Question for those in GB: has anyone actually completed a transaction and received an item using this service?

It seems to me, from the outside, that the "Import charges" could be a charge from the UK government, based on the value of the item being imported. When individuals ship to the UK, likely this import tax does not get reported or collected regularly or correctly, but with a professional shipping service, they likely have to have an agreement with the UK govt in place to rigorously collect every penny due.

I know that when I have shipped expensive books to the UK, the receiver sometimes has to pay the import tax before they can receive the package. I have no idea how often this has happened as usually I am not told.

That map is Daniel Reeve's drawn for the LOTR movies, and made into a mass produced version sold by Weta. See

http://www.wetanz.com/parchment-map-of-middle-earth/

There are some minor differences between the two images, but the eBay auction appears to be an exact match with Mr. Reeve's own image:

http://www.danielreeve.co.nz/LOTR/Maps/

My guess would be that Weta has made some cosmetic changes over the years from the first version they sold as a souvenir for the movies.

Just spotted Sotheby's 10 July 2003 Catalog on eBay - no relation to seller. The seller will only ship to UK so not for me.

This catalog contains snippets of (and partial photographs of) three letters from Tolkien not included in Letters. See tolkienbooks.net article for details.


http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-534 ... 59&vectorid=229508&lgeo=1

We recently saw these up for auction - back on the market from Lucius Books

Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE LORD OF THE RINGS, being The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King. London: George Allen and Unwin. 1962

First edition, twelfth, ninth and ninth impressions. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Three volumes. Original red cloth, in dustwrappers. A superb FINE set, the cloth of each volume bright and unfaded and the bindings square and tight. The contents are beautifully clean throughout, the top stain remaining deep red. All three maps are present to the rear and in FINE condition. Each volume is signed by Tolkien in black ink on the title page. Complete with the original dustwrappers. Fellowship has a short tear with associated creasing to the bottom right corner of upper panel otherwise all three dustwrappers are in VERY GOOD or better condition, with only light rubbing and a few scuffs and nicks to the extremities. None of dustwrappers are price-clipped (21s net to the front flap). A superb signed set of one of the greatest works of 20th century fantasy fiction, with an exceptional provenance.

£12,500

From the library of Rayner Unwin (Chairman of George, Allen and Unwin). Rayner Unwin started working for the family firm in 1951, and the following year he obtained the manuscript for Lord of the Rings from Tolkien (whose negotiations with Collins had fallen through). He found it to be a work of genius and cabled his father (Sir Stanley Unwin, founder of Allen and Unwin) a recommendation for publication, with the caveat that it might well make a loss. His father famously, and fortuitously, replied "If you believe it is a work of genius, then you may lose a thousand pounds."

http://www.luciusbooks.com/shop/moder ... s-the-return-of-the-king/

There was a database issue yesterday that was causing some users to only see the header (red bar) and nothing else on the website. It was still viewable if you were not logged in.

I have repaired the issue, but just in case - if you are still experiencing this, drop me an email (or use the "Contact Us" button on the left when not logged in) and I will get it working for you again.

Apologies,
Jeremy