Frequently asked questions

DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?

Yes I ship internationally via Royal Mail, with prices dependent on location, order value and weight of the parcel. If the actual postage charge is less than the checkout page charges, I will send you a partial refund.

All of our books are wrapped carefully in bubble-wrap within custom cardboard mailers or boxes. The postage charge reflects the cost of this packing material, as well as the shipping itself.

HOW DO I NAVIGATE THE WEBSITE?

Links to main pages on the website can be found in the header and footer sections. In the header you will see links to the different areas of the bookshop, where books are categorised by Series e.g. King Penguins. Within these pages, you’ll see categories listed across the top of the page, above the book images listed in a grid format.

You’ll also find informational pages about the man behind the Penguin Chap, our Very Important Penguin Collectors club, Shipping & Refunds, and a Contact page.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU REFRESH YOUR STOCK?

I add at least 50 new books to the site every two months. New stock can be seen via the ‘NEW STOCK’ category on each product page.

Most weeks we have at least one delivery of new books coming into Penguin Chap HQ. These of course take time to catalogue, photograph and price. However if you would like to be one of the first to hear about new stock, you are very welcome to join our free collectors club for Very Important Penguin Collectors - find out more here.

WHAT’S THE EASIEST WAY TO SEARCH?

By author name - If you collect books by particular authors like Agatha Christie, use the search bar near the top of every page to search by surname.

By series number - use the search bar, or navigate via the ‘Bookshop’ menu in the header bar, by Series and number range, e.g. Bookshop > Main Series 1-400. Then use the numbered categories on the page to further narrow your search e.g. 101-200. Series numbers are also included in the names of Puffin, Pelican and Penguin Special titles.
By category - find your relevant series via the ‘Bookshop’ menu in the header bar, then chooses from one of the categories shown to see relevant titles., e.g. Bookshop > Penguin Classics > Latin.

By subject - some series pages such as Pelican Specials, will include subject categories, e.g. Bookshop > Pelican Books > Nature.

HOW DO YOU GRADE THE CONDITION OF BOOKS?

I apply a straightforward system for grading the condition of the books on the website. These can all be seen in the product descriptions for each book:

Excellent / Excellent Minus = Mint or near mint condition.
Very Good / Very Good Minus = a couple of faults but minor compared to overall condition
Good / Good Minus = good, reasonably clean condition with no major faults but several minor faults all noted.
Fair = significant faults such as major marks to cover, severely worn spines and more than one torn/missing page.

A ‘d/w’ or ‘DJ’ in the grading will denote if a dust wrapper/jacket is present and these will have their own gradings where relevant.

I do not want anybody to be misled by my descriptions, and so I include comments on any significant faults. If you are in any doubt, I will happily describe any item in more detail, or send more photographs on request.

WHAT DO YOU BASE YOUR PRICES ON?

The vast majority of the books on the site are 1st impressions, however that doesn’t make they are expensive. Most of the books you will see are competitively priced at £4. Ultimately, prices are dependent on four main factors:

1) Condition - given the age of most of these books, those in better condition usually be priced higher. Similarly the presence of a dust jacket - a rarity in itself, can double the value in most cases, especially if in good condition itself.

2) Edition/impression number - 99% of the books on this site are 1st editions. Reprints/later impressions will be clearly stated in the description and will generally be priced lower than 1st editions.

3) Rarity/demand - certain Penguins are rarer than others, and are thus highly sought after by collectors.

4) Market pricing - I always try to price competitively by comparing prices for comparable titles to those on trade bookselling sites.