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More Information
We have provided this basic guide due to numerous requests. If
there is anything not covered or that you feel should be included please do get
in touch. For those moving into selling and looking to
learn how to describe your books, please take care. These are important factors
to collectors.
If in doubt simply describe all the faults and let your
potential customer decide. This is particularly important for those selling
books on sites like ebay.
If you are a buyer and unsure of how to define the terms you
see used by dealers we hope this helps. Remember, any professional bookseller
will be happy to help you with genuine enquiries about anything you may be
unsure about. He should also be guaranteeing the book to be as described
If you are looking to buy or sell rare books then our
antiquarian booksellers section may be of some assistance.
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You find useful
Identify a first edition
Glossary of book terms
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Very Fine or Mint - VF or M
Using very fine or mint, they mean the same, is something to be done
with care.
These terms are relatively new and not accepted by some dealers and
collectors, mainly in the antiquarian area. This description is,
in our humble opinion, now necessary though. There has been a
huge rise in the collectability of ultra-moderns or
hyper-moderns and condition is even more critical in this area
than others. Collectors are VERY particular.The book and
jacket have to be absolutely pristine with no faults at all,
however minor. Many brand new books in bookshops do not live up
to this grade, so it is not to be confused with 'as new' |
Fine - F
To qualify as a fine copy it should be free
from obvious faults. That is not to say absolutely perfect. It
can show minor signs of age and ownership. The book should be
clean, tightly bound and square. The dust jacket should be free
from loss or tears and any real faults or blemishes. This grade
carries a little age related room, it does allow for some loss
of freshness and commonsense in relation to the books age. It is
acceptable to have a previous owners name, though this should
always be noted in the description.
There is also a legitimate intermediate grade of
'near fine' this would denote a copy that does not quite meet
the exacting standards but must still be a very nice copy.
Sometimes used as a safety net b
y cautious dealers. |
Very Good - VG
Very good is a fairly broad term and more
difficult to describe. Because of this many dealers employ
sub-grades such as VG+ or VG-. Basically it covers a condition
that one might expect to find second-hand books in. That is to
say, books have been clearly read and handled, dustwrappers may
show loss, tears and wear. Fault should be mentioned separately
such as inscription stamps, chipping and tears to the wrapper.
Despite displaying some faults the item should still qualify as
a collectable copy to qualify for this grading |
Good - G
Good is a somewhat misleading term and has
done much to cloud the defining of book condition. Basically it
means bad ! There can be some fairly major faults with both book
or jacket. Once again we would recommend mentioning these
individually. Unless a book is very rare, and or expensive, good
only copies should be avoided by collectors |
Poor - P
Poor is basically a train wreck of a copy,
expectations should be very low if buying such a copy. This term
allows for just about anything it seems, major faults, mark,
soiling, even on the verge of being disbound |
Some Other Points
Reading Copy
A copy that is flawed and is generally not suitable for a
collector but is more suited to someone looking for a copy
simply to readPrice Clipped-Clipping
There is no need to down grade the condition of a jacket if the
price has been clipped from it. However it MUST always be
mentioned
Names, Inscriptions, Stamps or Remainder
Marks
These flaws should be mentioned without exception
Ex Library
Copies that have been in public libraries are very common, this
should always be declared as should a description or stamps,
pockets, missing endpapers or a library binding |
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