The Bookshop at Beech Cottage

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 1st class mail or Tracked Airmail and will quote you a fixed price depending on the weight of the package. If the item(s) is heavy or oversized I will let you know the postage options available. I usually add £1.00 for packaging materials and £1.00 for customs handling charges, as required, for each consignment. If it is cheaper to post individual items separately I will advise you accordingly. 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 postal 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 7 days, and I will gladly refund your money in full plus your return postage costs.
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 80% of 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.
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 communicate with my U.S. customers 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.