Grading Books
Please Note : All photos displayed on the RAC website are of the actual
book that is for sale, there are no generic stock images here!
Unfortunately most people treat books unkindly, they can be found in all areas of the house, shed or garage. Books can be found propping up shelves, used as door stops, on top of wardrobes, in drawers, in bags, in-fact absolutely everywhere, oh if books could talk!
General Book Condition Terms
As New : The book is in the same condition as when it was published, never read or opened.
Fine : The book may have been opened and read, but there are no defects to the book, jacket or pages.
Very Good : Minimal signs of wear with no tears and only minor defects.
Good : Average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present.
Fair : Worn book with complete text pages including maps and plates, but may lack endpapers. Binding may also be worn.
Poor : Worn book., which may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.
+ and ++ : In better than the average condition stated but not as good as the next higher condition.
Other terms used in our descriptions
Binding, Tight / Loose : New books have a tight binding which becomes increasingly loose with use, a well-used book may remain open on any page.
Bowed : Covers or boards of the book are bowed.
Chipped : Small pieces are missing from the edges of the boards or fraying on a dust jacket or edge of a book.
Dampstained : A light stain on the cover or pages.
Dust Jacket : Generally, is a loose cover that is placed over the main cover of a hardback book.
Sun Fading : Loss of colour when book covers are exposed to sunlight.
Edgeworn : Wear along the edges of hardback book covers.
Foxing : Brown spotting of the paper.
Picture Boards : Possibly impressed and coloured picture on the outside cover of a hardback book.
Shelf Wear : Wear that occurs as a book is placed onto and removed from a shelf and or as the book rubs against its neighbors.
If you have any questions please ask.
