A grading guide for rare and antique books
The following terminology should be used when describing the grade (condition) of any given book, it must be emphasized that whilst the grades are not an enforceable standard, they are a fair guide to the terminology used by collectors.
Fine
: Exactly what it means the book appears to be pristine and unread, as you would expect to buy brand new.Near Fine
: This would apply to a book in fine condition (see above) save for some minor flaw.Very Good
: The book will have obvious signs that it has been read or has one or more minor flaws, but is still a copy worth collecting. The minor flaws will be described as follows: bumping to corners, sun fade to spine, rubbing or slight foxing.Good
: The respective book is a copy with detracting defects. It may have minor tears, bumped corners or other.Fair
: This description is for the lowest order of a collectable book, normally associated with a major flaw or multiple minor flaws, such as large tears, broken spine, penning to pages (written in) or grubbiness.Poor
: As it indicates, in bad condition though some collectors will still purchase if others are not available.Reading Copy Only
: Again this condition describes a book that a collector would balk at, would only be used as a reading copy.
This article has been reproduced courtesy of bid4abook.co.uk
Find A Book
You can use the google custom search tool to find similar books to yours, it may give you an idea of the value. Simply enter the author's name or title of the book you are looking for.
Loading