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I am actively considering a sample batch of cellos from the Chinese maker of the violins described in the New Chinese Collection.  These have to be brought in by sea and in my experience this means a month at sea plus a few days loading and unloading each side.  The cellos I am interested in include one that will not even be made until February so this is not an option for anyone needing to buy now.  However I am willing to take expressions of interest as long as they are serious and as long as you promise to let...

Well, this quarter is always the best of the year and in the past week I have gone over the VAT threshold (I mean for the year, no I haven't turned over 85k this week!).  I am required BY LAW to register for VAT within 30 days of this happening.  That is immediately after Christmas.  As soon as the Christmas bank holidays are over, that is it, VAT registration applies and I am required BY LAW to charge VAT on everything that is not sent outside the EU. This means price increases, but they will not be the same across...

The Panorama programme of November 27th about VAT fraud on ebay and Amazon is well worth watching, if you haven't seen it. One Chinese supplier I deal with recently assumed that I would want the paperwork to show a falsified, lower than actual, value for the goods, and in order to facilitate that invited me to pay by a method that would conceal the fact that I am a business. I have never done that in 15 years of trading and never will.  Those who do (presumably including others UK retailers who have imported from this source, because this maker...

There was a time when I could pretty much guarantee that all Gliga orders received by the end of November would be delivered in time for Christmas.  Unfortunately those days have passed.  The past two years have seen a small number of items arrive too late. Please, if you want a Gliga for Christmas, take note of the following. 1. Demand for Gliga has outstripped supply for the last three years.  This means that 2. Gliga are making almost everything to order and so 3. Retailers have to take their turn in the queue.  And at the risk of stating...

All Gligas currently ordered are on the way to me, with the exception of Genial 2s and Guarneri Gamas. There will be a few items unallocated; at present: 4/4 - Gama (2),  Gems 1 (1) and Gems 2 (1) 3/4 - Gems 1 (1), Genial 1 (1) 1/2 - Gems 2 (1), Genial 1 (1) If you want one of those quickly, now is the time to order.  If you want a Gliga for Christmas, it is not too early to order.  Last year and the year before late Christmas orders did not arrive in time.  Gliga are taking AT...