Thread: What does a scuttle do?

^ That's pretty cool.

'Necessity is the mother of all invention'...

Never felt the need for a scuttle but I can see how it adds value on a cold winters morning.

As for the other items you list, they are all available either direct from Europe or from local English shops that provide a full internet service. The prices in the USA can look attractive because they exclude the VAT of 17.5%. However, if you import goods from the US and they cost over £38, you will be charged VAT by customs and our post office will add an extra £8 for collecting the VAT. So it often isn't cheaper at all.

Even E Bay purchases from te USA can be prohibitively expensive. The US seller has to protect himself from dishonest customers, and so packaging, insurance, signed for delivery, Paypal charges, customs duties and handling fees can kill off any inclination to purchase outside of the European market. Even if the $ is weak at preset.

I have found the easiest way to purchase from the US, is to buy the goods paying with paypal and have the goods supplied to a friend in the US. The friend then sends them to me as a gift with a low second hand value. Works well for Ebay and especially for those items that are for sale to the US only.