BOOKS CONDITION

If you gonna buy a used book. You have to know it's condition. This is the most simple description they can give you:

• NEW (NEW) - A book that has never been read and is in perfect condition.

• VERY FINE (VF) - Essentially a "New" book (or "As New") with no defects, a crisp, tight binding, and virtually un-noticeable or no flaws found under close examination. A book that is in nearly perfect condition with no sign that it has been read. The dust jacket (if it was issued with one) must be perfect, without any tears.

• FINE (F) - A book in "Fine" condition approaches the condition of "Very Fine", but without being crisp. There must also be no defects, etc. Fine allows a small bump or two. If the book was read, it was done very carefully. The dust jacket may not be as shiny as new, but has no wrinkles, folds, chips or tears.

• NEAR FINE (NF) - No defects, little usage, and markings are minimal. A minor flaw may be present. "Fine" with a little more wear and some very minor flaws.

• VERY GOOD (VG) - A book in "Very Good" condition shows light wear to the book, and/or jacket, but with no large tears, or major defects. It is attractive, but not unusually so and is no longer fresh. Acceptable flaws might include: clipping, small tears or rips, rubbing, and a less than tight binding. There may be an Inscription on the front flyleaf or a small amount of writing (ie: name, date) in the first few pages. To qualify for "Very Good" however, the book must be completely intact, with a dust jacket (if one was issued).

• GOOD (G) - A book, or dust jacket in average used, and worn condition, but complete. Books in "Good" condition (or worse) are generally avoided by serious collectors unless there are few or no other copies available. They may have large chips and tears, price clipping, inscriptions, writing in the pages, a loose binding etc.

• FAIR (FR) - A book that is worn and handled, but no text pages are missing. It may be without a dust jacket, endpapers, or a title page. The binding may be loose and the jacket (if any), will likely be well-worn. It may be soiled with tears, but maps and plates must still be present. There can be writing in the pages and/or highlighted text.

• POOR (P) - Having very little collector value, a book in "Poor" condition is relegated to merely a "reading copy". It is very well worn and may have severe binding defects. A few text pages and perhaps maps or plates may be missing. "Poor" copies may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc. Not fit for collecting unless extremely rare.

Just in some exceptional case i would buy one below Good. Ok, once i bought a Poor copy but it was like from the 1860's , quite rare and expensive (like 40 times more if fine or better). Actually is cool to have it around because looks like from the library of Lord Greystoke. But it is, as I said, one exception (is the one in the pictures). Recently i purshased a much more decent later reprint .