The Exquisite Instrument - Imitations from the Chinese

WELCOME : I am pleased to be able to do business with you and aim to make your purchase of my books as trouble free as I can. I usually post items by Tracked mail and can quote you a fixed price if required, depending on the weight of the package and any customs fees that may be payable. If the item(s) is heavy or oversized I will let you know the postage options available. I usually add £2.00 for packaging materials per consignment. When shipping to an EU county I will add £3.50 for EU customs fees and handling charges, as required. If it is cheaper to post individual items separately I will let you know. I have been trading online since September 2003 and receive excellent feedback from customers in the UK, Europe, Australia and US for the quality of my books and the secure way I pack them. I can supply testimonials if required.
INSURANCE : If the book is particularly rare or expensive I usually recommend that I take out shipping insurance for you. Again I will let you know the cost of this service before proceeding to fulfill your order.
RETURNS : I try to describe my books as accurately as possible but if for what ever reason you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase please let me know, by email within 10 days, and I will gladly refund your money in full plus your return postage costs. This does not affect your consumer rights.
VIEWING : If you would like to see a picture of any book or part of a book (eg colour frontispiece) before purchase, please let me know and I will email you a scanned image for your consideration. I have already uploaded scanned photographs of 90% of the books on my Abe listing.

I take care of your book order by using secure packaging materials - with extra cardboard support, if necessary, especially for international shipping. My Abe shipping costs are based on books weighing 2 lb (1 kg). If your book order is heavy or oversized, I may contact you to let you know that an extra shipping cost is required. And conversely, if your order is for a light weight or small item, I will adjust the shipping costs accordingly. I try to use shipping services that can provide a Tracking Number for your parcel and where possible I will let you know the tracking number when your book is on its way to you. I will add the Tracking Number to your AbeBooks Order page.

As of August 29, 2025 the de minimis exemption for imports of printed paper products to the U.S.A. has been eliminated. This means that even low-value packages containing books, leaflets, cards, posters etc can no longer enter the U.S. duty-free. I will continue to use Royal Mail or a reputable courier (eg FedEx) for shipping books to U.S. customers.
Royal Mail have introduced a new Postal Delivered Duties Paid (PDDP) service that handles customs duties and fees payable before the item leaves the UK. I will let my U.S. customers know before I process your AbeBooks order to advize about any additional customs charges that are payable. There will also be increased scrutiny by US Customs of packages when they arrive in the U.S., which could lead to delays in you receiving your book order.

As of July 1, 2026, the European Union (EU) is removing the duty-free exemption for low-value imports. For items imported into the EU from non-EU countries (including the UK) a shipment with a value of €150 or less, a €3 customs duty will apply per item in the customs declaration. Some EU countries also make an administration charge for processing imported packages. The Shipping charge I make for your book order(s) will include these customs fees. You will not have to pay any import duty on delivery of your book.