Back to previous page

The condition of a book is the most important determination of the value of the book and is listed with the book first and dust jacket second. For example, a book listed as Near Fine/Very Good would mean the book is in Near Fine condition and the dust jacket is in Very Good condition. The following is our grading system with which we would purchase or sell books:

Very Fine - Synonymous with Mint. The book and dust jacket are essentially flawless. Think of this as being straight off the press, no signs of being handled or read. The book may be signed and or dated by the author, however not inscribed unless to someone famous, which in bookseller terms would be called an "Association Copy" and may actually be more valuable. Books signed to just anyone may be appealing to Antiquarian booksellers, but they rarely command a premium on eBay, rather the opposite.

Fine - The book and dust jacket are close to being Very Fine, however it does not appear to be as crisp. The book may have been read carefully once and it shows only very minor signs of this such as light edgewear to the boards or the dust jacket. Any flaws that exist must be noted. The book can be signed by the author and an inscription is sometimes considered acceptable, however this is again, up to debate.

Near Fine - The book and dust jacket are in excellent condition, however there may be one of several flaws which generally would prevent it from being considered Fine. A remainder mark may be present or the book may be slightly slanted or cocked. The dust jacket may be price-clipped or there may be one small tear or a bump to a corner or the heel. A combination of these flaws to either the book or the dust jacket would not be acceptable. Any flaws that exist should be noted.

Very Good - The book and dust jacket are still in collectible condition for many, however they often show a combination of several small flaws or one larger flaw. For example, a book that has a loose binding with some browning to page edges and a previous owner's blindstamp and a dust jacket with bumped corners and price-clipped or with a 1" tear to the rear cover or a couple of chips would fall within this category. Again, any and all flaws that exist should be noted. We generally only sell books in Very Good condition that were published prior to 1985 unless the book in extremely rare.

Good, Fair of Poor - These are below collectible grade books. We generally only consider these placeholders or reading copies and generally would not purchase these books or sell them to others. They show varying degrees of wear and if you are considering books in these conditions, don't expect anything more than being able to read the book completely from cover to cover and in some instances this will not always be possible.

Ex-library - Books can be of varying condition, however there are tell-tale signs of the book belonging to a library such as bookplates, library stamps or the dust jacket being glued to the boards. Any book that is from a library must be identified as such. Some collectors will find these books unacceptable regardless of the flaws. However, some books can be found in very nice condition with minimal flaws and are considered by many to be desirable. For example, a Fine/Fine first edition of Patricia Cornwell's "Post Mortem" will bring upwards of $1,000 and an Ex-Library copy with minimal wear will still bring more than $100 and even a few hundred depending on the condition.

Words of caution:
• A book listed As New may not necessary be in Very Fine or Mint condition. It must also be free of any and all flaws. Sometimes a brand new book will have a flaw such as a crease or a bump or even a binding error by the publisher. Any of these would prevent the book from being Very Fine.
• A remainder mark is a mark used by the publisher to state this the book is no longer for sale(generally after the book has been published in paperback) and has been removed from their inventory. It can be a line from a magic marker, a publisher stamp or in some instances the words "discard" stamped. A remainder mark is generally found on the top or bottom of the pages. A book with a remainder mark, often called "Remainders", can be graded no higher than Near Fine. The dust jacket can still be Very Fine since the remainder mark does not affect it. However, most Remainders have been through the hands of many people and may show more wear than a brand new book. On the other hand, we have been able to find more than one Remainder with Very Fine dust jackets, we've just had to look carefully.
• Be cautious of sellers who crop their scans or photos. They may be hiding details of a book that may show flaws that they don't want you to see and then claim that there was a photo, so you should've known that was how the book was.
• Likewise, avoid sellers who overcharge for shipping. With packaging (sturdy boxes and bubble wrap or filler as well as an archival Mylar acid free dust jacket protector
• The dreaded words "First edition stated". Unfortunately, "First Edition" does not always mean First Edition. Some publishers, for an unknown reason fail to remove these words when they have later printings of a book. If this is the case, then the publisher will change the number line on the copyright page to reflect the printing. A true First Edition will have either the number "1" present or the letter "A" present. The edition is represented by the lowest number or letter present in the sequence. For example:

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - "1" is present, so this is a First Edition

  4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - "4" is the lowest number present, so this is a Fourth Edition or what is also commonly called First Edition/Fourth Printing

  A B C D E - "A" is present, so this is a First Edition

  B C D E - "B" is lowest letter, so this is a Second Edition or First Edition/Second Printing

  Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, Random House has printed books where the First Edition number line begins with "2" instead of a "1" and some publishers do not use a number line. Nonetheless, this is still a good rule of thumb.

  Most booksellers would never pass a later printing as a First Edition, however on eBay, there are unfortunately those that will try to deceive you. There isn't anything wrong with buying later editions or printings, they are affordable alternatives to true first editions and they are superior to book club editions in that they are generally printed on the same high-quality paper, whereas book club editions are generally printed very cheaply on cheap paper.

• "Rare" or "Scarce" don't always mean what you'd think. Our opinion of a "Rare" book is one that is not readily available, meaning you can?t spend a few minutes looking on the web to find a copy in collectible condition. Most "Rare" books are those published prior to 1970, however there are a few examples of modern rare books. Some people inappropriately list books as "Rare" even though you could probably find ten or more copies on the Web and there may even be other copies listed on eBay at the same time.

We've provided the above words to simply help you with your decision on whether to bid or not to bid on a book. They are based on our experiences in this hobby/profession and with our dealings over the Internet and with auctions like eBay. Again, we welcome any comments and are always willing to provide additional information about any of our auctions, simply contact us at mystery547@hotmail.com. Happy bidding!

User:kings_falcon( 239)  Date:Nov-24-09 15:36:45 PST Praise: Great seller. Smooth and easy transaction. Would buy from again. User:bklynbks( 149)  Date:Nov-23-09 20:54:59 PST Praise: Excellent transaction. Very professional seller. Thank you!! User:cync2000( 432)  Date:Nov-22-09 16:56:32 PST Praise: excellent transaction and a very fast delivery User:3girlsoffice( 14)  Date:Nov-22-09 15:45:42 PST Praise: very pleased w/ quick transaction, exactly as described, will do business again User:czip( 7 )  Date:Nov-21-09 16:55:27 PST Praise: BEAUTIFUL product arrived well packed...love it! Great transaction. To see all feedback for this member, go to the Member Profile page.

To protect bidder privacy, when the price or highest bid on an item reaches or exceeds a certain level, User IDs will be displayed as anonymous names. For auction items, a bold price means at least one bid has been received. Note: Anonymous names may appear more than once and may represent different bidders. Item Start End Price Title High Bidder/Status 280189709306 Jan-05-08 Nov-25-09 06:14:05 $250.00 Bruce Davidson CIRCUS Signed 1st Available 280269381000 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:04 $150.00 Catherine Asaro ALPHA Signed 1st EASTON PRESS Available 280269381018 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:06 $20.00 Mary Gaitskill TWO GIRLS FAT AND THIN 1st Available 360090937711 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:06 $60.00 Brian Lumley HAGGOPIAN & OTHER STORIES Signed DELUXE Available 280269381028 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:07 $25.00 Eliot Pattison WATER TOUCHING STONE 1st Available 280269381030 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:07 $200.00 Tom Rob Smith CHILD 44 Signed 1st UK Available 280269381038 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:08 $250.00 John Berendt MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD Signed 1st Available 360090937729 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:08 $150.00 Jane Smiley A THOUSAND ACRES Signed Easton Press Available 360090937731 Sep-20-08 Dec-14-09 15:45:08 $50.00 Steve Martin SHOPGIRL 1st Edition Available 280269557699 Sep-21-08 Dec-15-09 07:50:05 $20.00 Amy Tan THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES 1st Available 280269558008 Sep-21-08 Dec-15-09 07:51:03 $200.00 Steven Pressfield LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE 1st Edition Available 280269558009 Sep-21-08 Dec-15-09 07:51:03 $150.00 Amy Tan SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING Signed 1st Easton Available 360091215123 Sep-21-08 Dec-15-09 15:45:09 $50.00 Karin Slaughter BLINDSIGHTED 1st Ed Available 280272294738 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:07 $100.00 Orhan Pamuk OTHER COLORS Signed 1st Available 360093258137 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:08 $300.00 David Wroblewski THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE Signed 1st Available 360093258157 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:09 $300.00 Salman Rushdie ENCHANTRESS OF FLORENCE Signed DELUXE Available 280272294755 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:10 $50.00 G.W. Dahlquist GLASS BOOKS of DREAM EATERS Signed 1st Available 280272294760 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:10 $100.00 Yann Martel LIFE PF PI 1st Available 280272294765 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:10 $65.00 Selden Edwards THE LITTLE BOOK Signed 1st Available 280272294767 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:10 $75.00 Andrew Davidson THE GARGOYLE Signed 1st Available 360093258162 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:10 $125.00 Bill Owens BILL OWENS Signed 1st Available 360093258163 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:10 $25.00 Nancy Yi Fan SWORDBIRD Signed 1st Available 360093258167 Sep-28-08 Dec-22-09 15:45:11 $6,000.00 James D. Watson THE DOUBLE HELIX Signed 1st Available 280273075571 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $25.00 Mo Hayder THE TREATMENT 1st UK Available 280273075573 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $38.00 Ridley Pearson SEIZING OF THE YANKEE GREEN MALL 1st Ed Available 280273075576 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $25.00 PR Moredun UNEARTHLY HISTORY 1st UK Ed Available 280273075577 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $75.00 Terry Goodkind PHANTOM Signed 1st Available 280273075580 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $35.00 Stuart Hill CRY OF THE ICEMARK Signed 1st Available 360093994144 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $50.00 Jonathan Franzen 27th City 1st Edition Available 360093994145 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $25.00 Zadie Smith THE AUTOGRAPH MAN 1st Edition Available 360093994146 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $50.00 Mo Hayder BIRDMAN 1st Edition Available 360093994147 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $50.00 Eliot Pattison THE SKULL MANTRA Signed 1st UK Available 360093994148 Oct-01-08 Nov-25-09 03:42:03 $50.00 Mo Hayder BIRDMAN Signed 1st UK Available 220294178893 Oct-12-08 Dec-06-09 15:45:07 $400.00 Orson Scott Card SPACE BOY Signed LETTERED 1st Available 360097425408 Oct-12-08 Dec-06-09 15:45:09 $25.00 Steve Mosby THE THIRD PERSON Signed 1st Available 220297992174 Oct-19-08 Dec-13-09 15:45:06 $60.00 Cylin Busby THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED 1st Ed Available 360101772823 Oct-26-08 Dec-20-09 15:45:07 $75.00 Anne Enright THE GATHERING Signed 1st US HC BOOKER Available 220305225482 Nov-02-08 Nov-27-09 04:59:03 $250.00 David Roberts SWEET POISON 1st UK Available 220305621858 Nov-02-08 Nov-27-09 16:45:06 $75.00 Mary Engelbreit MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS Signed 1st Available 220305621912 Nov-02-08 Nov-27-09 16:45:09 $250.00 Eric Carle VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR Signed Giant LTD Available 360108584913 Nov-18-08 Dec-13-09 09:13:01 $100.00 John Matteson EDEN'S OUTCASTS 1st Pulitzer Available 360110296147 Nov-23-08 Dec-18-09 16:45:09 $50.00 Elizabeth Kostova THE HISTORIAN Signed 1st Available 360110296171 Nov-23-08 Dec-18-09 16:45:11 $100.00 Garry Kasparov GREAT PREDECESSORS Part III Signed 1st Available 220317739929 Nov-23-08 Dec-18-09 16:45:12 $75.00 Pamela Sargent THUMBPRINTS Signed 1st EASTON PRESS Available 360110296188 Nov-23-08 Dec-18-09 16:45:12 $75.00 Signed Easton Press ANDREA MITCHELL TALKING BACK:... Available 220317739947 Nov-23-08 Dec-18-09 16:45:13 $100.00 James Carville and Paul Begala TAKE IT BACK Signed 1st Available 360110296187 Nov-23-08 Dec-18-09 16:45:13 $75.00 Joe Haldeman OLD TWENTIETH Signed 1st EASTON PRESS Available 220320336344 Nov-28-08 Dec-23-09 06:10:04 $50.00 Gene Roberts & Hank Kilbanoff RACE BEAT 1st PULITZER Available 360111678047 Nov-28-08 Dec-23-09 06:10:04 $125.00 Doris Kearns Goodwin NO ORDINARY TIMES 1st Pulitzer Available 360111678048 Nov-28-08 Dec-23-09 06:10:04 $100.00 Lawrence Wright LOOMING TOWER Al-Qaeda 1st PULITZER Available 360111678051 Nov-28-08 Dec-23-09 06:10:04 $75.00 Edmund Morris THEODORE REX Signed 1st Available 360111678052 Nov-28-08 Dec-23-09 06:10:04 $100.00 Kate Mosse Sepulchre Signed LTD 1st Available 360112488783 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:06 $250.00 Laura Hillenbrand SEABISCUIT 1st Available 220321869457 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:08 $100.00 Sharon Draper COPPER SUN Signed 1st Available 360112488800 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:08 $350.00 Clive Barker ABARAT II: DAYS OF MAGIC Signed LTD Available 220321869480 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:09 $500.00 Bram Stoker DRACULA Definitive Ed Signed Edward Gorey Available 220321869485 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:09 $100.00 Carl Reiner NNNNN Signed LTD 1st Available 360112488840 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:11 $100.00 Charles Frazier THIRTEEN MOONS Signed 1st LTD Available 360112488849 Nov-30-08 Nov-25-09 16:45:12 $125.00 Chris Odgers FALL Signed 1st Available 360113091211 Dec-02-08 Nov-27-09 12:00:11 $75.00 Chris Odgers MULE Signed 1st Drawing Available 360113091238 Dec-02-08 Nov-27-09 12:00:12 $75.00 Charlie Higson HURRICANE GOLD Signed LTD 1st JAMES BOND Available 360113091220 Dec-02-08 Nov-27-09 12:00:13 $100.00 Walter Isaacson BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Signed 1st Available 360113091239 Dec-02-08 Nov-27-09 12:00:13 $125.00 Gerald R. Ford TENTH CONVENTION Signed Limited Edition Available 220324789046 Dec-05-08 Nov-30-09 12:00:07 $100.00 Ha Jin WAITING Signed 1st Available 220324789052 Dec-05-08 Nov-30-09 12:00:07 $100.00 Easton Press TRENT LOTT Herding Cats Signed 1st Available 360113975181 Dec-05-08 Nov-30-09 12:00:07 $200.00 Signed JIMMY CARTER Hornet's Nest Leatherbound Available 360114576484 Dec-07-08 Dec-02-09 16:45:07 $200.00 Ludwig Bemelmans NOW I LAY ME DOWN Signed LETTERED 1st Available 360114576487 Dec-07-08 Dec-02-09 16:45:08 $500.00 Stephen King BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES Signed 1st HC Available 220327883106 Dec-10-08 Dec-05-09 16:45:08 $200.00 Marcus Zusak THE BOOK THIEF Signed 1st Available 220336303942 Dec-28-08 Dec-23-09 16:45:06 $50.00 Philip Reeve MORTAL ENGINES 1st UK Available 360119935027 Dec-28-08 Dec-23-09 16:45:07 $100.00 Garry Kasparov CHECKMATE! Signed 1st Available 220336303961 Dec-28-08 Dec-23-09 16:45:08 $150.00 R.D. Rosen STRIKE THREE, YOU'RE DEAD Signed 1st Available 220336304014 Dec-28-08 Dec-23-09 16:45:11 $150.00 Jhumpa Lahiri INTERPRETER OF MALADIES Signed Leather Available 220338206013 Jan-01-09 Nov-27-09 16:45:04 $200.00 Sidney Poitier LIFE BEYOND MEASURE Signed Easton Available 220339683342 Jan-04-09 Nov-30-09 16:45:08 $150.00 Jonathan Franzen THE CORRECTIONS Signed Easton Press Available 220362679065 Feb-15-09 Dec-12-09 16:45:07 $35.00 Scott Phillips THE WALKAWAY Signed 1st Available 220362679096 Feb-15-09 Dec-12-09 16:45:09 $150.00 Thomas L. Friedman HOT, FLAT & CROWDED Signed Easton Available 220362679104 Feb-15-09 Dec-12-09 16:45:10 $50.00 Chris Odgers SOUVENIR Signed 1st CROW Available 360132128579 Feb-15-09 Dec-12-09 16:45:10 $300.00 Harold Pinter HOMECOMING Signed Easton Press Available 220362679132 Feb-15-09 Dec-12-09 16:45:12 $100.00 Cleverly RAGTIME IN SIMLA Signed Limited Ed Available 360132128600 Feb-15-09 Dec-12-09 16:45:12 $75.00 Camille Rose Garcia THE SADDEST PLACE ON EARTH 1st Ed Available 220370928833 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:06 $25.00 Kate Mosse LABYRINTH 1st Available 220370928855 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:07 $75.00 Caroline Kennedy A FAMILY CHRISTMAS Signed 1st Available 220370928853 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:08 $35.00 Ann Packer SONGS WITHOUT WORDS Signed 1st Available 220370928865 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:08 $75.00 Philip Pullman PUSS AND BOOTS Signed 1st UK Available 360135740458 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:08 $35.00 Jonathan Stroud THE GOLEM'S EYE Signed 1st UK Available 220370928878 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $100.00 Michael Ondaatje THE ENGLISH PATIENT 1st Booker Available 220370928885 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $35.00 Nick Hornby SLAM Signed 1st Available 220370928887 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $35.00 Aryn Kyle THE GOD OF ANIMALS Signed 1st Available 220370928889 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $400.00 Stephen King BLACK HOUSE Signed LTD 1st Available 220370928892 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $75.00 Joe Hill 20th CENTURY GHOSTS Signed 1st Available 360135740470 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $125.00 Jeff Wall WORKS AND COLLECTED WRITINGS Signed 1st Available 360135740475 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $125.00 Geraldine Brooks MARCH Signed 1st Edition PULITZER Available 360135740476 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $75.00 Brian Selznick THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET Signed 1st Available 360135740477 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $75.00 Eoin Colfer ARTEMIS FOWL Signed 1st Available 360135740485 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $100.00 Catherine Opie AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER Signed 1st Available 360135740486 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:09 $50.00 Mark Danielewski ONLY REVOLUTIONS Signed 1st PURPLE Available 220370928904 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:10 $50.00 Gregory Maguire A LION AMONG MEN Signed 1st Available 220370928909 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:11 $150.00 Lemony Snicket THE BAD BEGINNING Signed LTD Available 220370928919 Mar-01-09 Nov-26-09 16:45:11 $24.95 Eoin Colfer ARTEMIS FOWL FILES Signed 1st Available Go see all current items for sale by this member.

View this member's Reviews & Guides.

View this member's My World page.

To create your own About Me page, click here.