A river of goods flows from the United States to Poland. Relatives and friends back in the old country receive car parts, cameras and computers, but not only that.

Apart from scores of items for daily use, Poles send home a plethora of pretty unique goods. “It is easier for me to list things that have not been mailed,” says Adam Szewczyk, a supervisor at a warehouse in Polamer – a shipping company located in Elizabeth, N.J. Since the dollar has weakened, Poles are now sending over practically everything: from clothing to cars, motorcycles, quads, and even motorboats. Surfing boats and skies are not a rarity either. People also send ladders, rugs, and even nails. One Polamer client regularly ships parachutes over.

According to Adam, car parts are a very popular commodity. Among them windshield screens, bumpers and batteries are the most frequently mailed. Recently Polamer workers found themselves packing a commercial garbage press, which took half of the shipping container’s space.

However, not everything can be shipped overseas. Polamer employees are required to check whether declarations made in the shipping documents are true. “Some time ago, we discovered that a client hid cans filled with petrol in a car he was shipping to Poland. Apparently, he wanted to help out relatives back at home, where the price of gas is much higher than in the United States. The cans had to be removed,” Adam says. While the parcels shipped by sea are checked at random, items sent via air undergo a thorough inspection. The shipping company is liable for their contents and may even lose its license if it fails to detect a dangerous substance.

“You are not allowed to mail aerosols, such as deodorants or hairsprays,” says Grazyna Bulka, Polamer’s president for the East Coast. “You cannot mail items containing batteries, which could turn on while in transport. Polish people often try to send bottles of alcohol declaring it as syrup or a gift for the grandfather. Such items are prohibited in packages shipped by air,” explained Bulka.

According to Bulka, the quantity of goods being sent to Poland is constantly rising. “In the last one-and-a-half years we have observed a constant rise in the number of parcels being shipped both by sea and air. Air mail is more frequently used for computers, cameras and other small electronic devices. People also send personal items, for example. one client shipped a toilet seat by air mail. Brand new of course,” says Bulka.

As it turns out, people mail goods to the home country not only before Christmas, but also after the holidays. Then, even unwanted Christmas trees find themselves on the way to Poland. “The young generation in Poland is making a lot of purchases via the internet. Since many U.S. vendors, such as B&H, a store specializing in the video, audio and imaging equipment, do not offer services for shipment overseas, purchased items are sent through Polamer to Europe,” says Bulka. Adding, “It should not come as a surprise to anybody that Polish people are importing goods from the United States since a great majority of merchandise can be bought here from 30 to 50 percent cheaper than in Poland. While the dollar remains on its current low, the number of shipments to Poland will stay at its high level,” Bulka predicts.

Polamer, which has been in the market for 30 years and has six main offices, in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and a vast network of agents, ships more than 400,000 parcels to Poland each year.