Anyone with experience of handcarting bits back from the US?

[tufftimes]

Im heading to Iowa next week and Im thinking it might be an opportunity to pick some pick bits up and get that back here without paying a fortune in duty or customs handling.  Has anyone done this?

Surely, if unwrapped and loose in my hand luggage, I can say I found it and liked it so much I decided to bring it back with me?  Its all used stuff anyway.

Ideas?

[Gnarlyscoots]

A friend of mine done this a while ago (a good while mind) and took some old tat in his bag with him. He replaced it with new stuff, like for like kind of, and didn't pay a thing as it 'was the stuff he took with him' 

Not sure how it goes these days with customs being as they are 

LMK bro as there is 4 bikes I would like you pick up for me  60/40 split mind 

[Kaner]

I know someone that brought back £11k of Ferrari carburettors back from the states very recently and they were in his hand luggage too, they didn't raise any questions either.

[moomin]

The last time i went to the states, admittedly ages ago i stashed loads of new bmx goodies in the bike boxes on the way back, was there for a race so they couldnt really argue that i needed spares but 7 DX seatposts for spares and 8 pairs of Vans in varying sizes would have been interesting to explain away    I didnt get stung for customs but they did do me for excess baggage for a hefty amount 

[Peter J]

Up until 18 months ago I use to do this a lot when I went over to the states (about eight times a year) with work.

Never got charged although I took everything out of packaging/boxes 

[Gary72]

4 years ago I bought a complete bike back from the states, Stripped it down and spread it across various suitcases, Had wife and kids so 4 suitcases. seat and stem in hand luggage. Bought a set of digital fishing scales and weighed the cases so all within limits. We flew with Virgin so checked in at Downtown Disney, Spent the day at Animal Kingdom and flew home no problems.