美國女作家Helene Hanff1970年出版的《查令十字街84號》記述了她和英國一家舊書店的員工在二十多年間的通信。Helene喜歡的書經常難以在紐約找到，而這個倫敦的書店每每可以滿足她的要求，并通過Book Post寄到紐約。來往信件中多次提到書價，卻從未提及郵費，好像那根本不是問題。
很喜歡這本書，也念念不忘這個郵費的問題，也讀了此書的群友歸舟竟然想到電郵英國郵政博物館查詢！但是好久沒有回音。我心有不甘，就也去詢問。也許他們感到奇怪，居然會有兩個似乎毫不相干的人，忽然問同一個問題，也許我幸運地碰到了一個熱心人，居然收到回信！ 先附上回信如下：
From: Info Mailbox info@postalmuseum.org</a>>
Date: August 8, 2016 at 8:58:14 AM CDT
Subject: RE: Enquiry from postalmuseum.org
Dear XXXX,
Thank you for your email. I was very interested to hear you have read this book and how much you and your friends have enjoyed it. I have often heard my friends enthuse about it and I also remember the days of letter-writing fondly (I think I must read this book myself now!).
In answer to your question about postage rates, we have rates for parcels listed on our website, just click on the links totake you to the relevant spreadsheet: <a href="http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/explore/history/internalrates/">http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/explore/history/internalrates/</a> However the link below may be more accurate on Book Post.
The old 'Book Post' was originally introduced by Rowland Hill in 1848 as a way of encouraging self-education (the Post Office did not carry other parcels at that time). The Great Britain Philatelic Society is a good secondary source and gives a summary of the Book Post and rates: <a href="http://www.gbps.org.uk/information/rates/inland/printed-matter.php">http://www.gbps.org.uk/information/rates/inland/printed-matter.php</a>
I hope this information is useful for you andwish you happy reading.
With best regards,
Susannah
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按圖索驥去了英國集郵協會網站，Printed matter rates (Book Post)：<a href="http://www.gbps.org.uk/information/rates/inland/printed-matter.php。確實有郵寄書的價格，但是上面這個是國內價格。找了半天，覺得下面這個大概是國際價格（1948年）。">http://www.gbps.org.uk/information/rates/inland/printed-matter.php。確實有郵寄書的價格，但是上面這個是國內價格。找了半天，覺得下面這個大概是國際價格（1948年）。</a>
說實話，看到這些價格我是一頭霧水，趕快去查70年前的英國貨幣 （看下面）。哎呀，這叫一個亂！難怪Helene需要人幫她換算！總體而言，當年的越洋郵遞好像比如今的Amazon便宜很多。。。
會去問詢這樣微不足道的問題，是因為這本書打動了歸舟，也打動了我。在標題黨140個字母的今天，在鍵盤上慢慢敲出一絲感動一點難忘，是祭奠逝去的歲月，是感激曾經有那么長的時間，哪怕相隔千里，友誼也可以實實在在，在手中，在指尖流淌。。。
我的問詢：
Dear Sir/Madam:
I would like to get some information on the international postal rates for sending books from the UK to the U.S. during the period of 1949-69 (perhaps called the Book Post?).
I have just finished reading a charming little book titled "84, Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff, published in 1970, which detailed the correspondence between the author and employees of a used-book shop in London. Over a span of 20 years (1949-69), Helene purchased numerous books from the shop and became good friends with the people who worked there. I was both touched and intrigued by the book, intrigued because Helene mentioned that keeping costs low was key to her. The letters in the book contained countless references to the price of various books, but never made any mention of the cost of mailing those books, except to say that all had been sent by Book Post. In this age of Amazon and eBay, when shipping costs impact whether and how people conduct online transactions, I can't help but wonder whether the "old" Book Post had been cheaper and much more reliable.
It would be wonderful if you could tell me what the international rates were back then. I do realize that this is quite trivial a question, and you may ask why I should care. Like Helene, I too live in the U.S. Nearly 70 years ago, Helene wrote to the bookshop, inquiring about the possibility of a trans-Atlantic book purchase. Today, all she would've had to do was to click the Submit . With that, she would have lost the opportunity to make life-long friends, and we this wonderful little book. The book has made a big impression on my friends and me, and made us nostalgic of the days when letters were an integral part of people's lives.
I do hope that you'll be able to help my friends and me find answers to this question, something that the mighty Internet has surprisingly failed thus far. I thank you for your time and look forward to your reply.
Sincerely yours,
XXXXXX
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