BUY/DONATE STUFF the WW&F NEEDS on AMAZON!!

[Ed Lecuyer]

Amazon maintains a “Wish List” for charities (like a gift registry). Ours contains mostly day-to-day needs, but there are a few special projects that need materials. You pick what you want to donate, and Amazon ships it directly to us!

See what we need at:
www.wwfry.org/wishlist

There are some low-priced items, as well as some opportunities for more generous donors.
Anyone connected with the day-to-day operations of the railway should feel free to contact ed.lecuyer@wwfry.org with items to add to the "wish list".

To ship directly to the museum, use the address:
WW&F Railway Museum, 97 Cross Road, Alna, ME 04535

Don't forget to use smile.amazon.com - for ALL your Amazon purchases. Smile.amazon.com donates a (small) percentage of every purchase to the charity of your choice (hopefully, the WW&F.)

[Ed Lecuyer]

FYI, there is a little "quote" popup over each item that explains what it will be used for.

For example, the Horse Tie Tethers are to add break-away functionality to the chains that run between the vestibules of passenger cars.

[Graham Buxton]

Note that while Amazon sometimes offers a good price, that cannot be counted on. For instance, the 1000ft of UF cable on the WW&F Wish List is currently $588.53 at Amazon, but the Home Depot 'home delivery' price is currently $518.08.  Here are the respective  links:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08FH8WMFD/?ref_=smi_cl_ls_ldp_dp
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-1-000-ft-12-2-Gray-Solid-CU-UF-B-W-G-Wire-13055901/205346692

I would not expect those prices to be accurate at any given  day in the future, but the point is (assuming  you always hate to pay more than necessary) is to  seek comparative quotes.  In my experience, Amazon is not automatically the best price. 

[Ed Lecuyer]

Good advice Graham.

That said, be sure to check with us before making a substitute on a different web site; sometimes there is an important detail that needs to be adhered to.

[John McNamara]

I was noticing that the prices seemed high. If I were to buy that type of cable, I would buy (and have bought) the equally suitable 14/2 UFB for 449.85 from Home Depot. However, I thought that this whole Buy/Donate project was tied to Amazon.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Yes, the deal is with Amazon. Of course, if there is a better/cheaper substitute alternative, we can list it in this thread.

[Graham Buxton]

It appears that using the WW&F "Wishlist" link posted above does not direct Amazon to load up the WW&F address as the "Ship To" address.   For example, I added the 12ga 50ft cord to the cart, but Amazon defaults to shipping that to me.

So is "97 Cross Road, Sheepscot Station, Alna, ME 04535" a suitable shipping address for the WW&F? And:
 Is there a follow-through system where Amazon notifies someone at the WW&F that a WishList item has been purchased & shipped?
And what happens if/when UPS/Fedex/etc delivers and no one is around? Leave it on the Percival porch?

 

[James Patten]

97 Cross is the physical address, PO Box 242 is the mailing. 

I believe UPS/Fedex will leave it on the back walkway if nobody is around.

[Graham Buxton]

Well, Amazon typically ships via the lowest rate carrier for a given package.  At my location that means most packages go to my USPS mailbox, but some packages go via  UPS / Fedex who cannot deliver to a mailbox.  For me my 'street address' is my only address, but a WW&F PO Box means that all USPS letters and packages go to the PO Box, but UPS and Fedex cannot go there.  But I don't know which carrier Amazon is going to use.
This can't be the first time this has come up? 

[Ed Lecuyer]

Use "97 Cross Road, Alna, ME 04535" address for Amazon donations.

THANKS!!

[Graham Buxton]

OK, I followed through on the extension cord purchase.  If anyone is interested to follow up, its Amazon #111-2618406-7329831

 I note that the sales tax I was charged on a $29.95 purchase was only $1.65, rather than the typical 9.75% TN sales tax for items delivered to TN where I live.     (I really can't complain about TN sales tax too much, as in the long run, overall TN total tax rates are relatively low.)

[Benjamin Richards]

I note that the sales tax I was charged on a $29.95 purchase was only $1.65

That would be Maine's 5.5% use tax (which is identical to the sales tax). Amazon has gotten pretty good about collecting the right taxes, and they (rightly) collect it based on shipping address.

[Ed Lecuyer]

If someone wants to pay NO tax on their donated goods, feel free to ship it to me in New Hampshire (PM me for address) and I will deliver it to Sheepscot.

Live Free or Die! (at least for now, until I move to Maine.)