Condition

AS-NEW
Book & dust jacket are as originally published.

FINE (F)
A nearly perfect used book. A very rare occurrence.

VERY GOOD (VG)
A used book exhibiting limited wear but no serious defects.

GOOD (G)
A somewhat worn but complete and intact used book, with defects noted.

EX-LIBRARY (XL)
Library stamps or marks or labels on boards, spines or preliminary pages. These are always described.

Description

CLOTH
The cloth that binds a book's hard covers. Any book described as "cloth" is a hardcover copy.

CONTENTS
The internals of any book, the printed pages themselves.

DUST JACKET (dj)
A book's printed outer paper jacket. All significant jacket flaws are itemized and described.

EDITION (Ed.)
All copies of a book printed (even at different times) from one setting of type, without substantial changes.

ENDPAPER or PASTEDOWN (ep)
Paper that lines a book's inner covers, front and rear; sometimes plain white, sometimes printed or "decorated."

FREE ENDPAPER (fep)
Blank page (or pages) that often precedes a book's "Title Page." (see: TITLE PAGE below)

GUTTER
Any "hinge" beneath the endpapers. (see: HINGE below)

HALF-TITLE
A page printed with just a book's title, usually preceding the full Title Page.

HINGE
The bending part of the spine on the inside cover. Point where the endpapers meet.

IMPRESSION (imp.)
All copies of an edition printed at one time. An edition can have many impressions.

STATE
When alterations or corrections of any kind are made to a book during the process of manufacture, so that copies printed from the same edition exhibit variations internally or externally, these variant copies are classified as different "states" of the same edition.

TITLE PAGE
Page formally printed with a book's title and full publishing particulars.

WRAPS
Bibliographic term for a paperback's soft covers. Any book described as "in wraps" is a paperback copy.

Abbreviations

BCE
Book Club Edition

bp
bookplate

gb
gutterbreak

illus
illustrated

p or pp. or pgs.
page or pages