Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2009
Current income tax expense:
United States	$ 5,784	$ 474	$ 3,486
Other Nations	37,384	32,800	31,223
States (U.S.)	399	1,006	1,081
Total current income tax expense	43,567	34,280	35,790
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense:
United States	(5,161)	(4,604)	(7,633)
Other Nations	(3,746)	(1,942)	(1,693)
States (U.S.)	746	(288)	686
Total deferred income tax (benefit) expense	(8,161)	(6,834)	(8,640)
Total	35,406	27,446	27,150
Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities
Inventories, Assets	5,328	6,666
Prepaid catalog costs, Assets	18	16
Employee benefits, Assets	892	1,910
Accounts receivable, Assets	1,979	2,033
Other, net, Assets	8,429	6,512
Current, Assets	16,646	17,137
Fixed Assets, Assets	2,189	1,734
Intangible Assets, Assets	1,964	1,970
Capitalized R&D expenditures, Assets	2,807	7,953
Deferred compensation, Assets	23,654	22,100
Postretirement benefits, Assets	6,764	7,573
Tax credit carry-forwards and net operating losses, Assets	62,638	48,140
Less valuation allowance, Assets	(27,476)	(27,510)
Other, net, Noncurrent Assets	2,453	199
Noncurrent, Assets	74,993	62,159
Total, Assets	91,639	79,296
Inventories, Liabilities	(37)	0
Prepaid catalog costs, Liabilities	(3,038)	(2,299)
Employee benefits, Liabilities	0	7
Accounts receivable, Liabilities	(75)	0
Other, net, Liabilities	(2,363)	(1,519)
Current, Liabilities	(5,513)	(3,811)
Less valuation allowance, Liabilities	0	0
Postretirement benefits, Liabilities	0	0
Intangible Assets, Liabilities	(33,798)	(26,969)
Fixed Assets, Liabilities	(7,672)	(9,270)
Deferred compensation, Liabilities	0	0
Capitalized R&D expenditures, Liabilities	0	0
Tax credit carry-forwards and net operating losses, Liabilities	0	0
Other, net, Noncurrent Liabilities	0	(6,429)
Noncurrent, Liabilities	(41,470)	(42,668)
Total, Liabilities	(46,983)	(46,479)
Inventories, Total	5,291	6,666
Prepaid catalog costs, Total	(3,020)	(2,283)
Employee benefits, Total	892	1,917
Accounts receivable, Total	1,904	2,033
Other, net, Total	6,066	4,993
Current, Total	11,133	13,326
Fixed Assets, Total	(5,483)	(7,536)
Intangible Assets, Total	(31,832)	(24,999)
Capitalized R&D expenditures, Total	2,807	7,953
Deferred compensation, Total	23,654	22,100
Postretirement benefits, Total	6,764	7,573
Tax credit carry-forwards and net operating losses, Total	62,638	48,140
Less valuation allowance, Total	(27,476)	(27,510)
Other, net, Noncurrent Total	2,453	(6,230)
Noncurrent, Total	33,523	19,491
Total	$ 44,656	$ 32,817