GRADING BOOKS

Infinity Books Japan

Now Infinity Books Japan online used bookstore is firmly established in Tokyo and indeed throughout the whole of Japan. We are posting thousands of books to such far-flung places as Fukuoka and Sapporo.

To help our customers we aim to describe as best we can the condition of each book before it arrives at your door.

Everybody who has bought used books, be it in Tokyo, or for that matter in any part of the world, can find some gems. I myself, when I first started collecting books seriously, once found sitting in the corner of a dusty old bookstore in Waseda in Tokyo, hiding on a top shelf, sandwiched between a Fodor's guide to Tokyo 1979, and a Japan Almanac, a second edition of James Fennimore Cooper`s �The Deerslayer�. It was in a battered condition but beautiful to look at.

It cost me about 800 yen. I thought I had stumbled on gold. But later on learning how to grade books, (only rudimentarily at that time) I found that it was worth very little. I still have it sitting here on my shelf though, as a reminder of my na�ve early days of book collecting.

Throughout the book collecting world from Tokyo to London, there is a standard way of grading books, and it is used for hardbacks, paperbacks, modern, old, rare and out of print. Below is how Infinity Books Japan grades its books.

Please note the grades we use below are also for paperbacks.

(Condition normally shown as __/__, i.e., F/F, denoting first book and then dustjacket condition)

AS NEW (AN) or VERY FINE (VF) or MINT (M): Without faults or defects, unread, in the same immaculate condition in which it was published (Note: very few 'new' books qualify for this grade, as many times there will be rubs/scuffs to the dustjackets from shipping, or bumped lower spine ends/corners from shelving).

FINE (F): Approaches the above, but not crisp. May have been carefully read and dustjacket may have been slightly rubbed or spine ends slightly bumped from shelving/shipping, but no real defects or faults.

(NOTE: From here on, there may be '+' and '-' in a grade, which will mean that it is above the grade noted but not quite to the next higher grade for '+', and that it is below the grade noted but not quite to the next lower grade for '-'.

NEAR FINE: Also used, although not contained in Bookman's Weekly definitions, meaning a book or dustjacket approaching FINE but with a couple of very minor defects or faults.

VERY GOOD: A used book showing some small signs of wear on either binding or dustjacket. Any defects/faults must be noted.

GOOD: The average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted.

FAIR: A worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title page, etc. (which must be noted). Binding, dustjacket, etc. may also be worn. All defects/faults must be noted.

POOR or READING COPY: A book that is sufficiently worn that its only merit is the complete text, which must be legible. Any missing maps or plates should still be noted. May be soiled, scuffed, stained, or spotted, and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.

EX-LIBRARY: Must always be designated as such no matter what the condition of the book.

BOOK CLUB: Must always be noted as such no matter what the condition of the book.

BINDING COPY: A book in which the pages or leaves are perfect but the binding is very bad, loose, off, or non-existent.

Always, if issued with one, the lack of a dustjacket or slipcase should be noted

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