EXCELLENT (EXC) : Much like new. Almost no wear or signs of age.

VERY GOOD (VG) : A nice copy. Lightly used. There may be lightly bumped corners, edges or spine ends. Covers may be lightly rubbed or faintly soiled.

GOOD (G) : Signs of use are a bit heavier, but item is still very nice. There may be mild damage. Some items in this category were originally printed on poorer quality paper. Whatever it is that makes it "good" is usually defined in the item listing.

FAIR (F) : More visibly battered or with some more notable damage (defined in item listing). Usable, but not pristine.

POOR (P) : Still usable, but has some significant damage (defined in item listing). Most "poor" items either are damaged only in one place (i.e. most pages are very good), or are a hard-to-find item that someone will be pleased to find.

Almost all of our materials are in Very Good condition : lightly used, clean and intact.
The scale slides slightly with age (between centuries), but we have tried to be as consistent as reasonably possible.
Most materials have a owner's stamp or minor filing marks.

Most pages have an "overall" general condition paragraph for the materials on that page.
Individual condition remarks of note appear with the individual item listing.
We welcome specific questions if our descriptions do not cover your needs.

You may expect that a "very good" item will actually appear very good, etc.

We use the system made popular on eBay and Half.com, with a more thorough description than that given by most rare book dealers. We feel that our clientele are largely buying these items for study or fun, and may not be familiar with the antique book collector's terms (VF+, 8vo., etc.). Thus, our descriptions are more for the layman, typically with more small details than those found at other book stores. If we have missed something significant, please let us know immediately - we will make it better!

DEFINITION OF TERMS: (if you need a definition that is not here, please ask)

Bumped : Mild curving or bending seen at corners, edges and spine ends when bumped with use.

Canted : Page block has warped so spine is not square. Book is flat, but spine is not.

Chipped : Small piece of paper missing, almost always along the edge of a cover.

Color chipped : Small bit of cover color missing (leaving white) - looks like a chip.

Creased : Once folded or almost folded (bent) - now straightened but line shows.

Curved : An arc found in a text block that has been stored crookedly or (rarely) has water damage.

Darkened : Some paper darkens with age or because of contact with non-archival paper or material.

End paper : The paper that is glued inside the cover on one side, crosses hinge, becomes fly leaf.

Extracted from : The article has been removed from a journal (i.e. is not a reprint or off-print). May have a rough edge at spine.

For its age : When you see this, the age-related "sliding condition scale" applies. The affect of it mild.

Margin tear : A closed tear that affects only the blank margin. (If paper is missing, we say so!)

Page block : All of the pages taken as a unit. The entire inside of the book. Does not include the covers.

Rippled : Pages are not completely flat, having the waviness that comes from water damage and other sources.

Rough : Almost always refers to the paper over the spine, not the quality of the binding. The paper may have missing bits or short tears.

Rubbed : Literally rubbed with use and storage. Manifests as faint scratches or mild color loss.

Shaken : A hinge that is intact but loosened. End paper may be split over the inside of the hinge.

Spine ends : The extreme upper and lower ends of the spine.

Sunned : Fading or darkening caused by exposure to sun or aging. Typically affects spine and edges.

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