Welcome to our book rating system!
We use a straightforward and detailed method to describe the condition of our books, helping you make informed decisions. Here’s a breakdown of our ratings:
♥♥♥♥♥♥ Mint Condition (MC): A mint condition book is in the same perfect state as when it was first published. There are no defects, missing pages, or library stamps, and the dust jacket, if present, is flawless without any tears.
♥♥♥♥♥ Very Fine (VF): A very fine book is nearly mint but lacks the crispness of a mint condition. While it may have been opened and read, it remains free of defects to the book, jacket, or pages.
♥♥♥♥ Fine (F): A fine book represents the typical worn book with all pages intact and no tears on the binding or paper. It may show shelf or edge wear and very minor chipping.
♥♥♥ Very Good (VG): A very good book shows signs of average use and wear. All pages are present, and the binding and jacket, if applicable, may display shelf wear and chipping.
♥♥ Good (G): A good book is well-used and worn but retains all pages. It might lack endpapers or a half-title, and the binding or jacket may be shelf-worn, chipped, or loose.
♥ Binding Copy: This describes a book where the pages are intact and perfect, but the binding is in poor condition—loose, detached, or missing entirely.
We hope this guide helps you understand the condition of our books and assists you in finding the perfect addition to your collection.
Terms used in ratings
Bowed: This describes the condition of the covers or boards of a hardcover book. Bowed covers may curve inward toward the leaves or outward away from the leaves.
Chipped: Small pieces are missing from the edges of the boards, or fraying has occurred on a dust jacket or the edge of a paperback.
Dampstained: A light stain on the cover or leaves caused by moisture, such as from a piece of food or perspiration. This is generally less severe than water stains.
Darkening or Fading: When book covers are exposed to light, the color can darken or become more intense.
Edgeworn: Wear along the edges of hardcover book covers.
Made-up Copy: A book whose parts have been assembled from one or more defective copies.
Ex-library: Indicates that the book was once owned and circulated by a public library. It may have library stickers, stamps, or markings.
Foxed/Foxing: Brown spotting on the paper caused by a chemical reaction.
Loose: As a book is used, the binding can become looser, sometimes causing a well-used book to lay flat and remain open to any page.
Price Clipped: The price has been clipped from the corner of the dust jacket, possibly because the book was originally a gift.
Re-backed: A book that has been repaired by replacing the spine and mending the hinges.
Re-cased: A book that has been glued back into its covers after having been shaken loose.
Re-jointed: The book has been repaired while preserving the original covers, including the spine.
Shaken: Describes a book whose pages are beginning to come loose from the binding.
Shelf Wear: Wear that occurs as a book is placed onto and removed from a shelf. This can affect the tail (bottom) edge of the covers, the dust jacket, or the exterior of the covers if no dust jacket is present, or the head of the spine.
Sunned: Fading from exposure to light or direct sunlight.
Trimmed: Indicates that the pages have been cut down to a size smaller than originally issued.
Working Copy: A book with multiple defects and possibly in need of repair, more damaged than a reading copy.
Worming/Wormholes: Small holes resulting from bookworms (the larvae of various beetles).
We hope this guide helps you understand the specific conditions of our books and makes your browsing experience more informative and enjoyable.