Book
Grading
Explained
This information is provided as a courtesy
by The
Bookman.
Feel free to leave me email with questions, comments or suggestions by clicking on the highlighted link above.
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Have you ever come across a listing that reads like this:
"The Iliad" by Homer;8vo;F/G+;FE;PC;BCE
It reads like shorthand from the Greeks! But it's easy to understand once you
know just some of the jargon we use.
At The Bookman, we grade our books strictly. Here’s what some commonly encountered abbreviations mean to us:
F/F means it is a Fine book in a Fine dust jacket.
NF/VG indicates that the book itself is in Near Fine
condition but the dust jacket is only in Very Good condition.
As to "The Iliad" above, the 8vo or "octavo" stands for the size of the book
(approximately 6 x 9 inches); it is in Fine condition with a dust jacket that is better than Good;
it is a First Edition; its dust jacket is Price Clipped, and; it is a Book Club Edition.
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Following are commonly used terms, together with some fairly broad
explanations and examples of what is meant by them:
Book Rating Terms:
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Pristine or Mint
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Completely free from defects.
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Books and dust jackets graded
Pristine
or Mint are just that - new, unread books. Some dealers actually
store these collectible volumes in plastic bags to protect them from all scuffing and damage.
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F - Fine
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As free from defects as possible.
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Books and dust jackets graded as
Fine look like they have just come from the printer.
These are virtually new books also, but perhaps have been opened or on a shelf. You will be hard
pressed to find many used books in this condition.
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NF - Near Fine
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Minor defects, light wear, generally no open tears to dust jacket.
(When I say open tears, I mean those that are not closed by themselves. Small closed tears (say
less than 1/2 inch), while they must be disclosed, are allowable in Near Fine books.
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These books and dust jackets are much better than the average used book
but they may be slightly scuffed. Please note that a Near
Fine book can have other types of flaws. For example, a bookplate
or a previous owner’s name written in the book are flaws but in an otherwise
Fine book, the book may be rated as Near Fine. All flaws must be disclosed.
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VG - Very Good
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Show some signs of wear, some, perhaps more than one, closed tears, light
soiling of pages or scuffing of dust jacket, etc.
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This is the average used book after it has been read and passed from one
reader to another. All major flaws such as loose
bindings, slanted spines, or other damage (especially water damage) must be disclosed.
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G - Good
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This is commonly termed a "Reading Copy". It may be good
for hauling to the beach to read, but contains flaws like rips and stains. Heavily worn, in
other words.
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This is the average used book after it has been read and passed through
many people’s hands and not protected correctly. It may be sun faded, the spine may be slanted from
improper storage, and the spine may actually be broken.
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- Other Terms to Know
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Rem - Remainder Mark
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Usually a ink (Magic Marker) marking made by the publisher or book dealer
on the top or bottom of the leaves. This indicates that the book was originally not sold at
retail price. There are remainder wholesalers whose whole job is to sell these books to stores
at drastically reduced prices. They make very affordable books. All instances of
remainder marks must be disclosed.
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ARC - Advance Review Copy
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The ARC is a special edition of a new book sent to bookstores and
reviewers by publishers. These usually are in soft cover bindings with a draft of the dust
jacket (sometimes called wraps) and are
produced before the First Edition. Some dealers refer to these as "True First
Editions" but beware - they really aren't. They are like draft copies before
formal publications. While they are collectible, they are NOT First Editions.
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Ex-Library
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The Ex-Library book is exactly as its name implies - it formerly was a
library book and has been discarded for some reason. These books usually have their dust jackets and
plastic protectors taped or glued to the book, contain stampings on the end leaves to indicate the library's
ownership, and may or may not contain a pocket in the rear of the book. If you find an Ex-Library book
without a pocket, beware that the rear free end paper has probably been cut from the book!
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Ex-Libris
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An Ex-Libris book is not from the public library. Quite
literally, the Latin translation is "from someone's library". In other words, this is a
clever way of disclosing that the book contains a glued-in bookplate, typically on the front free
end paper, probably with a former owner's name on it, which may be either pre-printed or written in ink.
You must ask yourself if you really want someone else's name in your book before you buy it. There is no
way to remove these things short of removing and replacing the front free end paper.
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Inscribed
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An inscribed book may take two forms, one less intrusive than the
other. The first and in my opinion, worst, is to have a book with a gushing inscription like
"To My Favorite Aunt who changed my diapers until I was twelve..." or something like it. I
stay away from these altogether. The second inscription may just be a signature or printed
name of a former owner, typically written in ink, somewhere near the front of the book. Some
people go so far as to write their name on the front paste-down where it will be covered by the dust
jacket!
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PC - Price clipped
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Usually indicates that a inside corner of the dust jacket (where
the price would appear) has been cut off. While this normally indicates a gift book, it
may also indicate that you are looking at a Book Club Edition (see below). Unscrupulous people have been known to clip off a portion of the dust
jacket where it was identified as a BCE.
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BCE - Book Club Edition
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Published and sold through a book club like Doubleday or Book
of the Month Club. These editions are generally worthless to the collector.
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First Thus
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This is a really BAD term, leading you to
believe that you are getting something that you're not. All this means is that it is the first time
the book is being printed in this form or format. For example, a reprint of Tom Clancy's Hunt for
Red October that contains tie-ins to the movie might have (on the copyright page) an indication
that it is a First Edition. A seller may refer to it as a First Thus (meaning its
first printing in this format). Un-savvy buyers may think they're getting a true First Edition when
they really aren't. Watch out for this term!
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