How does Grandma determine the quality of a book and assign a "grade?"  This process can be very subjective, but in general here are the categories and criteria we use.  Please note that Grandma's return policy states that books may be returned within seven (7) days of receipt if the book differs materially from the description posted on the site.  Note also that all returns require authorization regardless of the reason.

Items marked "As Is" are excepted.  

AS NEW

This term means what it says.  The book was never used and was stored in that condition until resale.  Some "As New" material is still in the original plastic wrapping.

VERY FINE (OR "MINT")

A Very Fine book is in perfect condition, essentially the same as it originally came from the publisher (not everything shipped by publishers is in pristine condition).  There are no material flaws or other signs that the book has ever been read.  The book is tight and absent signs of chipping, rubbing, bumping, or creasing.  There are no signs of ownership in a Very Fine book.

Occasionally a Very Fine book will have a few superficial marks as a result of shipping or other handling during the printing and display processes (a book with a light cover, for instance, may have a few minor visible marks resulting from contact with other books).  These are marked as "else Very Fine."  Marks falling under the "else" designation must be very superficial and probably not noticeable by most purchasers.

Rarely do desirable books in Very Fine condition become available.

FINE

Fine books are a small step down from Very Fine.  They may have been read but have been treated very carefully.  The jacket may have lost some of its shine, but has no tears or other damage.  There are no other flaws or ownership marks in such books.

"Else Fine" books have a single imperfection, such a tear in the jacket or dent in the cover.  Realistically, a book that is carefully used (as opposed to being stored unopened) will probably be in "else Fine" category at best.  For most people, these are the best books that will come onto the market.

VERY GOOD

These books are physically whole with reasonably clean and unmarked jackets, but are books that have been clearly used and have clear flaws.  Whereas flaws in the Very Fine category might not be noticed by most people, and in the Fine category are suggestions of careful use that again would require close scrutiny to identify, flaws in Very Good books are fairly obvious

This category comprises most of the books people own.  There may be tears to the jacket, fading to the jacket or cover, modest ownership marks, "foxing" in older books (a chemical phenomenon that marks pages as though they had been walked on by an animal with dirty feet), and so on. 

If you collect books, expect most of your acquisitions to be in this category, but also expect that Very Good books, although obviously used, will be complete, usable additions to your library.

GOOD

Books in this category are purchased because you want them for their content or because you don't care about a variety of physical imperfections.  Collectors generally avoid Good books, remembering however that some books simply are not available in any better condition.

Good books may have stains, damage to the binding, tears in the jacket, taped repairs to either book or jacket (or both), and extensive markings or notes on the pages.  They may also exhibit other signs of heavy use or improper storage, such as loose bindings or "rolling" (a condition that occurs when books are improperly stored and are no longer square).

The book is whole (meaning that all the material is intact) and the jacket, however damaged, is original.

POOR

We occasionally list Poor books because of their general rarity and the fact that they may be unavailable in any other condition.  A Poor book is whatever cannot be described as Good but is still desirable, again because of its rarity.

The binding may have serious damage or have come apart at the spine, the jacket might have deteriorated severely, and the pages may have been watermarked.

Again, Grandma does not sell recent, widely available books in Poor condition.  Such books are only offered because they are genuinely old and desirable, or because they are more recent but rare.  Even so, while watermarked books are sold as Poor, Grandma does not sell dirty, moldy, or bug-infested books in any condition.

Please note that books identified as Poor are sold by Grandma "As Is," and that our normal return policies do not apply.

QUESTIONS & CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions about our grading practices, or about the condition of any specific book, please do not hesitate to contact Grandma.  Please be clear about a book's condition before you purchase it, so that we are able to meet your expectations.