Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-ARTS-OF-ASIA-Magazines-Chinese-Snuff-Bottles-Featured-Gorgeous-Photos/292335383203?hash=item44108bf2a3:g:2RUAAOSwYWdaD5IP

Thanks for the heads up George!

Tom

Looks like a nice addition to any ones library, I would love it, but refuse to pay the ridicules postage charges on items from the US. :o

Hi Jason.

Totally agree about some postage charges from America. I'm watching a number of bottles with postage costs of nearly £60 for a single bottle. Add on a 20 percent import charge and a £8 handling fee as the import duty isn't prepaid and the cost becomes prohibative on cheaper bottles.

Some sellers use a service called Global Shipping which is far cheaper, around £18 a bottle or £21 for 7 bottles I bought from Bill. You also pre pay the import duty so save the £8 handling fee.

I buy books from Amazon that are posted from the US and it costs less than £3.

Rant over  :D 

Regards, Adrian.

Dear Adrian,

     I strongly disagree with you!
That is not a rant; it is actually very informative.  ::) :D
Best,
Joey

Hi Adrian,

I wonder why Paragon Books doesn't adopt Amazon's posting methods. I was a regular customer of Paragon Books of Chicago when there was a US$9.00 flat rate for printed material up to 2lbs weight. Then the US Mail Service decided to scrap the printed paper rate, and postage suddenly jumped to US$50-60. I haven't bought a single book from Paragon since. I imagine they lost a large number of overseas customers as a result.

Tom

Hi Tom,

I think I am right in recalling that one of the books ordered via Amazon from the US arrived in a large US Mail printed yellow sack which has since proved useful for holding leaves I have raked up from the garden so Amazon may have some deal in place for the volume of things they send out.

It did take a month to arrive and I have to admit, with some shame, that I emailed the company that I had bought the book from and questioned whether the cheap postage had lead them to gaffer tape the book to a piece of polystyrene which they had then cast into the Atlantic with the vague hope that the Gulf stream current would eventually land it on the West coast of Ireland from where it might then end up with me.

Regards, Adrian.

Good one, Adrian!  ::) ;D
Joey

Nice one Adrian,

Unfortunately British humour is entirely wasted on US companies.

What I was referring to is the Global Priority Mail envelope the US Postal Service used to have, not a bulk mailing sack. You paid a flat rate of US$9.00 for any document that would fit into the envelope and was under 2lbs weight. See attached image of their envelope.   

Best,
Tom

This is such a funny thread because I always find the postage from Canada and the UK so outrageous. Yet, when I buy things inside the US, the postage is quite inexpensive except for extremely bulky items. I do order books, which are sent book rat, but I assume that is no longer avbailable internationally.

Dear Ilene,

     What's a book rat? Does he bring the book with him?  ::) ;D
Best,
Joey

Oh dear, this is what comes from relying upon spell check instead of proofing what I write. Now I am picturing a rodent wearing spectacles turning the pages of as book with his tail.

This thread is better than the Jokes thread...!!!
The book rat is no doubt keeping a lookout for book worms while turning the pages.   ;D

Tom,

I used to order from Paragon ( I believe that's the name ), an antique book dealer in Chichago after I visited it once on my one of my business trips. One such book was Bob Stevens' ' Bible ' on snuff bottles and the postage then ( I mean in the early 90's - last century  ;D ;D ) was quite bearable !

Incidentally, a fellow SB collector in Singapore alerted us to a website www.pdfdrive.net where you can get free downloads of many titles fitting your interests. Wonder if you would like to try it ?

Inn Bok

Inn Bok,

I too bought my copy of the Bob Stevens 'Bible' (as well as many other similar sized books) via Paragon Books in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The postage was never more than US$40 for even the heaviest volume.

Then after the US Postal Service scrapped 'paper rate' and 'surface mail' (which isn't really 'surface' - it's bulk mailing - the delay is due to them waiting to fill the sack with other items going to your destination before sending by air), Paragon wanted to charge me US$60 postage for a flimsy auction catalogue. I cancelled, and haven't ordered through them again since.

Tom

Tom,

I have stopped ordering from Paragon for a long time ( not even sure if it still exists in Chicago ? )

Inn Bok