The issue here is what the seller/shipper writes on the shipping form. It's essential that the bike/frame/parts be described, accurately and honestly, as what they are: "vintage", "old", "used". If they just list "bike" worth so and so, you're going to get hit with customs duty calculated on a new bike or parts. I've gotten burned twice with frames from the UK (and not from Hilary Stone who knows how this works!) and each time it down to this reason. And in my case it was with FedEx (shipped from the UK as Parcel2Go). So the moral here is simple: remind the seller/shipper to clearly denote this is old beat up stuff and you aren't going to get hit with customs duty. Or at least shouldn't.
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA