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Hi, does anyone here live in Manchester England or is familiar there? My sister is going to Manchester in a few days and I want her to get some sheet music books.

But I have to know to which bookstores I'm to send her. Does anybody know something about the sheet music industry in Manchester? I tried Google but that didn't bring me anything of use.

Does Sheetmusicplus or any other sheet music reseller for that matter, have agents in Manchester?

I'm curious, why not just ordering online already ? (you are obviously familiar with Sheetmusicplus and online stores)

Because of the shipping costs, I'm told it doubles the price of most books when value added tax comes on top of everything.

Its definitely not the case in the states. you pay for shipping but it definitely does not double the price. especially if you plan to get a few books (usually its combined shipping price). lots of times the price of the books is actually cheaper online because this stores have fewer expanses. I guess the tax part is unavoidable either way whether you shop online or at stores.

I'm in Iceland as you can see in my description. If I order online the price given is sales tax included. When the books are imported to another country one pays VAT or sales tax as it is in the country imported to. Here in Iceland that's 25,5%, but 5% or 6% in the US I've heard. But the US sales tax is not deducted.

Maybe the transportation costs are lower if I order from the UK, like amazon.co.uk, but the VAT is about 20% in Britain. Add that to the Icelandic value added tax, that's around 40% VAT! Plus shipping (or air transportation) costs.

VAT is currently 17.5% but is going up in the new year to 20%

However printed music is exempt from VAT in the UK.

I live near manchester. So will do some digging

Forsyths, on Deansgate. Best sheet music shop for miles ! A bit of history - when he was a student at the RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music), John Ogdon used to go in there, read the scores and memorize them, then go home and play them.
They have a website (www.forsyths.co.uk)

Thank you Mattyg, will keep an eye on this thread. You're welcome to PM me if you prefer that.

Keemanan, the link didn't work. Can't remember if this is one of the sites I found last night. At least I didn't find some of the books I'm looking for on those sites.

Looks like the site is down, although it was up when I posted earlier (I checked the link). I know the shop is still there, I was in there yesterday ! So maybe worth checking it another time.

You're right, I know now that I visited the site last night because I had bookmarked it. Hopefully they'll restore it soon.

To be honest i've not really come up with anything. Apart from what keemanan has posted. All the ones I've found dont seem to have a great selection online. But will probably have masses in store.

In Manchester there's also DAWSON'S, I haven't been in their Manchester shop but I have been in their shop in Chester. I buy a lot of sheet music from Sheetmusic Plus and find the price cheaper, even including shipping charge, than buying in the UK. However, recently I've found a book retailer who advertises through Amazon whose prices for new sheet music books is a fraction of the cost anywhere else, and I mean "fraction", their price is little higher than the shipping charge, I recently bought a book for 80 pence which was selling for £8.99 at Sheetmusicplus, I think their pricing computer programme has developed a fault, but I'm not going to tell them....I've bought several books so far.
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No problem Mattyg, thanks for your effort. Just found out that amazon.co.uk has free shipping for orders over 25 pounds, so I might even save my sister the hassle of scanning the city for music shops!

Thank you bluebilly, found this site yesterday and will check it better out, seems interesting.