"I'm interested..."
If something on our list intrigues you, then we suggest that you send us a fax or an e-mail expressing your interest. We shall retrieve the item from store and reply within a day or two giving you full details of the item — a condition report.
Condition reports
We always provide descriptions, dimensions and a report of any blemishes before we ship. However, these detailed reports take time to prepare and we accordingly have to ask you to be a bit selective with your requests.
Price
The price of each item is fixed in UK pounds sterling. To get a good, but not completely accurate, idea of the price in your currency, please make use of this currency converter, bearing in mind that the actual amount deducted from your credit card to pay for an item will depend on the exchange rate ruling when your card-provider processes the transaction. For shipments priced at £65 or over, we carry the cost of postage for shipments under 2kgs. Below that figure we charge the postage at cost, as soon as we know it, by making a second deduction from your credit card when we return from the Post Office.
Discounts
When we set up this website in 1996, we debated for a long time on how it could not only serve our distant customers but also be financially viable. We took into consideration the time involved in
fetching items (from the shop then, store now), reporting on them, packing them to withstand the rigours of the Post Office (a considerable problem), and the costs of posting and insuring them and dealing with returns.If we were not to increase our prices generally, and keep Special Delivery postage free of charge for all except the smallest items, we decided that we could not give any discounts on Internet sales at all — not even to family members!. We have maintained that policy since 1996.
However, we do appear as regularly as we can at fairs and are happy to give the customary discounts there. We are also happy to meet customers in central London — meeting is much more satisfactory than the most exhaustive written reports and we are happy to give moderate discounts there also, though in place of postage we need to consider the travel costs.
Secure facilities
When you decide to purchase, payment can be made by bank transfer, cheque drawn in sterling on a UK bank or credit/debit card. You can let us have your card details and specific instructions by means of a securely encrypted email facility on this website (Secure Email), or by fax, letter or phone--we accept AMEX, VISA or MASTERCARD and most debit cards. The instructions need to show the address for delivery which should be the address to which the card is registered. The parcel will need to be signed for on receipt.
Shipment
Unless otherwise arranged, we dispatch by Special Delivery or by Royal Mail's "SignedFor" airmail service depending upon the destination, with the packaging most carefully tailored to each individual item. Dispatch is generally on the day after we receive payment. For overseas purchases, the credit card slip and the invoice go by airmail under separate cover and include a Certificate of Antiquity. All shipments are insured direct with our own insurers.
Returns
If you buy something and, when you see it and for whatever reason, the piece is 'not for you', we accept returns provided that we are advised of this within two weeks of receipt. We refund the purchase price in full when the piece returns to us in the condition in which it left us, deducting only any charges we incurred (e.g. credit card charges).. The return journey is covered by our insurance, but only if it is returned in accordance with our instructions and in the packaging in which it was sent.
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P.O Box 227, London N6 4EW, England.