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Buying from Old Irish Maps & Prints

This page contains all the information you need about buying maps, prints or other Irish antique printed items from us. Taken together the contents of this page comprise the terms and conditions of sale for all items purchased from this site.

Authenticity

All items we sell are original, i.e all items on this website are genuine antiques, and Guaranteed Originals. They carry with them a full guarantee as to their authenticity, and a certificate can be had to that effect with any order if requested.

We do not sell reproductions.

Item Descriptions

All items are described as accurately and efficiently as possible. If you need more information on a particular item, please contact us.

Dates

Each item description includes a date when the item was produced and are the best that can be determined.

Where the exact date cannot be determined accurately from the material at hand, and this happens often and for many reasons, we give an approximation with a 'c', as in c.1750. If the date of the item is not known, but we know from our experience that general period through which the item was produced, we will give a date range 'between 1750 -1790'.

We will exclude a date altogether from the description if the date of an item is not known or not readily determined, rather than guess, mislead or misrepresent.

Sizes

All sizes are given in mm, with a tolerance of ±5mm. All measurements are width by height of the platemark, or if this is not possible, printed image. If paper is much larger than platemark, we will give approximate measurements of margins. Example: Map measures 100 x 120, with 30mm margin all around.

Source

Most maps come from old books and atlases, the so called 'breakers', books of such condition that they are beyond economic redemption. As a result, maps may have been folded to fit into books. Some large maps may even have multiple folds where they were compacted to fit in a publication. They therefore may exhibit other effects of being bound tightly for centuries in a publication, such as creases, as offsetting, close trimming etc. This is normal so please expect to find folds and other other attributes associated with the item having been part of a larger work.

Photographs

While we have attempted to photograph items to represent as accurately as possible the item for sale, the truth is that, more often than not, the photographs do not do justice to the item on offer.

Difficulties with factors such as lighting, shadows, image compression and other variables are compounded by the limits and necessities of speed and transmission over the internet, and what you see at your end will be always be a diluted representation of an item. Especially with larger items. There is also a tremendous variation between colour monitors, browsers and operating systems to add even more 'salt to the porridge', as it were.

All the images presented are of the individual items for sale and not an image-library file of a similar item.

In most cases we have cropped the image, for presentation purposes, (a representation of how it would look when mounted and framed), and also as a means of reducing file size for the internet. The paper size is usually bigger than the image shown.

If you like the image on your computer screen, you can be assured that the actual item will be better. But please remember that we will have tried to list any faults with the item in the item description, and to point out what may not be apparent from the photos. If you need a higher resolution digital image of the item, we will be happy to supply one.

One last point about photography is that, images may not be true squares or rectangles. This can be caused by two different factors. First, the camera may have had to be angled slightly to prevent back-shine and second, the original image was commonly not engraved as a true rectangle, which leads to sloping angles. Yet another part of the charm of these items!

If in doubt please enquire.

Condition

Quantifying fair, good, very good, excellent etc, is an extremely difficult task and as it is subjective, a one-size-fits-all approach never works. We therefore attempt to describe each item in detail and do not talk-up an item to encourage a quick sale. Antique maps, by their very nature are subject to wear and tear and improper handling, and as most of them were designed to be used, it is normal that they would develop flaws.

We try to list as far as possible any flaws and defects on our items.

Price

Prices are given in Euro. Postage and insurance extra.

As a guide to potential purchasers from outside the Eurozone, prices are also shown in Pounds Sterling and US Dollars. These prices are converted to the prevailing rate each time the site is updated, with rates being taken from The Irish Times foreign exchange page.

Payment

All purchases are payable in Euro. Purchases subject to VAT (See below). Buyer pays Shipping. Full title to all goods remains with oldirishmaps.com until payment has been received in full.

Payment Methods

The following options for payment are available to customers of our site. 

1. Offline Payment
Choose this option if you wish to pay offline. Payment may be made in cash (posted at customers own risk), by personal cheques and bank drafts (drawn on an Irish bank), Visa, Mastercard, Laser, or by direct payment to our bank (an additional €15 is payable to cover charges). Cheques should be made payable to "Old Rectory Enterprises".

2. PayPal
PayPal allows customers the convenience of paying by creidt card, whether or not they have a PayPal account. It a very safe way of making online payments and one that keeps your financial details completely secure. 

Shipping

Postage, insurance & packing are extra. Shipping can be arranged by post or courier. Once the price of the item goes above €2500 within Ireland and €100 overseas we only use couriers. The Irish postal system will not insure packages for a higher amount. Most items are dispatched in strong cardboard tubes or flat packages, larger items are securely parcelled.

During the checkout process you will be able to chose your preferred shipping option.

The shipping times below are an estimate only, circumstances outside our control can cause delivery time to be longer than expected. Not all shipping options are available in every location, however you will only be shown the options available in your country or region.

Shipping Standard Express ExpressPlus
Shipped by: Post or Courier Courier Courier
Ireland 3-5 days 1-2 days Next Day
UK 4-6 days 2-3 days 1-2 days
Europe 5-7 days 2-4 days 2 days
USA/Canada 6-10 days 3-6 days 2-4 days
Australia/NZ 6-10 days 4-6 days 2-4 days
Other 6-10 days 4-6 days 2-4 days

Insurance

Insurance is charged at 1% of the value of the item, with a minimum charge of €4.50. We highly recommend that all items, espcially those of higher value, are insured.

You will have the option to include shipping insurance during checkout..

Taxes and VAT

Buyers resident within the E.U. are obliged to pay VAT (Value Added Tax) on all transactions. Residents of all other areas are not liable for VAT.

As we are acting as brokers/agents VAT is payable at 21% on our professional fees, which are included in the price of the item you are purchasing. For transparency purposes, the VAT element  of our fee equates to an addition of 3.15% of the total price of the Items purchased, and is only payable on items destined for E.U. delivery.

This rate only applies to items purchased, framing is subject to a different VAT schedule. Please enquire if you wish to have your purchase framed.

Any additional import charges and taxes incurred locally are the responsibility of the purchaser.

Export Regulations

For high-value individual items we are obliged by current law to comply with EU regulations. If you need clarification, please enquire.

Returns

If for any reason an item should not prove to be to a purchasers complete satisfaction, then they can return the item to us within 7 days of receipt and are entitled to a full refund. We must be notified of the intention to return an item beforehand. Full title to all goods remains with oldirishmaps.com until payment has been received in full.

If you have any questions about any aspect of buying from us, please contact us , we will be happy to assist.