2015 exchange rate £1 = $1.50
2017 $1.30

That would account for circa 15% of the increase plus 20% VAT.

Yesterday I bought 6 packs of Elixir 11052 Light gauge Nanoweb 80/20 Bronze.

Two x bonus pack of 3 sets each @ €70.00 (works out to £54.20, or $76.31 (USD)).

So if you're careful and discerning, even in UK you can buy Elixirs for a VERY competitive price (for Europe).

They normally retail for between £14 to 15.00 a set, so just over £9.00 a set is very good.

Have a nice day :D

That's my preferred string, too. We don't get that deal in the USA. Twice now, they offer the PB 11-52's but not the 80/20's

Both times I emailed Gore and asked and they said the specials are what most people want.

:(

I was going to recommend coated strings since they last long and Elixir has the 2 for 3 packs, that with a coupon at many retailers ends up being an even better deal, maybe even with shipping from the US--though I dunno about that--it's just an assumption.

With that said, my suggestion for you would be to buy bulk packs from certain places. The best game in town would be:
https://www.webstrings.com/

They ship internationally with $10 plus 24% added on top (see the FAQ: https://goo.gl/217m6Y).

Even WITH those extra costs included and included shipping, a pack of 24 would set you at $4.23/pack or 3.14 quid at today's exchange rate (use a credit card that doesn't charge foreign fees). indeed, not bad at all cost-wise for good stuff.

BTW, the Webstrings stuff is really good, and like they say on their webpage, they source their stuff from the same factory as the big name brands--just without the marketing/branding/3rd party fatness tacked on. I personally suspect D'addario supplies them as many users say both tones are very similar, but I nor others have proof aside of anecdotal and biased/ignorant conjecture.

Regardless, this idea could be a very compelling option for you....


EDIT:
To put your mind at ease, here's some opinions on them. You can also Google research them thru the forum chats as well. They're legit.
https://www.guitar-muse.com/webstrin...ou-expect-6705
http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/...la-41/1150965-

EDIT #2:
MusiciansFriend.com (a highly reputed store here in the States) also offer branded strings that get raves and are cheap & comparable to what you use. They ship to UK. Currently on Holiday Sale of $2/pack! Check them out:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/searc...rrencyCode=USD
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pages...onal-customers

.......btw, since you shop on Ebay, be very wary who your supplier is. Even on Amazon, 3rd party suppliers have sold counterfeit strings. D'ads and EB's are some of the knock-offs you'll see by the boatload. The string companies constantly are combating these fakes, so if you get some fakes, contact the string Mfgr. pronto. They're very aggressive in going after these fake sellers.

Somewhat different product but I buy carving tools from Britain over the Internet. Even including shipping I usually save money when buying from the builders web site. Too many finely crafted hand tools come in to the US through "exclusive" distributors who really run up the prices.

It is also fun to communicate with the actual builder. I learn so much more than I would from a web ad on a distributor site.

For the Europeans on this site, the deal is current and it's with Thomann in Germany.

Only certain Elixir strings are offering 2+1 Bonus packs. Look on their website. Postage to UK is €10.00

Compared to violin strings, guitar strings are small potatoes. I don’t spend much time thinking about it, as long as it keeps my guitar playable. Kind of like gasoline for my car. Necessary expenses that are small compared to the value of the instruments.