The American Buy
Twice a year we gather everybody's lists together and buy in bulk from the American publishers. It is the only thing that makes those books affordable over here, and the more of us who want the same title, the better the price for all of us.
Why we do it this way
There is very little Catholic home-education material published in the UK, and most of what we actually want is American: Memoria Press, Saxon, Logic of English, Seton, Mother of Divine Grace, TAN Books, Bethlehem Books, Holy Heroes. Bought one at a time from America, a seven pound book can arrive having cost you twenty by the time shipping and customs have each had their turn.
Buying together solves it. One large order, one consignment across the Atlantic, and the cost of getting it here spread across all of us instead of landing on every single book.
Where this began
We ordered from America anyway, because the books were worth it, and we paid through the nose to do it. Then it dawned on me that the other mothers around me were doing exactly the same thing: separate orders, separate shipping, everybody paying on their own for the same handful of titles. It made far more sense to order together.
That is genuinely how this shop began, as a group order and a shared delivery between a few families who wanted the same books. What you are reading about now is still that same arrangement, only rather bigger, and my hallway suffers for it twice a year.
How it works
- You send me your list. A title is plenty. If you are following a programme, send the book list and I will work through it for you.
- I price it up and come back to you with a UK price that has shipping and customs already in it, so nothing unexpected turns up at your door.
- You say yes or no, in your own time, and I add whatever you would like to the order. Changing your mind is absolutely fine.
- The buy closes and I place the order with the publishers.
- It crosses the Atlantic. This takes a few weeks and there is no hurrying it along, as I have discovered.
- Collection day. Everything comes sorted into family bundles, and I will email you beforehand with your own list and a time, and put the kettle on.
If you are too far away to come to Haynes, do say when you send your list and we will work something out between us.
When the buys happen
There are two a year.
- The summer buy closes in July, in time for the start of the school year.
- The autumn buy closes at the end of October, in time for Christmas.
If you miss one, the next is never more than a few months away, and there is always plenty of warning in the newsletter before a closing date.
What about the rest of the year?
Everything else in the shop is here on the shelves and goes out as normal, with tracked UK delivery at checkout or collection from us in Haynes, whichever suits you better. The American Buy is only for the titles we do not keep in stock, which is most of the big curriculum sets.
What people ordered last Christmas
In case it is easier to start from somebody else's list than from a blank page, here is some of what went out in the December buy:
- The Action Bible
- The Wingfeather Saga, volumes 1 to 4
- Latin Mass Children's Missal
- Visits to the Blessed Sacrament
- Poems Every Child Should Know
- The Mary Fabyan Windeatt lives of the saints
- Road to Bethlehem and Inspiration!, two board games
Somewhere to browse first
If you would rather have a wander through a catalogue before you decide anything, these three are worth an evening with a cup of tea:
- Holy Heroes, for Advent kits, saints games and the Glory Stories
- TAN Books, for the children's saints series and the classic reprints
- Bethlehem Books, for living history and wholesome historical fiction
Sending me your list
Email help@catholichomeschoollife.com with whatever you have in mind and I will price it up. And if you have no idea what you need, that is a perfectly good email to send too; just say so and we will work it out together.