I buy lots of non-fiction books and whenever possible they’re s/h hardback copies, mainly from US public libraries (US university presses produce much better bound books) where they’re often only 1 cent each plus postage.
Furthermore, because my interests aren’t very mainstream, the books have often never been borrowed before being deaccessioned from the library’s collection (which of course is why they’re being deaccessioned). However, I also buy a lot from UK s/h bookdealers and wonder if I’m now going to encounter post-Brexit taxes or other difficulties if buying from them.
Whilst there should be no taxes etc, my thoughts are that small dealers might not be willing to post to EU countries because of paperwork, delivery times will be longer, and probably more expensive postage.
Generally more hassle
I don’t think there was a new agreement in place for this.
Due to UK variant of Covid, France required à negative Covid test to enter France which effectively closed the border during which time lorries built up. It took a while to perform the tests to clear the lorries.
There was an agreement reached between UK and EU earlier in December which seems to be causing mayhem to freight due partly this ridiculously short time to prepare for it and the onerous rules themselves.
Unfortunately à number of couriers and no longer bringing packages from UK (eg UPS).
Thanks very much for this thread, folks. I too like to buy specialist second hand books but haven’t done since the virus took hold, so the suggestion of ABE and Book Depository is very useful.
second that…though smaller booksellers on it can be expensive into France. P&P from America varies enormously some sites send their books in bulk weekly to UK and then sent locally. This can make the costs reasonable from the States
True, but apropos my original post, the low cost of high quality, de-accessioned US public library books usually more than compensates for any increased postage.
Also US h’back university press editions are usually of far higher quality than their UK paperback equivalents - not just superior bindings, but often much better paper and type.
I have often wondered how US-sourced books can be had for ‘local’ postage. I presumed that a book listed on the UK Amz ‘Marketplace’ site was obliged to use the postage rates for that region, laid down by Amz.
S/h booksellers always state a book’s condition - I usually buy ‘as new’. Also as my reading is fairly esoteric - my ex-library books tend to have de-accessioned because they weren’t being read!
Well there’s all sorts! I’ve been writing a book chapter on the role of the Nazi’s genre of nordic classical sculpture in promoting their Aryan eugenic breeding programme, so have serious academic works with titles like Sex and the Nazis and Sex After Fascism.
Not the sort of thing one wants to be seen reading on a train
Well no… not really! I have a friend who has been writing a series of murder stories in what I think of as an American style - lots of blood and, shall we say “unusual” sex. He kept his pile of reference works under a sheet in his room but kindly offered to lend me some if they would be helpful for the work I was doing at the time. Lovely gentle soul - I struggled to imagine him writing violent books.
