A Guide to Book Conditions Used:

For all books we attempt to describe the condition as best as possible following the below guidance.

As New:  The book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published.

Fine (F or FN): A Fine book approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp.  The book may have been opened and read, but there are no defects to the book, jacket or pages. 

Very Good (VG): Describes a book that shows some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or paper.

Good (G): Describes the average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present.

Fair: Worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc. Binding, jacket (if any), etc., may also be worn.

Poor: Describes a book that is sufficiently worn.  This copy may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.

Binding Copy: describes a book in which the pages or leaves are perfect but the binding is very bad, loose, off, or nonexistent.

Reading Copy: A copy usually in poor to fair condition that includes all text presented in a legible fashion.  The copy is fine to read but nothing more.

Other terms possibly used:

Ex-library – the book was once owned by, and circulated in, a public library. May have library stickers, stamps, or markings.

Foxed / Foxing - Brown spotting of the paper caused by a chemical reaction, generally found in 19th century books, particularly in steel engravings of the period.

Price Clipped -The price has been clipped from the corner of the dust jacket.

Re-backed - A book that has been repaired by replacing the spine and mending the hinges.

Shelf Wear - The wear that occurs as a book is placed onto and removed from a shelf. It may be to the tail (bottom) edge of the covers as they rub against the shelf, to the dust jacket or exterior of the covers (when no dust jacket is present) as the book rubs against its neighbors, or to the head of the spine which some use to pull the book from the shelf.

Terms & Conditions

Product Descriptions

All items are described in good faith and to the best of our ability. Condition assessments are subjective, and occasional errors may occur. If you require additional information or photographs before purchasing, please contact us — we are always happy to help.

Shipping

We aim to dispatch all orders within 1–2 business days.

Shipping times provided by carriers are estimates only. Delays caused by postal services, couriers, or customs are outside our control. All items are packaged securely to minimise the risk of damage in transit.

Insurance

Basic insurance may be included with some (but not all) shipping services.

If you require full-value or extended insurance, this is the buyer’s responsibility and must be purchased at the time of ordering.

If extended insurance is not purchased, we cannot accept claims for loss or damage during transit.

Returns

If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, you may return it within 30 days of receipt for a refund.

• Return shipping costs are the buyer’s responsibility.

• Items must be returned in the same condition as received.

• We recommend using a tracked and insured service, as the buyer is responsible for the item until it reaches us.

Refunds are processed within 1–2 business days of receiving the returned item. The time taken for funds to appear in your account depends on your bank or payment provider — in some cases this may take up to 30 days, which is outside our control.

Our return address can be found at the bottom of this page or on your invoice/shipping note.

International Orders

For orders shipped outside the United Kingdom:

• Import duties, taxes, and customs charges are not included in the purchase price.

• These fees are determined by your local customs authority and must be paid by the buyer upon delivery.

• We do not calculate or collect international sales tax (including US state sales tax) or any customs-related charges such as brokerage fees or MPF (Merchandise Processing Fee).

As a small UK business, we do not have the resources to administer foreign tax systems. Buyers are responsible for ensuring compliance with their local regulations.