-
Step 1
Exceeding rare, "as new" or "mint" rare books are just that: in all respects, perfect. There should be no difference between a "mint" book and a book that was just printed.
-
Step 2
Books that qualify as 'fine' should appear (almost) as if they were just printed--a tight binding, bright colors, clean and unblemished paper. They are essentially 'as new,' but without the crispness of a fresh print. The dust jacket, meanwhile, should be free of tears and nicks.
-
Step 3
"Very Good" books might exhibit some dullness or some subtle wear-and-tear. The paper may be slightly discolored, and the edges and corners of the books may possess a few bumps. All in all, however, the book should show its age, but only slightly.
-
Step 4
"Good" books would contain an obvious flaw or two: a torn spine, heavy bumps or somewhat damaged binding (which should still be fairly tight). "Good" books still contain all of their pages, however, and remain fully intact.
-
Step 5
"Fair" books possess a significant amount of wear-and-tear: nicks, slashes along the binding, a loosened binding or even damaged (but not actually missing) pages. These books may lack endpapers and half titles. These books may still be redeemable, however, if they are significantly rare.
-
Step 6
"Poor" books stand on the bottom tier of the rare book world. Books that have missing pages or illustrations, for example, qualify for a 'poor' rating and have lost most of their value in the process. "Poor" copies may also exhibit stains, spots and water damage.
