Fine
7 in stockNear pristine. No markings, tight spine, bright boards.
Condition guide
What “Very Good” actually means
Most second-hand shops use words loosely. We do not. Every book in the catalogue is graded against the scale below, and the written condition note tells you what the grade did not cover.
Very Good
10 in stockLight shelf wear, unmarked pages, sound binding.
Good
14 in stockRead with care. Minor notes or underlining possible.
Readable
1 in stockComplete text, heavier wear, creased spine, notes.
Worn
1 in stockWell-travelled. Reading copy, cosmetic flaws noted.
What we always check
- Spine integrity — is it cracked, and if so, where?
- Page block — any loose pages, stains, or foxing at the edges?
- Markings — underlining, pencil notes, ink, ex-libris stamps.
- Boards & jacket — scuffs, creases, sun-fading, price-clipped jackets.
- Completeness — missing plates, half-title, errata slips.
- The dust jacket price — we say so if it has been clipped.
What we never do
- We do not describe a book as “like new”. Nobody has ever read a book and left it like new.
- We do not use the word “clean” for a book with pencil in it.
- We do not grade a book up because we want to sell it. We grade it up because it earned it.