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[groundhog]

Hi ladies,

Totally unrelated to my usual moans and groans!
I want to buy a book for my granddaughters first Christmas.  Probably in keeping with many families we brought this book out on Christmas Eve - The Night Before Christmas by Clement CLarke Moore - it's a sort of pop up book.  30 years if christmases and a very enthusiastic cat who loved the book and grabbed the moving bits very enthusiastically,  means the book is damaged but we still have it,  my daughter loves it. 
I've put the isbn in can see it is available - new ones are shipped from USA via Amazon,  total cost about £75,  used ones from U.K. A similar price.
I've never ordered from USA and with my luck I don't want it going horribly wrong.  I would love to put this book in my granddaughters Xmas eve box as I know it would mean the world to my daughter and they would carry on the Christmas Eve ritual.  Yes I'm a soppy git !
Anyone got any experience of buying books from USA via Amazon and was it easy and successful? 

Thank you all xx

[purplenanny]

Hi GH
Not sure if it's the same one but it's on Ebay for a lot cheaper.
I just put the title in to search.
A lovely idea for your Grandaughter
PN x x

[Elizabethrose]

Groundhog, I buy a lot from the States: some companies will ship, others won't. That sounds like a lot of money for that book, I agree with Purplenanny do check to see if you can get it elsewhere. It's been reprinted a million times over the years and comes in lots of different formats now. Check out the UK first of all.

[groundhog]

Hi Purplenanny,

When I read your reply,  I wrongly assumed you had found one of the other versions,  as there are many.  But no, lo and behold there it was at a ridiculous price of £3.95.  Now it's obviously used but the seller says condition is as cover and name would suggest,  what does that mean??
Anyway I've ordered it, it was worth a risk at that price. Most of the used ones are in the region of sixty to seventy pounds , sorry numbers  not working again.  I'm intrigued now- thank you so much,  I'll let you know?

Still be interested in other people's experiences of buying from USA just incase .................

( whilst typing your reply came through Elizabethrose - thank you.  Well we have looked and were nervous at paying £60-70 for a used version when a new one from the states was about the same.  The one Purplenanny has kindly pointed out is the very book - isbn 1-85213-123-3 - that's the version I bought for my daughter when she was 4. 
We shall see what arrives .........

[Elizabethrose]

Good luck Groundhog, that book is a family favourite!! x

[CLKD]

Check on "ABE Books" ?

[groundhog]

Thanks CLKD - will check it out.

Hi Megamind,  oh bet you I have been conned!  It is the same book though,  you can see the isbn and it has pictures of it confirming it's a hardcover lift the flap version.  Mmmm - oh well time will tell and it's not a fortune lost if it's very poor.
  Thank you

[CLKD]

It's a back up if you don't find the one you want Groundhog but I would be loathe to pay £75.00 for a new book leave alone 'used'!  You could look at one of the sites that search for 'out of print' books too ……. there was a Company in Cardiff for years but of course, I can't remember the name 

[Megamind]

It might just be that the seller doesn't realise they have an 'expensive' book on their hands although if they were a seasoned ebay seller they would surely have checked what other listings were going for. What's their feedback like? At least it's less than a fiver you have paid but even if it's the wrong book, you can still complain and they should refund you as a clear rule on Ebay is if it's an incorrect listing, the seller has to refund.

I had a quick look and there is another listing on ebay that is a new version for £12.99 but it seems to have a different isbn and a generic product photo.

You never know, you could have got yourself a bargain!

[Megamind]

Hi Groundhog, Did the book arrive and was it in good condition?

[groundhog]

Hello - sorry for delay in update.

Well no update really - it hasn't come 😟
I have messaged and he replie saying sorry for delay but it has been sent out today,  so will have to wait a bit longer xx

I'll keep you posted and thank you for asking xx

[Megamind]

Well that's strange it hasn't come. Are they in the UK? Hope it all turns out OK.

[Taz2]

What was the publication date and the ISBN No?

Taz x

[groundhog]

Hi all,

Sorry Taz I have onky just seen your post.
Well it's arrived and it's ok ish.  The twirly bits ( it's a sort of lift the flap book ) work well ( it was those that were damaged beyond repair on my version ).  But in the middle of the book,  there is damage that has weakened the spine of the book,  but not unrepairable.  I'll do a bit of googling to see how best to do this rather than just slapping on some glue.  Plus of course there are book repairers if they still exist?
So all in all a success and sincere thanks to Purplenanny for pointing this out to me.  It's definitely the correct book - I just hope I can repair it now 🤔

[Megamind]

That's good Groundhog and a lot cheaper than what you were going to pay.

Have a look on Youtube, there are always videos of how to do stuff like that.