Glossary of Technical Terms

The following is a glossary of commonly used terms used to describe books and their condition.  The descriptions of condition are based on trade standards set by AB Bookman's Weekly magazine in 1949.  I am very conservative with my definitions of condition.  I generally do not use abbreviations when describing books, so very few if any abbreviations are explained in this glossary.

If you see a word in one of my descriptions that is not in this glossary, and you feel should be included, please e-mail me and I will update the list.

Sean@faganbooks.com

Ads

Advertisements, usually at the end of a book in catalog form, or printed on the end papers.

Advance Copy; or Advance Review Copy

Copies of a book that appeared before copies of the first edition was released.   These copies were generally given to critics and reviewers for publicity.   They often differ from the trade edition in appearance. 

Annotated

Any book that contains printed critical or explanatory notes.   Usually in the form of foot-notes or endnotes.  I do not stock books with former owner annotations in pen or pencil.

Association Copy

Generally means it is a copy of the book that either belonged to the author, one of the author's known friends or relatives, or a copy owned by someone that can be associated with the contents of the book.

Backstrip

The covering of the spine.

BAL

Refers to The Bibliography of American Literature compiled by Jacob Blanck.  A standard bibliography.  The number refers to the listing cited.

Bands

See "Raised Bands"

Beveled Edges

Refers to the edges of the boards of a book.  The edges are beveled, or slanted.

Blind Stamped or Blind Tooled

This refers to the decorations that are impressed upon on a book cover or spine.  If the decorations are plain without any color used to embellish them, they are blind stamped.  See gilt stamped also.

Blurb

Generally a reviewer's or another author's promotional quotation printed inside the book or on the jacket.

Boards

The covers of a hard-cover book.

Book Club Edition

I use this term to describe "Book of the Month Club" editions also.  Book club editions are often smaller in size and lower in quality that the original edition of a book.  Book Club editions are never first editions.  They can be difficult to tell apart if you do not know what to look for.  The easiest way to tell is to look for the words "book club edition" on the lower front flap of the jacket, or the lack of a price on a dust jacket.  Lack of a price is less reliable, as sometimes jackets are not priced.  This is especially true with University Press titles.   Another tell tale sign to look for is a blind stamped mark on the lower corner of the back board near the spine of a book.  This may appear as a dot, a small circle, a square, a maple leaf, or some other small indentation.  Any book with one of these marks is not a first edition, even if it says"first edition" inside.   Sometimes book club books are printed identically to the original edition.    I will occasionally stock a book club edition, but only if it is on an especially interesting topic, or an extremely scarce or expensive book in the first edition.  "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is an example of a book club edition I would stock.

Book-Plate

A printed label designating the ownership of a book.  Generally inside the front of a book.  These are usually considered a blemish on a book unless it is a famous person's copy of the book, or the bookplate was designed by a famous artist such as Rockwell Kent.

Brodart

The clear mylar protective sleeves I put on the dust jackets of all books I sell.   It is a Brand name like Kleenex or Xerox that is widely used to describe the actual product itself.  I do not use any tape and the wrapper is removable if not wanted.

Buckram

A heavy linen cloth board binding, often coated.  Typical of library rebinding.  Very strong.

Bumped

Usually referring to the corners of a book, but may also describe any flaw or damage to a book caused by bumping, dropping, or other impact trauma.  Bumped corners are usually softened and not as sharp as original condition.

Cancels

Any part of a book that substitutes for what was originally printed.   Different from errata [see below] in that cancels are corrections to the book placed over the original printing errors. 

Chipped or Chips

Describes very small pieces of a dust jacket or binding that have broken away.  This photo also illustrates what I mean when I describe a jacket as having "cracks."  They are the stress lines on the surface of a jacket.

Cloth

A kind of hardcover binding material used. 

Cocked

A book that looks uneven or slanted when laid on its back.  The boards do not line up.

Collation or Collated

The process of checking to make sure a book is complete.  I collate my books.  This means I check them against descriptions of known perfect copies for missing pages and illustrations.

Colophon

A page of information at the end of a book, usually the last printed page.   The colophon of a book may contain a statement of limitation, an author's signature, or simple details about the paper and typeface used in the manufacture of the book.

Condition

In a listing such as "Fine/Very good" -  the "fine" refers to the condition of the book and the "very good" refers to the dust jacket.  The condition of the book is always described before the jacket.

After rarity, condition is the most important factor in determining the value of a book.  Fine is the highest condition rating for a book.  Books in "as new" condition are obviously fine.  After that there is near fine, very good, good, and so on down the line - to books that are falling apart.  With only a few exceptions, I try not to stock books in less than very good condition.  

Collectors want first editions of books in a condition as close as possible to original.  

As New

A book that is in new condition with no blemishes whatsoever.   Crisp and clean.  Also sometimes called very fine.  Some booksellers grade books in this condition "mint,"  which is really a term used to grade other collectibles like stamps and coins.

Fine Condition

Nearly new with only some very slight signs of age.  No defects or soil.   Not as crisp as an "as new" copy.

Near Fine

Perhaps just the slightest blemish including a tiny tear to a dust jacket or a name written in the book.

Very Good Condition

Describes a book that is clean and sound with very little wear.  The book will show some signs of use and is not as crisp as a fine or near fine copy.  All defects noted.  Most books published prior to 1900 are usually not seen in better than very good condition. 

Good Condition

Describes a book that has normal wear and aging.  No major defects or flaws.  Generally sound.  Original binding and all pages and illustrations present.  Most  books printed before 1900, in good condition, are probably acceptable to most collectors.

Cracked Hinge

In my descriptions, books with cracked hinges have a crack at the surface inside the book where the cover meets the spine.  Cracked hinges are usually still strong and functional.  I do not stock books with split or broken hinges - which would actually be separated at the hinge.

Cropped

This refers to the margins of a book that have been trimmed or cut during the re-binding process. 

Deckled Edges

Books with deckled edges have the original rough uncut edges that are usually cut or trimmed during the binding process.  They are mostly seen on special and limited editions these days.

Dentelle

A decorative border on the cover or spine of a book that is usually very elaborate or lacy in design.

Dust Jacket or Dust Wrapper

The original printed paper cover that came with the book.  Most books published after 1920 had them.   They are important to collectors because they are an original part of the book.  As they are the most fragile part of the book, they can also be the most valuable part too.  A dust jacket on a valuable or highly collectible book can account for more than 75% of the overall value.   On ordinary books and reading copies, the presence of the original jacket is less important and probably accounts for 25% to 35% of the book's value.

Edges

Usually refers to the three outside edges of the pages of a book.  The top edge is on the top,  the bottom edge is on the bottom, and the fore-edge is the outside edge of the pages.

Edition

All copies of a book made from a specific set of type.  Later printings of a book can be printings of the first edition.  However, first printings of the first edition are usually what collectors want.  Later printings are rarely worth anywhere near what first printings are worth.  Second, and later, editions are copies of a book printed in a different format, are by a different publisher than the first edition.   These are usually less valuable than the first edition.  There are always exceptions though.  Sometimes the second edition of a book is more valuable because it includes revised or more complete information than the first edition.  Books in the field of Western American History are the most common examples of this.    Often times a map or some other information are added to the second edition making it more desirable than the first edition.

See "Book Club,"  "First Thus,"  and "Issues and States" also.

Edition De-Luxe

Generally a special or limited edition designed to look fancy.  Usually not important and would more appropriately be named "Edition De-Looks"

Embossed

Decorations, letters, or symbols raised above the surface, usually of the paper.  Most commonly a former owner's name.  This is done when an engraved steel stamp presses an impression into the paper.

End Papers

The end papers of a book are exactly that.  They are the first and last pages of a book, and are usually blank.  The front free endpaper is the very first free page of paper in a book.  The paste-downs of a book are the pages that are glued to the inside of the covers of a book. 

Endpapers can be decorative.  Often times in antiquarian books they are marbled or colored.  Sometimes they are illustrated by the artist who illustrated the book.  They can also have printed patterns on them.

Erratum, Errata

Usually a slip of paper laid in; or tipped in, to a book containing a list of corrections to printing errors.

Ex-Library

Any book that ever belonged to a library institution.  Any book with library markings on it such as a spine label, card pocket, numbers etc...    Ex-library copies are usually diminished in value from privately owned copies because of the damage libraries do to books with their markings.  I usually do not stock ex-library copies of books unless they are scarce.  I always mention a book is ex-library, in the description, if it is.

Ex-Libris

Latin phrase meaning "from the library of..."   Usually refers to privately owned copies with book plates.

Facsimile

An edition of a book that is manufactured to resemble the original edition as closely as possible.  The "First Edition Club" published copies of classic books, such as The Great Gatsby that look like originals.

First Thus

Not the first edition of a book, but the first printing of a new edition.   A first printing of The Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrated by Maxfield Parrish would be described as "first thus."

Fly Leaf or Fly Leaves

The unprinted pages [other than the end papers] at the front and back of a book.

Fore-Edge

The front edge of the book.  The edge opposite the spine.

Foxed and Foxing

Discoloring to the pages caused by dampness or poor ventilation.  This shows up as brownish red spotting  affecting the pages.

Frontispiece

An illustration that faces the title page.

Gilt

Gold decorations to the cover or to the page edges of a book.  Gilt decorations, gilt lettering, top edge gilt, all edges gilt are the most common.

Half-Cloth and Half Leather

This refers to the style of binding.  A half-cloth or half-leather binding means the spine and first part of the boards are bound in cloth and leather, and the balance of the boards are paper covered etc...

Half-Title

The page before the title page [and before the frontispiece] that has the title of the book printed on it.

Head

The top of the spine of a book. 

Hinge

The actual hinge of the cover of the book and pages where They meet the spine inside the book.  A cracked hinge in my descriptions usually means the paper surface covering the hinge has just cracked at the surface.  Split or broken hinges would be so described.

See "Joint"  and "Cracked Hinge" also.

Howes

Refers to U.S.-Iana by Wright Howes.  A standard bibliography of Americana relating to the discovery and exploration of the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.  The numbers refer to the listings cited.

Issues and States

This is the most bewildering part of book collecting.  Sometimes books are altered, corrected, or changed in some way during the manufacturing process.  These different "issues" and "states" often occur in the same edition, and the collector is primarily concerned with variants within the first edition.  Usually the variant occurs as the result of a printer's error.  However, the earliest state of a book might be determined by the date of a catalog that was bound in at the back of the book, or by the presence or absence of a particular detail on the dust jacket or binding.  Good specialized bibliographies are the only way to sort these things out.   In most cases, as with editions, the earliest variant states are the most desirable.

Joint

Where the covers of a book meet the spine [exterior].

See "Hinge" also.

Laid In

Something related to the book that is slipped inside the pages of a book.   Not attached to the book.

Marbled

Refers to a decorative paper used in the binding of books and the stylized edges of books.  There are many different patterns and styles of marbled paper.

Octavo

See Size.

Out of Print or O.P

This means a book is no longer available from the publisher and only second-hand copies can be bought.

Paste Down

The page of a book that is glued to the front and rear boards of a book.   See "End Paper" also.

Pebbled Cloth

Cloth binding with a bumpy surface.

Plates

Refers to full page illustrations that were printed or manufactured separately from the text pages.

Points

Meaning points of difference in variant copies of an edition.  See "States and Issues."

Printed Wrappers

See "Wrappers."

Quarto

See size.

Raised Bands

This refers to raised ridges on the spine where the cords that hold the page gatherings together.   Unless they are recessed into the spine they protrude, and can add to the decoration of a book.

Remainder Mark

Books left over from publishers' stock are often sold at reduced prices for clearance.  Publishers often mark these books on one of the edges with a marker, a stamp, or a light spray paint mist.  Remaindered books are not damaged books; but the marks are blemishes that reduce the value of collectible books.   I always note remainder marks in my descriptions when present.

Rubbed

Refers to light chaffing or scuffing.

Ruled

Refers to the printed frame design around the edges of a page, or stamped frame design on a cover. 

Signature

Technically a gathering or section of pages in a book.  Books are manufactured by sewing groups of pages together.  Most commonly used to describe "a loose signature" or a small batch of pages that has started to pull from the binding.

Signed Binding

Any binding that can be identified as the work of a specific binder.   Usually fine binders "signed" their work with a stamp on the endpaper, or a small stamped in the leather.  Sometimes a binder ticket or stub is bound in to the book identifying the binder's work.

  Size

Books come in all shapes and sizes.  The different sizes books come in have names.  Below is a list of the most common sizes and the names they are given.

Folio - 13" or taller.

Quarto - 11" to 13" tall.

Small Quarto - About 10" tall.

Octavo - About 8" to 9" tall.

Small Octavo - 7 1/2" to 8" tall.

12mo. - About 7" tall.

16mo. - 6" to 7" tall.

24mo. - 5" to 6" tall.

32mo. - 4" to 5" tall.

48mo. - Less than 4" tall.

64mo. - About 3" tall.

Slip Case

A box a book is housed in with one open side that the book slips into.

Spine

The part of the book visible when a book is on the shelf.

State

See "Issues and States"

Stiff Paper

A paperback binding.  Also called wrappers by some dealers.  I only stock scholarly paperback books.   They are larger in size than mass market paperback novels, which I do not stock.

Tail

The base of the spine of a book.

Tipped In

Anything that is "tipped in" to a book is usually lightly attached by glue at the corners or one edge.  Illustrations, errata slips, and autographs are things that are usually tipped in to books.

Unopened [Pages]

Refers to pages that are still attached to each other at the top edge or at the fore-edge.  Almost always means a book has not been read.  Not the same as uncut which refers to the outside edges of a book that have been left deckled by the binder.

Variant

See "Issues and States."

Wrappers

Paper binding.  Can also mean paperback book.  I use it to describe a thin printed paper cover, usually on a pamphlet.  It does not refer to the dust jacket of a hardcover book.