Condition guide
New and second hand
Every book we sell is described as either new or second hand.
New means an unused copy. This includes older stock: copies printed some time ago that have never been used. Some of these titles are now out of print.
Second hand means a copy that has been used by a previous owner. Second-hand copies are graded on the scale below and belong in our Rare section. Rare is simply where we list second-hand copies. The name on its own does not mean a title is scarce.
The grading scale
We use the six grades common among antiquarian booksellers. A grade describes the book as a whole, and a dust jacket may be graded separately (see the note after the grades). Each grade comes with a short note of the flaws of that copy.
As New
The copy is as it left the publisher: complete, unmarked and unread. If the book was issued with a dust jacket, the jacket is in the same state.
Fine
Close to As New and without defects, though the copy may no longer look quite untouched.
Near Fine
Just short of Fine, with one or two small faults.
Very Good
The copy has been read and shows it a little, for example light rubbing at the corners or edges. Nothing is torn.
Good
A used copy showing clear wear, with no pages missing.
Fair
A heavily worn copy with the complete text and illustrations. A blank leaf or a leaf before the text may be missing, and the binding or jacket may be damaged.
Dust jackets. When a dust jacket is in a different condition from the book, the two are graded separately, for example "Very Good in a Good dust jacket".
How flaws are noted
A grade on its own does not say enough, so the flaws of a second-hand copy are described in a few plain words. These are the ones you will meet most often.
- Dust jacket wear: small chips or tears at the edges, rubbing, creases, or a spine faded by light. A jacket with the price cut from its corner is described as price-clipped.
- Foxing: small brown spots on the paper, often near the edges, which come with age and damp.
- Toning: an even browning of the paper over time.
- Inscriptions and ownership marks: a previous owner's name, a dedication, a bookplate or a stamp. A signature or inscription by the author or artist is noted separately from an owner's marks.
- Remainder marks: a stamp or a line of ink on the page edges, added when surplus copies are sold off at a reduced price.
- Ex-library copies: stamps, labels or pockets left by a library.
- Wear to the binding: bumped corners, rubbed edges, a leaning spine, or a cracked hinge (where the cover joins the pages).
- Marks inside: underlining, notes in the margins, stains or creased pages.
Where it helps, we also say where a flaw is, for example "light foxing to the endpapers" or "short tear at the top of the jacket spine". The endpapers are the sheets lining the inside of the covers.
Before you buy
Second-hand listings give the grade and the flaws of the copy for sale. New listings carry no grade. If a listing does not yet show a grade, or you would like to know more about a particular copy, write to info@simonebooks.dk and we will describe it before you buy.
If a copy is not as described
If a copy does not match its description, for example because its grade is lower than stated or it has a flaw that was not named, it counts as a defect. Write to info@simonebooks.dk.
The 24-month right of complaint under the Danish Sale of Goods Act applies to second-hand books just as it does to new ones. A complaint made within two months of finding the defect is always in time. For a justified complaint we offer an exchange, repair or refund, and we also refund reasonable return shipping. Ordinary wear that fits the book's age and stated grade is not a defect.
The right of withdrawal is separate. Second-hand books carry the same 14-day right of withdrawal as new ones, counted from the day you receive the book. You do not need to give a reason, but if you withdraw, you pay the return shipping.
The full terms are in our refund policy and terms of service.