I wou, ld wrap shampoo in a ziplock and tape it down really well . envelopes , stamps and paper , maybe some small chips and crackers bags and also some cheese in the can and then put soft stuff around it and then. tape it down very well and ship. Never write fragile on the outside of the box or food items because you are asking for it to be stolen in my opinion . sorry if this offends but I have had more than one pkg come up missing with fragle and food items written on the outside of the box . Good luck
You can't send meat unless it is canned. A lot of fruit and vegetables must be inspected before they are admitted, you will need to check both us department of agriculture website and the department of agriculture website for the state where the college student is located. No dairy unless it is pasturized (which means a lot of cheeses can't be sent)
Chinese type tea and coffee are ok. Herbal tea is probably ok, but check for legality of ingredients.
Candies, baked goods, crackers, dried noodles, canned items can all be sent. Personal care items can be sent. Over the counter medication and prescription medication in original bottle can usually be sent in small quantities, but check to be sure ingredients are not on banned list.
My question is about sending small packages of foods/teas/care packages to a dorm in USA? Looking for tips.
First, make sure that you call the recipient and get the EXACT address of the dorm. I cannot tell you the number of packages for students that are mailed to university's main address which may be miles away.
Second, you might find it a lot cheaper to order the items on Amazon.com (US) and have it delivered. It probably will be a lot cheaper with reduced shipping costs and will arrived with a week. By doing this, you also avoid having to go through the customs process and having to know precisely what can or can't be imported to the US.
Third, remember that we are coming close to the end of the school year. If you don't get the package out soon, it won't get to the student.
Second, you might find it a lot cheaper to order the items on Amazon.com (US) and have it delivered. It probably will be a lot cheaper with reduced shipping costs and will arrived with a week. By doing this, you also avoid having to go through the customs process and having to know precisely what can or can't be imported to the US.
And Amazon actually has a number of preassembled "care packages" that can be ordered. But the student may be hoping for goodies from Europe. That certainly would be a treat.
OP, don't send anything chocolate or melty. Most of the country is still cool this time of year, and melting might not be a problem, but if the package is left in the sun for any amount of time, it could result in a mess. Or if you do choose to take a chance and sent chocolate, seal it in a zipper bag so that if it does melt, there's little mess.
Because postage is expensive, I would check out the specaility food sources based in USA & see if it is cheaper to send them from here. Stores like Cost Plus World Market have a small variety of European imports, & they also ship, maybe a gift card to that store would help. As mentioned, Amazon also offers goodies from Europe. Both of those options would only incur domestic shipping rates.
Because postage is expensive, I would check out the specaility food sources based in USA & see if it is cheaper to send them from here. Stores like Cost Plus World Market have a small variety of European imports, & they also ship, maybe a gift card to that store would help. As mentioned, Amazon also offers goodies from Europe. Both of those options would only incur domestic shipping rates.
It would be a wash really ... The OP could get the goods in Europe and pay postage, or buy them from the US, where the same items are more expensive (because they're marked up to cover import and shipping costs), and still might have to pay shipping.
Frankly, it's probably better to ship straight from Europe because it'll probably be fresher.
It is sometimes comforting to get packages with things from home:>) Please get the correct address! Consider that your package will be thrown around, stuffed into places and otherwise abused. Do not ship liquids. Check on postage - are any specials available such as up to XXX weight? Ship two small packages instead of one big one. Try not to ship glass. Ship sealed original packages only. No cheese, bread, home baked cookies, ... Tea, canned goods, candy/chocolate, ... will be devoured and sometimes shared. Most items are available in the US at the same or only slightly higher cost. If you feel like share what you plan to ship CD will gladly to price comparisons for you.
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