Book Description Terms

I don’t use the term mint: I try to describe every possible fault. I want you to be agreeably surprised by the condition of your books rather than disappointed. Where there are two descriptions the first refers to the book, and the second to its dustjacket. Thus VG/VG means the

Condition descriptions:
Fine: In excellent condition: near perfect. Some evidence of ownership or storage, for example a small inscription. Dustjacket may have

Very Good: A book with some faults. These might include slight foxing to the book. The dustjacket may have some wear to all edges and corners but will be complete.

Good: A book which is obviously second hand. The dustjacket may have small tears to the edges and general wear.

Fair: Complete but has lived life and come off worst

Poor: Reading copy. A book which is complete but is only worth getting to read. It is not in any way a collectable copy and has severe faults, for example lack of spine, torn or loose pages, or extreme tattiness.

B/w: black and white
Boards: the stiff covers on a hardback book
Bump, bumping, bumped: crumpled or crushed
Chipping, chips, chipping: very small pieces missing from the edge of a dustjacket or page
Closed page block: the page edges seen end on when the book is closed
Coloured, sunned, tanned: brown colouration usually seen at page edges
DJ: dustjacket: the detachable paper covering protecting a book
Edge wear: damage to jacket, board or page edges
Endpaper: the blank page at the end of a book
FFEP or FEP: free floating endpaper - the black page at the beginning of a book
First, first edition: the first printing of a book
Frontis/frontispiece: a full page illustration, often colour, found at the beginning of a book
HB: hardback
Illus: illustrated
Inscription: usually a gift inscription, such as “To Sheila, lots of love from Mummie”
ND: no date, undated
O/W: otherwise
PB: paperback
Prelims: first pages of a book
Protected: Book now has a modern, removable, clear plastic covering to protect the dj from further damage
Rubs, rubbing or rubbed: small areas where the surface has been rubbed to reveal the inner coating
Shadowed: brown marks usually found on endpapers, found where dustjacket ends