Thanks everyone for the good input. The company selling me this item is quoting $900 for shipping to the USA, so anything under $300 is a steal as far as I'm concerned. Even better if I can drop it off and retrieve it myself on both ends as I fly home. It is a custom-manufactured one-off automotive chassis component, and the shop that makes it is only about 20 miles from LGW. Thus, all the pieces seem to come together for a weekend trip to LGW, rent a car, pick up my purchase, drop it off at air cargo, fly back to meet it in NYC, load it in my car, and drive home.

Except.... DL doesn't fly LGW-NYC! Doh! I'd have to go through ATL, which is no big deal except I'd like to minimize the potential for handling damage to the aluminum part. Of course, there's nothing to prevent me from shipping it in the belly of some other airplane going LGW-JFK.

In any case, I think I have a much better understanding of this venture; and I have plenty of time to figure it out since the manufacture time on this part is over 6 months from when I place the order.