Conditions Guide
Here at World of Books our goal is to get more books into the hands of more readers, and we do this by helping as many pre-loved books as possible find happy new homes.
We work in an ethical and sustainable way that creates positive benefits for both book suppliers and book lovers.
When books arrive to us we assess and then grade each one carefully, so that every time you make a purchase from us you can be certain you’re receiving the same level of quality.
Read on to find out more about how we source and assess our books.
We grade our Old & Rare books differently, scroll down for more information on Old & Rare book conditions.
Books Condition Guide
You’ll find that every book on our website has its own page with an Additional Information section that lists the book’s Condition Category.
The Condition Categories are as follows:
New
- A brand-new copy ready to be opened for the first time
- Pages will be untouched with a perfect binding
- This is a new book - be the first to read this copy
Like New
- The book cover has no visible wear
- The dust jacket is included if applicable
- No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins
Very Good
- Minimal amount of creasing to the spine
- Square binding
- Minimal or no discolouration to pages
- Dust jacket present
Good
- Slightly crooked spine or slightly torn dust jacket
- Mild creasing of cover
- Slightly loose bindings
- Mild browning
- Slight highlighting or note taking
- Possibility of library stickers on the cover or within
Well-Read
- Spine may be warped with cracking and scuffing
- Cover may be discoloured and creasing
- Pages may be browned and warped
- Markings and note taking do not interfere with reading
- May be without end papers or title page
- May be some water damage
- Cover slightly torn
- Possibility of library stickers on the cover or within
Old & Rare Book Conditions Guide
The details below are for reference only but you will find that each of our books is individually described. If you would like clarification on any term in a particular description, please contact us for further information.
Very Good (VG)
Describes a book that shows some small signs of wear on either binding or paper. Any defects will be noted in the product description.
Good (G)
Describes the average used worn book that has all the text present. Any defects will be noted in the product description.
Acceptable
A worn book that has complete text pages. Binding, jacket (if any) will be worn. All defects will be noted in the product description.
This copy may be soiled, stained, or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages etc.
Ex-Library
This book maybe come with library stamps within the first few pages. The cover may come with a plastic sleeve around it. There is also the possibility of library stickers on the cover or within.
Media Conditions Guide
Like New
- An item that looks like it has just been taken out of its shrink wrap.
- No visible wear, and the item is flawless and intact.
- All used products with extra parts or codes may have been retained by the original owner, used or expired.
Very Good
- An item that has been used but is still in very good condition.
- No damage to the jewellery case or item cover, no scuffs, scratches, cracks, or holes.
- The DVD box is included. The video game instructions and box are included. The cover art and liner notes may be included.
- The teeth of the disk holder are undamaged. Minimal wear on the exterior of the item.
- No skipping on CD/DVD.
- All used products with extra parts or codes may have been retained by the original owner, used or expired.
Good
- An item is used but in good condition.
- May have minor damage to the jewellery case including scuffs or cracks, or to the item cover including scuffs, scratches, or cracks.
- The DVD box is included. The cover art and liner notes may be included for a CD.
- Video game instructions are included.
- No skipping on CD/DVD.
- All used products with extra parts or codes may have been retained by the original owner, used or expired.
How we source our books
- We source much of our stock from charity shops, buying the titles they don’t want or haven’t got space for.
- This prevents the charity from having to pay to destroy the books, and also means that when you buy books from us you’re helping to support good causes - a great win-win!
- We also buy books via a website called Ziffit that’s managed by our company group. It’s a free service in the UK that people can use to have their books valued and sell them if they like the offer.
- Other sources we use to find our wonderful pre-loved books include libraries and book banks.
How we categorise our books
- All the books we source arrive into our central warehouse, where they’re carefully checked and their condition categorised by our eagle-eyed team.
- Quality control is vitally important to us. We want you to know that whenever you buy a book from us you’ll receive it in exactly the condition described.
- The categories we use are Very Good, Good and Well-Read, and some will also have an extra marking on of Ex-Library. There’s a detailed guide below about each category.
- Any books that are just too old to pass our quality controls are sent away for recycling.
About our very good books
- When you buy a book marked as Very Good condition you can expect to receive a copy that’s almost as good as new.
- Generally books in this category will have been read only once, and will always be very well looked after.
- If you check the book over you should find very little if any creasing to the spine, a square binding, little or no discolouration to the pages, and it will be in its original dust jacket.
- There are a few other Very Good reasons to be happy about buying your nearly-new book from us.
- Because it’s already had another owner or two you’re likely to get yourself a great price compared to one that is being sold new, and by buying from us you’ll also know you’ve done your bit to help the environment.
- All that’s left to do now is to find a quiet place, relax and enjoy your Very Good read!
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here please check our Help links in the footer for more support or to reach out to us.
We’re always happy to help.