We are one of Scotland’s leading retailers of Fine China, Crystal and Collectables. We are based in historic St Andrews in Scotland, where we were founded in 1890. Our founder was, unsurprisingly, a gentleman called James Pirie, who had a thriving bakery, but tired of getting up at 4.00 am every morning and opened a china shop instead!

Absolutely. St Andrews - known throughout the world as the Home of Golf - with its famous Old Course and ancient University, attracts visitors from all over the world. We have been serving their needs for many years and shipping our products to them and their friends all over the world.

Over the years, we have shipped our products to almost every country, including the USA, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Canada and many more.

We carry stocks of all our on-line items and are committed to shipping within two business days of receiving a completed order. Delivery times are as follows :

• United Kingdom : 2 to 4 days;
• Europe : 5 to 7 days;
• USA and Canada : 7 to 10 days; and
• Rest of the world : 7 to 10 days.

The above estimates are conservative. Our current speed record is held by a Royal Crown Derby dolphin paperweight that made it from Scotland to San Diego, California, in 3 days. Definitely the fastest Dolphin on the planet!

In the unlikely event that we are out of stock, or for special orders, we will notify you of the delivery date before you commit to your order. We do offer a wide range of tableware and our staff can confirm delivery dates quickly for patterns which are not in stock.

We use carriers who offer the best balance between speed and cost. Shipping charges for orders to the UK and USA are calculated automatically during the checkout process. Shipping charges for orders to Canada are the same as for the USA. We will confirm shipping costs to all other countries promptly by e-mail before you finalize your order.

Our shipping charges include insurance against damage in transit.

In the case of heavy or bulky orders shipped outside the UK, it may be possible to save on shipping by allowing longer delivery times. Contact us for alternative shipping charges if this is of interest.

Yes. We stock most major brands of china, crystal and collectibles, including a wide range of Scottish products, golf gifts and memorabilia.

Our on-line selection is only a small part of our total range, and we can supply products from almost all major manufacturers, including many not featured on-line. If you are seeking a specific item or want to price a tableware pattern, please contact us by e-mail, phone or fax and ask for a quotation for the supply of items or patterns that interest you. Our customers in the USA can use our toll free number - please refer to the details shown above on the right.

Items shipped within the UK and the European Union are subject to VAT tax at 17.5%. Items shipped elsewhere, including the USA, are tax free and have the VAT tax deducted. This is done automatically at checkout when you select your shipping destination.

Some countries impose customs duties, typically 5 to 10%, on china, crystal and similar products. Our customers tell us that these are not always charged. In the USA, it seems that only approximately one out of three parcels are charged on entry. Such charges will be your responsibility if they occur. The good news is that you are not subject to any state or local sales taxes!

We accept all major credit cards, and offer PayPal as an additional convenience. We accept cheques and money orders from customers in the UK only.

While shopping with us on-line, you can choose to have prices shown in British Pounds, Euros or US Dollars. The exchange rates are shown when you select a currency, and US dollar prices are shown tax free with VAT deducted.

Please note that US Dollar and Euro prices are shown during shopping and checkout merely as a guide. The actual charges will be made in British Pounds, but your credit / debit card company or PayPal will automatically convert these to your home currency.

If you use our secure server to make payment, we will not charge your credit / debit card until your order is ready for shipping. If you use PayPal, payment will be taken by PayPal at the time of your order. However, your payment will be refunded by us in full or in part should circumstances require this.

Our site employs industry-standard, 128 bit SSL encryption of your sensitive payment data. The security system is fully described on our Help page.

Our Help page includes advice on solving common problems with browsers and shopping baskets. You'll discover that there are two sorts of cookies – edible ones and cookies in cyberspace!

Our staff have years of experience in packing fragile items, so breakages are rare. Our shipping charges include full insurance, so in the unlikely event of a breakage please contact us immediately for a replacement at no cost to youreself. Please retain the packing and broken items for inspection.

Please contact us. Most of our sales and customer service staff have been with us for many years, and will be delighted to help with your questions and product selection. Even our e-mails come with a charming Scottish accent!

We welcome your feedback, both good and bad, concerning any aspect of our web site, products and service. Our tradition of quality customer service has been maintained over the course of a hundred years. With your help, we can continue to improve the range of our products and the quality of our customer service.

 Customer Service

Our customer service staff are available by telephone on Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm UK time (4.30 am to 12.00 noon US Eastern Time).

Voice mail is available at all other times. We will respond quickly to your messages.

 Telephone Toll Free

Our customers in the USA can telephone us toll free ...

... call 1 800 222 5998