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ULTIMA THULE / MAIL-ORDER INFO 2 October 2023

latest catalogue

 

read me first
P&P rates
catalogue information
other things
import duties
printed UT mail-order catalogues
Bandcamp
Discogs
Ebay

 

READ ME FIRST...

Simple 1-2-3 ordering...
1. Visit the UT catalogue pages: here
2. Copy the text of items you wish to order to an email, facebook message or letter, and compile your order.
3. Send the letter, email or message, or phone us...

address Steve & Alan Freeman, Ultima Thule, 21 Heather Road, Leicester, LE2 6DF, England
email utle1uk@btconnect.com - Steve Freeman, for card payments, or to reserve and pay by cheque or postal order
email utle2uk@btconnect.com - Alan Freeman, for PayPal invoice requests, exchange, special orders, Audion publications, wholesale enquiries
message https://www.facebook.com/alan.freeman.75054
telephone
0116 270 2354

Ordering methods / payment types...
1: Phone us or email with your card details. Recorded/signed-for delivery is required for new customers, and insured on large orders.
2: Register your credit/debit card details. If you wish us to keep them on file: tell us, or fill-in, email or post: zipped html or jpg printable
3:
Order by mail. Payments to S. Freeman. UK bank cheques (allow 7-10 days for clearance). Postal Orders (preferably not crossed)
4:
PayPal. Either request a PayPal invoice when sending your order (5% is added to cover PayPal fees), or use the Friends Payment option.
5: Online.
Use one of the services (i.e. Discogs, Ebay or Bandcamp) at the bottom of this page.

Safest online card information registering method...
email: xylem777@gmail.com with long card number
email: utle2uk@btconnect.com with expiry date and security code
message Alan Freeman at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alan.freeman.75054 with your address and your telephone number
We will only charge when goods are in stock and ready to send.

Registered customers...
Order by phone: 0116 270 2354, regular mail or email. If you order before 12:00 midday we will usually despatch that afternoon!
Tell us if you've ordered before. We may still have your previous order documentation, which will speed-up processing.
Order forms: Available with printed catalogues, or download an order form and print it off yourself.
Email orders: Be sure to be clear as to who you are! i.e. list your full name at least. The more clear info, the faster the order process!
Phone orders: When ordering or reserving by phone tell us your full name and that you a registered customer.

Non-UK customers...
It is important that you read the Import duties panel below before making an order.

Speedy service...
If you order before 12:00 midday (UK time) we will try to despatch that afternoon! This may not be possible with large orders.
No matter how you order (excepting cheque payments), we will attempt to despatch the order the same or next day after payment.
See p&p below for details on postage options...

 

P&P RATES...                                                     Last revised: 2 October 2023 - new rates in bold

P&P unit rates

 

We use a unit system to cope with mixed orders of CDs, records, cassettes, etc.
What we charge is:- the postage cost (based on the average weights) + the packaging costs + a small handling charge.
These rates are a guide, and are what is usually charged. P&P on large orders may be cheaper.
If you are unsure about P&P costs, then enquire.

 

1 unit: MC (cassettes), 3"CD, uncased CD (and some lightweight CD packages), second slim-case CD

2 units: CD (compact discs), 2xMC sets, 7" records, magazines

3 units: DVD, 2CD sets, 10" records [note: VHS cassettes are 6 units]

4 units: The Crack In The Cosmic Egg CD-Rom, LVE sets

6 units: first LP, add 4 units for each extra LP. (i.e. a double is 10 units)

12 units: "A Fistful Of Spaghetti" book

bold net/gross are Discogs "shipping policy" steps

 

UK

 

 

 

World

See "Zones.." below for information

units          

1st

insured

net/gross

Europe 1/2

Europe 3

USA

World 1

World 2

1   1st MC

3.00

 

- - - / 100g

4.50

4.50

5.30

5.30

5.30

2   1st CD

3.00

 

120g / 150g

6.00

6.50

7.60

7.50

8.50

3   2CDset

4.00

 

180g / 235g

9.00

10.00

14.00

12.50

13.50

4   2xCD

5.00

9.50

220g / 320g

11.00

12.00

20.00

17.00

19.50

5

5.00

9.50

- - - / 405g

11.00

12.00

20.00

17.00

19.50

6   1st LP

6.00

9.50

320g / 490g

11.00

12.00

20.00

17.00

19.50

7 heavy LP

6.00

11.00

- - - / 575g

12.50

13.00

22.50

20.00

21.50

8  4xCD

6.00

11.00

400g / 660g

12.50

13.00

22.50

20.00

21.50

9

6.00

11.00

- - - / 745g

12.50

13.00

22.50

20.00

21.50

10  2LP

7.00

11.00

- - - / 830g

13.50

15.00

26.50

22.50

25.00

12   6xCD

7.00

11.00

600g / 1000g

13.50

15.00

26.50

22.50

25.00

14   3xLP

8.00

13.50

- - -  / 1130g

15.00

16.00

30.00

25.00

28.00

16  8xCD

8.00

13.50

- - - / 1260g

15.00

17.00

32.50

27.00

31.00

18  4xLP

8.00

13.50

- - - / 1390g

15.00

17.00

32.50

27.00

31.00

20  10xCD

8.00

13.50

- - - / 1520g

15.00

17.00

32.50

27.00

31.00

22   5xLP

8.00

13.50

- - - / 1650g

15.00

17.00

32.50

27.00

31.00

24   12xCD

8.00

13.50

- - - / 1780g

16.00

18.00

34.00

28.00

33.00

28   6xLP

8.00

13.50

1.5kg / 2kg

16.00

18.00

34.00

28.00

33.00

 

Zones...

Europe 1/2 = EEC countries. Europe 3 = Norway, Switzerland, and all other non-EEC countries

World1 = most non-Europe, except USA & World2 = Australia, New Zealand, Singapore

Economy = same rate as Europe 3. Only available for non-European sales, and takes between 14-56 days.
This is the best value option for orders of the "A Fistful Of Spaghetti" book, and our standard service for Audion magazine.

 

Other services

UK Recorded delivery 1-9 units: add £1.50 to the P&P cost.

UK Recorded delivery 10 units + inclusive in above P&P charges.

International Signed For: add £5.00 to P&P (cover £50)

Insured / Airsure: for expensive/rare items, depends on value of order (please enquire)

Parcel post / larger orders: calculated by order weight (please enquire)

 

Worldwide surface is not recommended. If required, the rates are roughly the same as Europe.

Packing: We take care in our packaging! In fact, Steve is regularly commended for it. Records are packed in deluxe cartons with crush zones, and packed tightly (to avoid movement) usually with extra bubble-wrap inside. Smaller items (such as CDs  and cassettes) are usually wrapped or padded with corrugated card and mailed in neat Jiffy bags. Larger packages of CDs are mailed in sturdy custom made cartons.
Recorded delivery: Essential for deliveries to blocks of flats or to businesses, to make sure the item gets to the right person! Essential also on all first orders from new or non-registered customers.
Insurance: The Post Office only has limited liability for loss or damage, thus we recommend insurance on orders over £25! Items very rarely go missing, but it's often better to be safe than sorry. Parcel rate prices (excepting UK rates) include insurance in the P&P charge quoted.
Insurance cover: This varies for different countries. If no instructions are given, we'll use our discretion and charge accordingly. But note, as parcel insurance is limited per parcel (only up to £250 in some places), orders over any such threshold will usually be split into smaller packages.
Customs Declarations: We cannot insure, or claim compensation on lost or damaged items incorrectly valued. If you require low value declaration, the risk is yours! A tip: Packets under $50 (approx. £33 inc. P&P) are exempt from import duty in some countries. The disadvantage is that postal costs per item may be higher. You are responsible for paying any duty or tax cost imposed.

p&p rates inc. PayPal fees: add 5%

Our Discogs weights & "shipping policies" guide: discontinued (enquire instead)



Typical heavy carton with crush zones, that we use for LP parcels

 

CATALOGUE INFORMATION...

Example catalogue listing...

i.e. ASH RA TEMPEL - JOIN INN (Ohr: GF) LP vg/vg £25.00 - (Spalax) CD £13.00 - etc.
Meaning: ARTIST - TITLE (label: info) FORMAT record/cover £price - etc.

New items: No grade = new item! i.e. the Ohr LP above is second-hand, the CD is new.
Second-hand grades: "m/ex" = "mint record / excellent cover".
i.e. "m/vg/ex" is condition of each item in a 2 disc set, & "ex" cover.
i.e. "g-m/m" is a variable grade, only good in parts, with an "m" cover.

Second-hand grades...

Music product...
m - mint: a perfect, "as new" item, with no notable defects.
ex - excellent: minor flaws, slight wear, some defects.
vg - very good: a record that has obvious visible flaws, minor noise or clicks, etc. Good for all but quiet musics.
g - good: a record that plays okay, but will have notable crackle or distortion. Some old loud records will be okay.
f - fair: will play with considerable noise and crackle. Not really recommended at all!
b - bad condition, may not play properly!
+ - i.e. ex+ means better than ex, but not m.

Covers & Inserts...
m - mint: should be perfect, "as new", with no real defects.
ex - excellent: will show signs of being handled, and be obviously second-hand.
vg - very good: liable to have minor damage and wear, etc.
g - good: will be a bit tatty!
f - fair: may be just about holding together!
b - bad: hardly there at all!
co - cut-out: slotted/punched, usually US import deletion/promo.
nc - no cover.

Abbreviations...

CD - Compact Disc
CDM - Compact Disc Mini album
CDS - Compact Disc Single
CDR - Recorded Compact Disc
CD-Rom - CD that includes extra content like PC Rom data files, movie files, etc.
CD+ - CD +PC/Mac data files
DVD - Digital Video/Versatile Disc
EP - Extended Play record, can be 7" 33 / 12" 45
LP - Long Play record 12" / 10"
MLP - Mini LP 12" / 10"
MC - Music Cassette
VHS - Video VHS Cassette

# - Item new to this list!
BK - Book, booklet, etc.
BT - Bonus Track(s) included, i.e. 2xBT
CC - Card cover (often a mini LP style gatefold)
DP - DigiPak cover (plastic tray glued to card sleeve)
GF - Gate-Fold cover
IN - includes extra insert(s) or printed inner sleeve
MAG - Magazine
PO - Poster included
PS - Picture Sleeve
RE - Reissue
RM - Remaster

 

Other things...

Alternatives...
As lots of the stuff we have at Ultima Thule is rare and/or hard to get, and that many titles are second-hand, one-off's, deleted items or very limited, we cannot always guarantee that something listed on the Ultima Thule web site is available. It is not always possible or practical to keep everything on the UT site up-to-date, although I do try! So we recommend you list alternatives if ordering by post especially.

Invoices & reserving...
You can request a pro-forma invoice, bill or quote by phone, post or email. That is if you wish to reserve goods before sending/making a payment.
As a rule we generally only reserve goods for one week in the UK, but will usually allow longer for payments from abroad. So please be prompt with your payment, or keep us informed of any delays, else the goods will be returned to stock. Please do not reserve goods and then change your mind, as this can cause inconvenience to us and other customers.
All UK (and many export) sales are put through the office till (cash register). If you require a full invoice for your personal accounts, then request one. Businesses and export orders (unless you request us not to) will receive a full official invoice with the goods.

Accepted Payment Methods...
£ cheques: UK Bank Cheques, Drafts, Money orders, payable to "Ultima Thule".
- A tip: UK bank cheques noted "not to exceed £..." avoid the need for credit notes.
Credit/Debit Cards: Almost any Visa, Eurocard, MasterCard, Visa Debit, Connect, etc. Minimum order £5.00
- Important: only usable after completion of our Customer Registration Form, or if the order is sent via a Recorded/Insured mail service.
PayPal: See panel above
£ Postal Orders: Do not cross them! Banks charge a high clearance fee. Make postal orders payable to "Steven Freeman".
Electronic funding: Moneygram, Western Union, etc. payable to "Steven Freeman".
Bank transfer: Request details if you wish to transfer to our account.
Currency: Cash sent by mail is risky. Registered mail is best. Ultima Thule will not be liable for any losses.

Discounts...
All discounts are at our discretion. Discounts do not apply to p&p, services, magazines, books, or accessories.
You must ask for the discount as described here for us to apply it to an order.
Unfortunately we cannot discount orders made via Discogs.
UK special discounts...
payment by Credit Cards...
£300+ = free parcel post (or £5 off registered), £500+ & 2% discount.
payment by cash, cheques, debit cards, uncrossed postal-orders, PayPal "friends & family"...
£200+ = free parcel post (or £5 off registered), £500+ & 4% discount.
Export special discounts...
£300+
= 2% discount, £500+ = 4% discount.
Wholesale discounts...
Available to retailers only on own releases. Orders must include multiple copies of items. Details upon request.

Part-exchange...
If you wish to send us records or CDs in part-exchange against goods, please observe the following. 1) Before you send us any goods, always send us an email or letter with the list of goods you are wishing to dispose of. 2) We usually only take "ex" or better condition goods. Condition grades can be useful, else any offers are based on m/m product. 3) Await our offers before deciding to send anything. Note that all offers are subject to inspection and condition grading, and offers will be adjusted accordingly. We always grade fairly, and our assessments on the condition of items are final.
We use a standard rate of offering half of what we sell an item for in exchange value. That is, if we sell a record for 6GBP you get 3GBP credit to use against an order. This is the same deal for if you deliver the goods personally, or if you send them to us. The exchange value you get from us is treated as a cash sale amount as with any other payment method. We cannot give any other allowances. P&P is charged the same as with any other method of purchase. Customers abroad may find that postal costs your end may make such transactions impractical.
We do not normally pay cash for second-hand goods, but if we do then any such cash offer will be at best a third less than the exchange offer.

Low-risk buying scheme...
Service discontinued.
If you wish to try out items before committing to a definite purchase, please seek-out previews on web services like YouTube, Bandcamp or Spotify. If you buy something from us that didn't live up to your expectations, and wish to part-exchange it towards the cost of something else, then see the "Part-exchange" section above. Please do not send us unsolicited items, only items that we have agreed to take.

Problems...
Quality: Second-hand items are visually checked & tested for accurate grading. If you are finicky avoid items "vg+" or less. We try not to sell cassettes with defects, or CDs that won't play correctly!
Faulty Goods: Not all things that seem faulty are so. Check CDs on a different player! Glitches, or jumps (like those on Neu! 2) may be intentional and part of the music. If you are sure an item is faulty, tell us. We will usually need the return of faulty goods.
Postal Damage: We take great care packaging, but cannot guarantee against wear to covers, or damage to CD cases. If anything arrives damaged, keep all packaging and sse if you can make a claim with your local delivery company. Do not return goods until you have checked with us first!
Non-delivery: Check your local sorting office (or neighbour) first! Wait 1 week (1 month abroad). UK Parcelforce can take 10 days. If enquiring, tell us: the date of the order, what you ordered, etc.

 

Import duties...

Be aware that buying from another country generally incurs customs fees. Not all countries strictly implement such charges. All countries have different rules as well. Discogs sales include such fees prepaid in their service, so you should get Discogs orders with no further charges upon receipt (See EU VAT below for how this is implemented). There is also similar implementation on Ebay sales, although exactly whether this works in the same way we're not yet that sure. If you order direct from Ultima Thule, we have no VAT implementation, and thus fees may be payable upon receipt in many countries. Please be aware that charges may be applicable when making an order. It is your duty to pay any fees charged in order to receive your order.

EU VAT...
Web services
like Bandcamp, Discogs and Ebay are subject to EU VAT charges, and where relevant will charge VAT on sales to the EU too. We send Discogs and Ebay orders to EU customers using Royal Mail's "Click & Drop" service, which has integrated IOSS (the EU's electronic VAT system), which should mean no charges upon receipt. Because of how Bandcamp collect fees on physical sales they haven't adopted an IOSS system as yet, so we cannot implement IOSS on such sales. This means you may be charged upon receipt.
Ultima Thule itself is too small a business for VAT registration or IOSS implementation. We therefore cannot do anything about any VAT or customs charges that you get when purchasing direct from us. Be aware that all postal services (if charging VAT on import) all have a service fee. Apparently: La Poste (France) charge €4.90, Deutsche Post (Germany) charge €6, etc. Look up your local Customs clearance charges online for more info. It makes sense to order more than one item at a time to offset any such fees if charged. There are different rules for orders valued over £135.
Publications (books and magazines) in the UK are not subject to VAT at all. Most EU countries have reduced rates on publications.

Norway...
A VAT type system on web services has been implemented in Norway. This involves adding a VOEC number on packages (only Ebay so far) to show that the web service fee has been paid. Norwegian customers should check with their postal service if this implicates you at all.

GST...
From July 2018 this is charged by large turn-over web companies on their fees (in a similar way that VAT is). This currently applies to PayPal fees and Discogs fees (when sent to Australia and New Zealand) in addition to usual VAT they take. This means an additional 1% will need to be added on Australian orders (it's already been added into the p&p rates on Discogs). Singapore has also implemented a GST system.

USA taxes...
From 2020 taxes are charged by large turn-over web companies on their fees (in a similar way to how VAT is). This currently applies to PayPal fees and Discogs fees (when sent to the USA) in addition to usual VAT they take. This means an additional 1% needed to be put on American orders (to do this we added it into the p&p rates on Discogs).

 

Printed UT mail-order catalogues...

Besides the web services we offer, we still also publish a regular bi-monthly printed mail-order catalogue. This is generally 16 printed A4 pages.
Lists cost £1 to produce, but we send them out free to non-web customers that order regularly! You can also print-off the catalogue from the pdf version found at the main catalogue page on this web site.

1 catalogue, inc. p&p via PayPal payment to utle2uk@btconnect.com: UK £2, World £4

 

We are ceasing sale of goods via Amazon due to being logged-out of their system with no way to get back in due to their "two-step verification" system not working, This meant people were making orders with no way for us to process them. Despite me contacting via their official sellers support form, I've received nothing but automated answers and no help on my enquiries whatsoever. Please buy direct or via Bandcamp or Discogs instead.

 

WE ALSO SELL VIA THESE ONLINE SERVICES...

 

We use Bandcamp for high quality download releases. Many of our own CD releases and available Audion magazines, plus Audion pdf/multimedia editions, can also be ordered worldwide via Bandcamp. All such releases can be listened to up to 3 times before you decide to buy. We have many different pages on Bandcamp. All can be accessed via the Bandcamp Index found on each page. For more info, look here: https://auriclemusic.bandcamp.com/

 

300+ UT items & well-over 1,000 other items! New stocks put up weekly!

This useful site is not only an excellent discography research tool, managed by volunteer music fans around the world, it makes its money by running the Discogs Marketplace, which sells globally with only minimal sellers fees and has flexible / integrated PayPal billing.

The nature of this site means you can check-out the details, cover graphics, and often get easy access to YouTube preview videos.

 

In general, Steve's been uploading the info, track details etc., and I've been responsible for the graphics and video samples, links, etc.

 

So far, we've put up all of our available releases...

Auricle cassettes and CDRs: https://www.discogs.com/label/36198-Auricle

Ultimate Transmissions: https://www.discogs.com/label/45193-Ultimate-Transmissions

Cosmic Egg: https://www.discogs.com/label/130065-Cosmic-Egg

Virtually all of these include full cover art displays, and there are preview audio-videos galore!

 

Nearly all Ultima Thule stocks are now for sale via Discogs, some not on the UT catalogue!

We are attracting a good few new customers, and it's still early days as yet! Some mega-rare stuff is listed there, as well as many other oddities

 

You need to register with Discogs to access the Ultima Thule seller hub: http://www.discogs.com/seller/ultimathulerecords

Registering with Discogs is free and with no obligation. It also makes Discogs run faster with no adverts!

 

I have Ultima Thule registered as a private seller on Ebay under my own name: Alan Freeman. Ebay has mostly been used for selling obscurities, rarities and collectables, old magazines, etc. But, since July 2021 I've listed a The Crack In The Cosmic Egg rom on there, as well as all printed Audion issues, a selection of DVD videos, and various other things. Check-out the UT Ebay page: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ultimathulerecords/m.html

  

web site designed and managed by Alan Freeman © 2000-2020 Ultima Thule, Leicester, UK   -   constantly work in progress, advice welcome, please report broken links   -   E&OE