During my browse around London book shops before Christmas in the likelihood that I may see something to treat myself to, I became aware of the very high cost of American technical publications.
In Foyles they were asking pounds for what were dollars in the US. For example, 'The Handbook For Sound Engineers; The New Audio Cyclopedia' is $99.95, Foyles price is £92.50. By my calculation, with the pound at present being worth around $1.48 US, I make the conversion from the US price to be £67.53, a £32.42 mark-up. All other American audio books were similarly priced in pounds for dollars. Even allowing for shipping costs (no customs duty on educational books) I think the mark-up is excessive especially as the American published price allows for retail profit.
As I browsed on, I remembered a leaflet that I picked up at the last APRS exhibition. It outlined a system for buying books in the US at US published prices using credit cards for payment. Postage is of course extra but by surface mail, the charge per item seems moderate and certainly leaves quite a lot of change out of the £32 saved on the purchase price of the 'Audio Cyclopedia' previously mentioned.
The organisation offering this service is Mix Bookshelf of 6400 Hollis Street, No 12, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA. Their phone number is (510) 653 3307, fax (510) 653 5142. If any members would like fuller details of this service, I would be pleased to supply the information I have.
Culpins Booksearch International of 3827 West 32nd Avenue, Denver, CO 80211, USA, phone (303) 455 0317, is another organisation offering much the same service.