Bringing guitars into the States

[86kubicki]

When I attended RIO in Cleveland last June, I brought five Rickenbackers with me. On the way down, I stopped at Canada Customs and registered my instruments so that I could prove they were with me when I crossed over into the states. This involved filling out a card with a description of the guitars and a customs agent opened up the cases to verify the serial numbers. I drove off toward US customs thinking everything was cool, but when I told the US border agent that I was bringing some guitars over (for display purposes only), he tells me that I can only bring in goods with a value of $2000. Needless to say the value of waht I was bringing over was quite a bit more than $2000! He mentioned something about needing to fill out a commercial invoice of some sort, but I was able to convince him that the instruments would not be sold while I was in the US and he was nice enough to let me through.
Does anyone know the rules/regulations regarding bringing instruments into the states? Is there some sort of paperwork you can fill out to bring in items in excess of the $2000 limit?

[beatlefreak]

Since you were bringing them in for display only and taking them back with you, couldn't you just have claimed that they're valued at $399 each?

[86kubicki]

Hey Chris - let's just say that when I was asked the value of all the guitars I gave a figure over the $2000 limit, (of which I wasn't aware), but nowhere near the real value. I searched the US Customs web site last night looking for a way to declare personal or display goods over $2000, but with no luck. I did however find the policy to determine whether a male or female border guard is used to do a personal search on a transgender person...

[beatlefreak]

I did however find the policy to determine whether a male or female border guard is used to do a personal search on a transgender person...