Condition | Standard |
AS NEW | A book in the same pristine condition as when it was printed. If issued with a dustjacket, it too must meet the same standard. Better than Fine due to the freshness of its appearance & feel. |
FINE | A book without significant defects and showing no signs of use beyond the lack of crispness or freshness present in a new book. If issued with a dustjacket, it too must meet the same standard. |
VERY GOOD | A book which shows some minor defects, but limited to those consistent with careful previous use. The defects should be minimal & insignificant in the sense that describing them would be of interest only to the most fastidious collector. A dustjacket in this condition may have a few very minor edge tears (under 1/8 inch), some evident (but minor) edge wear, or very minor defects on the covers which are barely noticeable. |
GOOD | A book and/or dustjacket that clearly shows it has been used, but not abused. It's your average worn, used book with many & various imperfections giving an overall appearance of a well-used book, but without having any serious defects caused by misuse, accidental or otherwise. |
FAIR | A book that is has serious defects, but retains the complete text & any plates or maps. It may show fairly heavy wear with some soiling & scuffing, or be missing non-essential pages such as endpapers or half-title pages. It's a serviceable copy lacking the most serious defects possible. |
POOR | A book whose sole virtue is having retained the complete text in a readable form. It may be missing plates or maps; be heavily worn, soiled, spotted, scuffed, stained, scribbled, stabbed - whatever; may have loose joints, hinges, & pages, or repairs. Often called a Reading Copy. |