Shipping & Purchasing Information
Current Order Processing Time: 1-2 business days.
Most orders are shipped from our warehouse facility in West Virginia, USA. Approximate transit times for each shipping option will display in the shopping cart after you enter your shipping address, and reflect the amount of transit time after order processing. (In other words, please add 1-2 business days to the time frame estimates in the shopping cart.)
Important COVID-19 pandemic information:
USPS packages are experiencing additional delays for both Domestic (US) and International shipments. Some post office locations and regional sorting centers are overwhelmed by the volume of packages from everyone ordering online in the pandemic. This may add 3 days to 2 weeks (or more) to transit times for all USPS shipping methods. For time-sensitive shipments, we recommend FedEx shipping instead.
International orders may see increased customs processing time during this state of emergency. USPS packages are seeing increased delays in addition to long customs processing time, as cargo ships are being used to transport USPS packages when space runs out on cargo planes. This means that International USPS packages may take up to 75 days to deliver in some cases. If your order is time-sensitive, we strongly recommend choosing a FedEx shipping option at checkout.
2022 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Within the United States
Recommended order-by dates for expected delivery before December 25th. Please order before 11:59pm Eastern Time Eastern Time on the date indicated below to ensure the best chance of receiving the order before Christmas. Clicking a date below will bring up a new tab with a time zone conversion for the cutoff in your local time zone.
| Destination | USPS First Class Mail | USPS Priority Mail | FedEx Economy | FedEx Priority Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contiguous U.S. | Thursday Dec. 15 | Sunday Dec. 18 | Tuesday Dec. 20 | Wednesday Dec. 21 |
| Alaska & Hawaii | Thursday Dec. 15 | Thursday Dec. 15 | Tuesday Dec. 20 | Wednesday Dec. 21 |
| Military Mail (APO/FPO/DPO) | Thursday Dec. 8 | Thursday Dec. 8* | N/A | N/A |
*USPS Priority Mail Express Military is available to selected military/diplomatic Post Offices facilities. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO/DPO address. If available, the deadline for USPS Priority Mail Express Military orders is 11:59pm Eastern on Thursday, December 15th.
Dates above are for estimated delivery before December 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on destination and other conditions.
2022 Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Outside the United States
Recommended order-by dates for expected delivery before December 25th. Please order before 11:59pm Eastern Time on the date indicated below to ensure the best chance of receiving the order before Christmas. Clicking a date below will bring up a new tab with a time zone conversion for the cutoff in your local time zone.
| Destination | First Class Mail International* | FedEx International Connect Plus‡ | FedEx International Economy | FedEx International Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | Nov. 28* | Dec. 5‡ | Dec. 7 | Dec. 14 |
| Asia/Pacific Rim | Dec. 5* | Dec. 5‡ | Dec. 7 | Dec. 14 |
| Australia/New Zealand | Dec. 5* | Dec. 11‡ | Dec. 13 | Dec. 15 |
| Canada | Dec. 5* | Dec. 14‡ | Dec. 15 | Dec. 15 |
| Caribbean | Dec. 5* | Dec. 5‡ | Dec. 7 | Dec. 14 |
| Central & South America | Nov. 28* | Dec. 5‡ | Dec. 7 | Dec. 14 |
| Mexico | Dec. 5* | Dec. 19‡ | Dec. 19 | Dec. 20 |
| Europe | Dec. 5* | Dec. 12‡ | Dec. 14 | Dec. 19 |
| Middle East | Dec. 5* | Dec. 5‡ | Dec. 7 | Dec. 14 |
Actual delivery date may vary depending on destination and other conditions, including customs delays.
*Estimated date as provided by USPS. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen significant additional delays with USPS packages sent outside the US. Packages shipped by these dates are not guaranteed to arrive by Christmas. We strongly encourage FedEx shipping for all time-sensitive orders.
‡FedEx International Connect Plus is a brand new service that has not yet experienced a holiday shipping season. This service uses the local postal service for the "last mile" leg of the delivery. As such, these estimates are our best guess as to the cutoff dates, but there may be unforeseen delays. For extremely time-sensitive shipments, we recommend using one of the other FedEx services.
Important Purchasing Information
* Please note that all prices on our site are in US Dollars ($). Shipping prices are determined by weight, carrier, and class of service.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept PayPal, VISA, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Facebook Pay, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Jcb, and Diners Club. We also accept cryptocurrency payments through coinbase. Furthermore, we also offer payments with terms through Shop Pay.
Returns, Exchanges, and Refunds
- General Returns and Exchanges: Each Mini Museum is a limited edition collectible, and all Mini Museums are sold as-is. There are no exchanges available. However, if you are unhappy with your Mini Museum we can offer your a refund if you return your Mini Museum within 30 days of purchase. Please contact us prior to making a return.
- Shipping Refunds: Please note that you will be responsible for paying for return shipping costs. We can provide you with a return label but the costs for return shipping will be deducted from your refund. Original shipping costs are also not refundable.
- Shipping Insurance: Every package we send is insured against loss and/or theft. If your package does not arrive, please contact us immediately and we will investigate. We will issue a refund after the investigation is complete, which depending on the destination could take several weeks.
- Discounted Items: All discounted Mini Museums are sold "as-is". No exchanges or refunds are possible.
Special Shipping Note for Very Large Orders (Over $2000):
All shipping prices are calculated by weight and class of service. However, for orders over $2000 there may be additional charges for dimensions of the package or for additional insurance. If this applies to your order, we will contact you prior to shipping to arrange payment. If this sounds a little scary, you can always contact us before placing your order and we can see if this applies to you. Again, this is only for very large orders.
Contacting Mini Museum Service
Email is the best way to contact us. Our email address is service@minimuseum.com. Every email sent to this address is assigned to a Mini Museum Helper and all replies are tracked.
Authenticity
Every specimen in our shop is real, authentic, and unique. We take great care to source our specimens in the most ethical and sustainable manner possible. This includes abiding by local mining and heritage laws around the world.
It is also important to note that our Acrylic and Touch collections are assembled by hand and the production process lends itself to variations. All Mini Museums are sold "as-is" and by purchasing a Mini Museum, you acknowledge such variations will occur. There might be tiny air bubbles, or a specimen may be shaped and sized differently than the images on this page. Specimens and the limited edition label have also been known to shift or fragment slightly during the acrylic curing phase, which can cause variations in alignment and appearance. Such variations highlight the artisanal nature of this project, as each Mini Museum is assembled by hand with real specimens and absolutely unique.
Frequently Asked Questions
International Customs and Taxes (VAT)
For shipments going to the United Kingdom, we collect VAT upfront for orders below £135 but we do not collect any additional import duties/tariffs to be paid. For UK orders with a value above, £135 VAT and duties will be due directly to HM Revenue & Customs to upon receipt.
For all other countries, we do not collect international customs or sales tax (VAT) up front. Your purchase price reflects the product and shipping cost only. As the purchaser of a Mini Museum, you will be responsible for all duties and taxes imposed on the import of the Mini Museum.
Special Note for Australian Customers: If you are purchasing more than 1000AUD of merchandise, you should anticipate import duties. The Australian Border Force is quite serious about this. FedEx will handle the required paperwork for orders of this size but there will also be fees associated with this as well (typically around $90USD). You can read more about Australian import duties on the ABF's website.
Our products are generally classified as educational displays and, which should eliminate customs tariffs in most cases, but sales tax (VAT) is always a possibility and you should plan accordingly.
If you refuse import charges, your Mini Museum will be returned to us and we will not reship. Assuming the Mini Museum is not damaged, we will refund your purchase minus shipping charges.
How long will a Mini Museum last?
An acrylic Mini Museum, if properly cared for, should last for many, many years, but it is not indestructible. We have taken great pains to protect your Mini Museum, and though rare it is possible that it may arrive with a few micro abrasions. Most abrasions are simple to remove, but we always recommend taking your Mini Museum to a professional jewelry repair shop for buffing and polishing.
Do you ship to APO/FPO addresses?
Yes! We use the US Postal Service to ship to members of the US Military and are proud to do so.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes! We've shipped Mini Museums to more than 120 different countries around the world! Please be sure to read the section above about International Customs and Taxes (VAT).
We recommend using FedEx for international shipments but we also offer US Postal Service for some countries as well. Shipping methods vary by country and pricing is determined at the time of the sale based on weight. You may check the price of shipping by placing the items you wish to order in your shopping cart, then proceeding to the checkout and entering your shipping address information (you do not need to enter any payment information to reach the point where shipping quotes will appear).
Please note: At present we do not ship to Brazil or India.
New FedEx International Connect Plus Service - If available in your country, you may see a shipping service called "FedEx International Connect Plus". International Connect Plus is a discounted FedEx service that uses the local post office for final delivery. Shipping works just like any other FedEx service until the package clears local customs. This means you will be contacted by FedEx to pay any duties (if required). There is no difference in tracking from any other FedEx service, and in our tests it has worked flawlessly in countries where local post office tracking might be a bit difficult. Is it as fast as regular FedEx? No, but it is faster than regular postal service and the tracking seems to be a bit better in certain locations. The price is also very competitive with USPS and so we are happy to offer this to our customers around the world.
A Note About USPS First Class International Shipping: Please note that we do offer USPS First Class International Shipping. In many countries, the tracking of these packages is simple and easy. In addition to the USPS website, you can also use the tracking number on the destination country's postal service website (e.g. Royal Mail for the UK). However, there are some countries that do not provide additional tracking once the package is handed over to customs. Sweden for example does not track the package after handoff. In general, we've still found USPS First Class very reliable but on occasion it can take longer.
Do you require signatures on shipments?
Not always. If you are shipping FedEx International, you'll need to sign. That is their policy on orders over a certain amount. In the United States, we no longer require a signature to receive delivery of the Mini Museum.
Still have questions?
If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us directly. As noted above, email is the best way to contact us. Our email address is service@minimuseum.com. Every email sent to this address is assigned to a Mini Museum Helper and all replies are tracked.