Book Condition

If you are new to collecting rare books or are interested in taking up book collecting as a hobby the following information should be helpful.  

Grading Book Condition

VF: Very Fine

F: Fine

NF: Near Fine

VG: Very Good

G: Good

DJ: Dust Jacket 

HC: Hardcover

SC: Softcover

Most books worth buying will fall within these grades. Some may come with or without a dust jacket and be a hard or soft cover. 

Buying books online from Ebay or Thriftbooks can be a little bit of a gamble because many times books sold online do not come with photos of the actual individual book being purchased. Also some sellers exaggerate the condition of the book.  

In school grading terms G for Good is similar to a C grade for passing a class.  An F for Fine would be an A grade instead of an f for fail.