I have been selling books for 20 years.
I am a specialist in out of print and rare academic titles, art, history,
military history and what I like to loosely describe as "Old and Interesting."
Here is a helpful list of book terms that I use:
Terms for Describing Condition
These terms apply to books, dust jackets and magazines.
As New is when the book is in the same immaculate condition in which it was
published. There are no defects and the dust jacket, if issued with one, is
perfect.
Fine approaches the condition of "As New," but without being crisp. There may be
minor defects, which are noted.
Very Good describes a book that does show some small signs of wear but no tears
on either binding or paper. Any defects are noted.
Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves
present. All defects are noted.
Fair is a well-worn book that has complete text pages but may lack endpapers,
half title page, etc. All defects are noted.
Poor describes a book that is sufficiently worn so that its only merit is as a
reading copy. This book may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have
loose joints, hinges, pages, etc. All defects are noted.
Ex-library books are always noted as such regardless of condition.
Book Club Editions (BCE) are always noted as such regardless of condition.
Boards are the actual hardcover material of the cover, front and back.
Bookplate is usually a square illustrated sticker on which an owner writes his
or her name, or on which the author has signed his or her name.
Bumped refers to the bent or rounded corners of the boards.
Browning or tanning refers to brown or tan looking pages or page edges that
appear in some older books.
Chip is a tiny piece missing from the edge of the dust jacket.
Closed tear is a tiny rip in the dust jacket, but no material is missing (as in
a chip). It can be "shut" and protected from further tearing with a Mylar cover.
Cocked means the book is no longer square. If laid down, the book appears to be
pushed (slanted) forward or backward from the spine.
Creasing is where the dust jacket or pages have been bent, and then returned to
its original state.
Dampstain is a tan or gray stain resulting from water or other liquid damage.
End papers or pastedowns are the sheets of paper pasted onto the inner covers,
joining the book block to the covers. One side of the sheet is pasted to the
inside cover, the other is left free (see FFEP).
FFEP stands for front free-endpaper. This is the first page of any book. Though
usually blank, it is a common place for an inscription.
Foxing is the term used for the rust colored spots which occur on paper. This is
the result of oxidation of both organic and iron impurities left behind during
the paper making process.
Front, top or bottom edge: These are the outside page edges.
Loose is what happens to a book which has been read several times. The cover
easily flaps open and the pages do not return to a tight condition.
Heal or tail is the bottom of the spine.
Head is the top of the spine.
Mass-Market paperback is the most common paperback book, about four inches wide
and seven inches high. Seen most often as "popular" fiction, science fiction and
romance books.
Mylar cover is the clear film that most fine bookshops use to cover and protect
the dust jackets.
Spine separation occurs at the head (top) of the spine where the fingers grab
and pull the book from the shelf. After repeated pulling, the glue holding the
outer spine board to the inner binding separates.
Sunned is the fading of paper or binding as a result of sun exposure.
Trade paperback is a softcover book which is generally large in size and made of
better quality materials than a Mass-Market paperback.
Wraps are the outer covers of a softcover (paperback) book or pamphlet.
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Terms of Sale:
All items described to the best of my ability.
Returns are considered if the item is sent within 14 days of receipt with an
email explanation sent to me first or if the item fails to match the description
or if there was damage to the order. All refunds processed upon the receipt of
the book.
If you send a check please be aware that I will ship the book only when the
check clears.
If you are sending a money order from overseas please make sure that it is an
INTERNATIONAL MONEY ORDER, otherwise a...
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Shipping Terms:
Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, I will contact you to let you know that a shipping surcharge might be required.
Every book that is shipped domestically ships with a USPS tracking number. If you need the number, please email me.
Most books going overseas (unless it is 4to or larger) are shipped via USPS Global Priority Mail.
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