Book's conditions are described by several terms below, roughly defined based on how we perceive they may be used. But these explanations (not definitions) are necessarily subjective and may be applied differently by others. See Pricing for a fuller discussion.

MAIN TERMS

New, As New: a book that has never been read, perhaps in storage, and may be just published or published several or many years ago.

Fine:a book that is in published codntion.

Very Good: a book that shows limited signs of wear but with all pages and content intact and any defects listed.

Good: the next step down from Very Good , a subjective judgement.

Fair: the next step down from Good, another subjective judgmement.

Poor: the next step down from Fair, another subjective judgement. This lowest category is for a more worn book that may have scuffed or soiled covers or spotted pages, missing pages or maps, loose bindings--all of which should be described..

Binding Copy: a book that has no or loose binding but has all pages, so it may be bound anew.

Reading Copy: a book that is Fair or Poor and with all pages present; a duplicative term. Similar to "Working Copy" below.

MORE TERMS

Bowed - cloth covers are not flat.

Chipped - small segments are missing from sides of covers

Dampstained - discoloring on the cover of lesser degree.

Darkening or Fading - light has changed cover colors.

Edgeworn - worn cloth cover edges.

Ex-library – a book once in a public library that may show much or little use, with condtion from Very Good to Poor but, as always, these factors and defects would be described--such as pasted-in labels, ink-stamps on pages, marks, etc.

Foxed/Foxing - older books having light brown spots on pages, normal at say 100-years plus.

Loose - a book that has covers that open easily, with all pages intact.

Made-up Copy - an assemblage of parts from like books to make one that is whole.

Price Clipped - a dust jacket that once had a price but that is now missing.

Re-backed - a repair giving a book a new spine.

Re-cased - much as above.

Re-jointed - a repair using original covers including spine

Remainder - an unsold book that a seller has returned to its publisher, often variously marked as such, poltentially in any of the above-listed conditions.

Shaken - pages are loose.

Shelf Wear - rubbed edges of a book's covers.

Sunned - like Darkening of Fading, above,

Tight - describes a binding that is strong, usually on a new book

Trimmed - a book that has been cut smaller.

Unopened - a book that has never had its page sheets cut after printing so they open.

Working copy – a book that may be in Poor or worse condition. Similar to "REading Copy" above.

Worming, Wormholes - smaller piercings on one or more pages, may be in an older book.

The above usage of terms is not standard in the book industry. All are subjective, and other descriptions of the same terms may be found. See Pricing for a fuller discussion.

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