How to Describe Books for Auctions

The key to finding repeat customers is to describe your books accurately when selling them on eBay, Amazon, Alibris or other venue. Nothing will lose a customer faster than sending a book described as "very good" that has underlining on the pages or a musty odor. It is perfectly acceptable to sell damaged books but you have to describe them as damaged. Book customers are very loyal and honest, but they do not like unpleasant surprises.

Things You'll Need

• Magnifying glass

Instructions

1. Be relentlessly honest at every step. You might lose some buyers for one item if it has flaws, but they will respect your honesty and buy with confidence later. Describe everything.

2. Smell the book. A good odor is that of old paper or pulp. There is nothing wrong with that, and customers even like it. However, if the book smells of the basement, of must or mold, you must place that in your description. Other odors common to books are tobacco or dust.

3. Examine the dust jacket in good lighting. If you do not have good light, you will miss flaws. Look for closed tears, jagged small tears called chips, water staining, pen or pencil marks, and age yellowing. If the jacket has water damage, the book probably does. If the price is still on the inside flap, describe it as unclipped. If the price has been cut off by a previous owner, describe it as clipped. To serious collectors, the dust jacket's condition is very important, so note everything, even small wrinkles and folds.

4. Examine the book's cover. Note whether it is dusty or clean, has little dents called bumps, has wear at the heel from the shelf (called shelf wear), or has fading from the sun (called sunning).

5. Open the book. Check whether the front and back covers (called boards) are still firmly attached and springy, or loose.

6. Fan the pages, looking for underlining, notes in the margins or scribbles. If you find any, describe its extent. Neatly rulered underlining is worth noting in comparison to wobbly, messy-looking lines.

7. Look at the first few blank pages (called end papers). Old owners often sign their books, and you should note that. Some buyers will not buy a book with someone's name in it. Look for the author's signature. This will add value, but check examples online to make sure it is authentic, and check that the signature wasn't placed there by the printing press. Use a magnifying glass to look for differences in print quality that show the signature was done by the author.

8. Set the book on the shelf and see whether it falls over. If it does, the binding might be weak or the book was stored unevenly and is cocked, slanted to one side or the other.

9. Look at your fingertips. If they grimy or dusty, so is the book.

10. Ignore the rating scale for the book. Books are rated as "as new," "near fine," "very good," "good" and "reading copy." Unless required to do so yourself, let the buyer determine from your description which category the book belongs in. If you must rate it yourself, go one level lower than you think. A buyer expecting "good" who gets "very good" will always be pleased.