March 14, 2025 - Our guide outlines book grading terms for used and rare books, from As New to As Described. While criteria may vary by seller and region, it provides a general reference. Sellers often include detailed descriptions of specific conditions and may use "+ (Plus)" or "- (Minus)" modifiers to refine grades.

1 month ago - Very good (VG) describes a book that is worn but untorn. For many collectors this is the minimum acceptable condition for all but the rarest items. Any defects must be noted. Good (G) describes the condition of an average used worn book that is complete.

January 25, 2023 - This term refers to a book or pamphlet, once bound, from which the binding has been removed. ... Book pages that have been folded over in the corners. Some readers do this to mark their place in a book. ... Two separate books bound together so that each cover represents the cover for a different title. Ace paperbacks and many science fiction books were issued this way. ... A mock-up of a book used by salesmen in the late 19th and early 20th century to show prospective buyers what the book would look like.

National Union Catalogue; when used in antiquarian book descriptions usually refers to the pre-1956 imprints NUC which lists Library of Congress holdings plus the holdings of all reporting libraries in the U.S. When a catalog description states "Not in NUC", the item described is usually rare (in terms of U.S.

In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate, revealing the stitching or binding underneath. More Info ... A term often used to indicate a book's new-like condition. Indicates that the hinges are not loosened.

A partial list of terms used in book collecting

August 12, 2024 - A potential customer reading an offer of a used book for sale wants an honest and clear description of its physical condition. This article enumerates frequently used terms for doing that and tells their customary meanings.

New: A brand new book. Used: A previously owned book in good, reading condition. All used books at Powells.com have been designated with a descriptive condition code, listed below.

Binding - The material which is used as a protective cover for the book, normally leather, cloth, vellum, paper, or buckram. Blind (-stamping or -tooling) - An impression into the paper or the binding without gilt or other coloring, leaving the impression only. Conversely gilt-stamping or gilt-tooling leaves an impression along with gold coloring, and is frequently found in leatherbound books. Boards - The term for the front and back covers of the book.

OP/Out of Print: When a publisher has no copies of a book on hand and does not intend to reprint it. OSI/Out of Stock Indefinitely: When the publisher has no copies of a specific title on hand, but may wish to reprint it in the future. Pre-Publication: This term is usually used in conjunction with other terms such as pre-pub costs or pre-pub offers.

March 10, 2024 - Let’s proceed to books described as Good. This term covers any average used book that has been fairly worn but still has all pages present and a relatively good jacket. In this example from Half Price Books, we can’t see the actual photo of a book, so it’s hard to tell how exactly worn is the book we’re buying.

The actual specifics of a new book may be hard for a bookseller to state or predict as they may be shipping one of any number of copies of the title to fill the order. This, as opposed to As New which describes a used book that is determined to be free of any faults or wear.

VG (Very Good Condition) - A bright, clean, tight copy that shows signs of being read more than once. May have minor defects noted, such as edge wear, signature or book plate of the previous owner, slight chipping or tears to the dust jacket. G (Good Condition) - an average used book.

December 23, 2022 - Chipped Used to describe where small pieces are missing or where fraying has at the edges of a dust jacket or to the edges of a paperback cover. Closed tear A rip in the page of a book or its jacket where there is no loss of material. By contrast, an open tear is a tear where some loss of material is involved. Cloth We’re not talking about any old roll of fabric here. The term refers the material often used to cover a book’s boards.

September 27, 2017 - Wrappers refers to a paper binding. The terms soft cover, paperback, and wraps also refer to a paper binding. We (& many other booksellers) use ‘wrappers’ to refer to any paperback book.

Average used book with all pages present. May have any of the defects above to a greater degree, including highlighting, library markings, or loose bindings. Rare and collectible books may have cocked spine, cracked hinges, water stains; torn or repaired dust jacket.

April 9, 2015 - Ex-Library – A book that was once part of an institutional or public library’s collection but has been deaccessioned. Ex-library copies often bear the marks of the library, such as stamps, seals, call numbers, or the increasingly outdated (but memorable) pocket for a check-out card. Collectors should be aware that “ex libris” does not indicate an ex-library copy. Foxing - A descriptive term for scattered spots on paper which are commonly reddish-brown in color.

November 26, 2020 - First, there are terms used to describe the condition the book is in—usually ranging from “as new” or “fine” down to “poor” or “reading copy” or “binding copy.” We want to tell you a little bit about these terms to start.

May 3, 2025 - This page provides a glossary of book jargon terms, acronyms and abbreviations commonly used by collectors. It is intended to help new collectors.