Book Descriptions

How often do we see the term "Good for its age" when looking at a books description? Every time I see it, I shake my head and go to the next item. It doesn't matter how old or how new the book is. If it has any defects describe them thoroughly.

If you are going to engage in buying and selling books on eBay, or through the mail, then the buyer and seller must recognize how very important it is to accurately describe a book.

Antiquarian Bookman first put forth a set of terms that are still widely used by bookpeople today. A brief (and I hope simple) explanation of these terms are as follows:

1. AS NEW - A book that is absolutely perfect in every respect. Looks like it just came off the press. Dust jacket, if issued, must be in the same condition.

2. FINE - Condition is almost as good as "AS NEW", but not quite as sharp. No defects are allowed. Dust jacket should be in like condition.

3. VERY GOOD - The book can show some wear, but should have no tears of any kind. Any defects such as minor soiling, should be noted. Dust jacket could have a few very minor tears or chips and must be noted.

4. GOOD - The book shows average wear and tear. All defects should be noted. Dust jacket would show normal wear and tear. Jacket can have tears, chips, rubbing or soiling but all problems should be noted.

5. FAIR - The book is worn but has all pages, maps, or plates present. Can be missing endpapers; half-title, etc. Dust jacket would show heavy wear with serious defects. Once again, all defects should be noted.

6. POOR - The book is in poor shape! Book and jacket have many defects. Most collectors will purchase this condition as a reading copy or a filler until a better copy can be found.

7. EX-LIB or EX-LIBRARY & BCE or BOOK CLUB EDITION - ANY ex-lib or book club edition of a book must be identified as such, regardless of condition.

8. BINDING COPY - Book has all pages, but the covers may be missing, detached, loose or very worn.

NOTE: If a book was issued with a dust jacket and it is missing then you must note this.

Personally, I always try to be very conservative in describing conditions. You can use "+" or "-" in your descriptions when the condition is borderline between say, good or very good. Conservative grading will save a lot of problems with customers in the long run. Your idea of very good may be only good in the buyers' eyes!

Just remember a bookseller's reputation is their most important asset. If you do make a mistake, and we all do at one time or another, then make it right! If I've missed anything please feel free to email me, or post it on the board.

Firsts: Edition, Printing, State, Issue

The focus of this lesson will be to try and explain (as simply as possible), the differences between a 1st edition, 1st printing, 1st issue, 1st state, and 1st thus.

1. FIRST EDITION: To collectors the first printing or impression of a book is the 1st edition. However in real life a 1st edition could have many printings. A true 2nd edition would occur when something has changed significantly since the 1st was printed. So remember, when someone asks if a book is a 1st edition, they are in all likelihood, talking about the first printing of the first edition.

2. FIRST IMPRESSION or PRINTING: This term refers to the number of copies printed of an edition at one time. Remember that to a collector only the first impression or printing is the first edition.

3. FIRST AND SECOND PRINTING BEFORE PUBLICATION: A book received more orders before the publication date than the first printing quantity would cover. When this happens the publisher has a second printing done. This is "NOT" a first edition.

4. FIRST THUS: When a book is revised, new material is added, or maybe published by someone else, then it is called a 1st edition thus.

5. FIRST TRADE EDITION or TRADE EDITION: This is the regular publication of a book. This term is used when there is also a signed/limited done of the same book.

6. FIRST ISSUE or FIRST STATE: These are two separate terms that are often used interchangably without any great consequences. What does make a big difference is a 1st issue or state versus a 2nd issue or state. This difference can be worth hundreds of dollars in the price of a book. One example of this is Joel Chandler Harris' "Uncle Remus; His Songs and Sayings" NY 1881. The 1st state/printing is valued about $1500 while the second state is valued about $400 to $500.

So what is the definition of 1st issue and 1st state? A "state" occurs when a change is made during the 1st printing of a book. so when a publisher finds an error and inserts a cancel leaf, or page, before sending the 1st printing out then we have two states. Why two states? Because some copies have already gone out to reviewers before the error is discovered.

An "issue" happens after all the sheets are already printed and the book has gone on sale. Not all printed sheets might be bound at one time. They might even be bound by different publishers, so if any changes or alterations take place then you have different issues. For instance a printer runs enough sheets for 1,000 books. The publisher binds up 200 of them. Then someone discovers an error. The error is corrected before the next batch is bound. You now have two issues.

What makes the Uncle Remus book have two states? The 1st state/printing has the word "presumptive" instead of the correct word "presumptious" in the last line of page 9, and contains no mention of this title in the ads at the back of the book. This would be the first printing of the first edition, but now we have two states of the first printing.

I hope I haven't completely confused everyone with this explanation of "issues" and "states", but if you get into selling or buying scarce or rare books, you will have to know what it means. Hopefully others can help clarify or add to my explanations.

More Book-Related Terms

1. ADVANCE COPY- A book that is sent out to booksellers and reviewers ahead of the actual publication date. It can be either in paper wraps or be the regular trade edition woth a review slip laid-in.

2. BOOK SIZES - The more common book sizes with approximate heights in inches: A. Folio= 15"; B. Quarto= 4to 12"; C. Octavo= 8vo 9 3/4"; D. Duodecimo= 12mo 7 3/4". (NOTE: 4to, 8vo, 12mo, etc... is the way you will usually see a book listed.)

3. ENDPAPERS - A double leaf of paper with half pasted down to inside covers and the other half becomes the first leaf or page of the book. Usually it is blank. Same applies to the rear of the book.

4. FOXING - A term that describes the brown or yellow spots on pages of a book. This is a result of chemical reactions between the paper and the atmosphere.

5. ERRATA - A slip of paper, or page, that contains all the errors bfound in a book after it has been bound. It is either tipped-in or laid-in.

6. FRONTIS or FRONTISPIECE - An illustration that is usually listed across from the title page.

7. LABEL- A printed piece of cloth, leather, or paper that is glued to the front cover or spine of a book.

8. LAID-IN - Anything such as a letter, autograph, or other such thing lain in a book. It is NOT attached to the book.

9. TIPPED-IN - Unlike laid-in, tipped-in means it is pysically attached to the book.

10. PICTORIAL - When a book has a picture on the front cover it is call a pictorial.

11. POINTS - Refers to any corrections, misprints, binding colors, etc... that are used to differentiate between issues, printings, editions, or states of a book. (Refer to lesson #2 for these definitions). REMEMBER that a point can mean hundreds of dollars in the price of some books.

12. PRICE-CLIPPED - When the price has been cut or clipped from a dust jacket. Should always be mentioned when describing a book, especially if it's a book of literature.

13. RECASED - Means the book has been resewn or glued back into its original covers. The book will usually have new endpapers.

14. UNOPENED - When the pages of a book are not cut at the folds.

15. VARIANT - When books from the SAME printing have differences, but no particular sequence is known, then you have a variant. If the order of differences is known then it is an "issue or state".

© Big Red Group and Red Star Cafe, 2008